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

The visitors currently sit in fifth place and have also started the season well, setting up what should be a closely contested fixture.

Match preview

St Mirren have been the surprise package of the SPL so far this season, with the club currently sat second in the league table just two points behind Celtic.

The Buddies are undefeated in the opening five matches with three wins and two draws helping them to shoot up the division early on.

After consecutive draws St Mirren got back to winning ways last weekend with a 1-0 win over Motherwell as Scott Tanser scored the only goal of the game.

The clean sheet showcased the qualities that St Mirren have at the back, meanwhile only Celtic have scored more goals than them to this point, showcasing the attacking edge they possess.

A victory this weekend has the possibility of seeing the Buddies head to the top of the table though as there is only two points between them and Celtic, showcasing just how impressive they have been.

However, Hearts will also want to close the gap on the league leaders and St Mirren themselves as there is just four points separating them right now in the league table.

The Jambos have had a mixed start with two wins and draws alongside one defeat, and there is a clear need for consistency should they want to start pushing further up the division.

However, Hearts have only conceded twice this season with the team being set up perfectly from a defensive point of view, but that has come at the expense of scoring goals.

Steven Naismith's men have only scored four times, which is something they need to focus on, but they did score twice in their most recent outing.

Yutaro Oda and Liam Boyce got on the scoresheet to help Hearts defeat Aberdeen 2-0, bringing an end to a four-game run without a win in the process.

St Mirren Scottish Premiership form:

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St Mirren form (all competitions):

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D

W

Hearts Scottish Premiership form:

D

W

D

L

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W

Hearts form (all competitions):

W

L

L

L

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Team News

After a four-game absence Mark O'Hara returned to the starting lineup for St Mirren last weekend, and he is expected to feature in midfield once again.

With his return, it could be an unchanged starting XI for the hosts this weekend as they aim to continue building their momentum.

The visitors have several injury concerns of their own to deal with as Barrie McKay, Craig Halkett and Craig Gordon on the sidelines, which is providing opportunities for others.

Oda and Boyce will both expect to start after scoring last weekend, meanwhile Lawrence Shankland should be in front of them as a sole striker.

St Mirren possible starting lineup:

Hemming; Fraser, Gogic, Taylor; Strain, Boyd-Munce, O'Hara, Tanser; McMenamin, Kiltie, Mandron

Hearts possible starting lineup:

Clark; Atkinson, Kent, Rowles, Cochrane; Devlin, Haring; Oda, Boyce, Sibbick; Shankland

We say: St Mirren 2-1 Hearts

Hearts managed to get back to winning ways last weekend which should lead to them bringing plenty of confidence into this game, but that may not be enough.

St Mirren are enjoying a fantastic run right now, and that is something that should continue this weekend with another three points expected.

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