Preview: St Mirren vs. Motherwell - prediction, team news, lineups

The two sides are separated by seven points in the Scottish Premiership table, with seventh-placed St Mirren leading ninth-placed Motherwell, and the visitors are only three points clear of the automatic relegation spot.

Match preview

St Mirren head into Saturday's clash having booked their place in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup last weekend, as Stephen Robinson's men played out a goalless draw with Dundee before winning 3-0 on penalties.

However, the Buddies have struggled in the league of late, recording three consecutive draws before suffering back-to-back defeats to leave them four points shy of the European places.

Following a 1-0 loss to Hearts, St Mirren were thrashed 4-0 by Celtic in their previous Premiership outing, meaning they have managed to win just one of their last eight league games, with five draws coming in that time.

On a brighter note, Robinson's side have only lost one of their 11 home league clashes this season, and they currently boast a 10-game unbeaten run at the SMISA Stadium, having picked up six wins and four draws since their last loss.

It is also worth noting that St Mirren have conceded just eight Premiership goals in their own backyard this term, meaning only Celtic and Rangers have a better defensive record on home soil.

Motherwell were also in Scottish Cup action last weekend, punching their ticket to the last 16 with a 2-0 victory over Arbroath, thanks to a brace from new signing Mikael Mandron.

Like St Mirren, the Steelmen are enduring a poor run of form in the league, having failed to win any of their previous eight matches, with four draws and four losses coming since their last victory.

When you look at the bigger picture, Steven Hammell's side have only managed to win one of their past 12 Premiership encounters, registering four draws and seven defeats along the way.

As a result, Motherwell find themselves fourth from bottom in the table, level with Dundee United and Kilmarnock on 20 points, while last-placed Ross County sit on 17 points with a game in hand on the North Lanarkshire club.

Motherwell have enjoyed almost four decades in the Scottish top flight, having gained promotion back in 1985, but they are now in real danger of dropping into the second tier.

St Mirren Scottish Premiership form:

W

D

D

D

L

L

St Mirren form (all competitions):

D

D

D

L

L

W

Motherwell Scottish Premiership form:

D

D

L

D

L

D

Motherwell form (all competitions):

D

L

D

L

D

W

Team News

St Mirren will be without the injured Richard Tait for the foreseeable future, as the right-back continues to recover from a groin strain picked up back in November.

Having made three saves in the penalty shootout against Dundee last weekend, goalkeeper Trevor Carson is enjoying a strong debut season with the Buddies and will retain his place between the sticks.

Centre-back Joe Shaughnessy and midfielder Ethan Erhahon could come back into St Mirren's starting XI on Saturday after coming off the bench in last weekend's cup victory.

Motherwell are still without long-term injury absentee Nathan McGinley, while Bevis Mugabi, Joseph Efford and Jake Carroll are also expected to miss Saturday's clash due to injury.

Following his brace against Arbroath last weekend, French striker Mikael Mandron should lead the line for the visitors after making an impressive start to his Motherwell career.

St Mirren possible starting lineup:

Carson; Shaughnessy, Gallagher, Dunne; Strain, Baccus, Erhahon, Gogic, Tanser; Main, Ayunga

Motherwell possible starting lineup:

Kelly; McGinn, Solholm Johansen, Lamie, Penney; Spitall, Goss, McKinstry; Shields, Van Veen, Mandron

We say: St Mirren 1-0 Motherwell

Although St Mirren and Motherwell have struggled in the league of late, the Buddies have continued to enjoy success on home soil and should edge out the visitors on Saturday, enhancing their outstanding defensive record at the SMISA Stadium in the process.

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