Ten-man St Mirren went third after Alex Grieve's injury time winner gave Stephen Robinson’s men all three points against David Martindale’s Livingston, who were by far the better team. Keanu Baccus scored the opener which was quickly cancelled out by Bruce Anderson before the crucial winner.
Both teams came into the game level on 12 points and in fourth and fifth place respectively, with Saints pulling off a shock a 2-0 victory over Celtic and Livi beating Kilmarnock 1-0, in impressive starts to the campaign before the international break. Robinson made two changes with Gogic and Kiltie replacing Main and Strain from the lineup which beat the champions, meanwhile Livi’s match winner Montano dropped out from the win against Kilmarnock being replaced by Penrice.
A fairly blustery opening 10 minutes went by with little happening before a shot just wide for the visitors by Dylan Bahamboula, which was followed by a series of free kicks and corners.
There was then a chance for Gogic too but he fired over after a corner. It then should have been a goal on half an hour with Scott Pittman being clean through but a brilliant save by Trevor Carson kept the scoresheet level a the break.
Defender Ayo Obileye had a great chance from a free header at the start of the half but he headed wide. Livi’s dominant spell in the game continued but then came a crazy spell. Baccus scored his second goal of the season after a cross following a corner after spending most of the game on the back foot.
Then it was a pen for Livi with Jonah Ayunga being sent off. But former St Mirren defender Sean Kelly put the ball over the bar from 12 yards. Anderson did make it one apiece but that wasn’t the end of the scoring as the hosts scored again through Greive. The New Zealand striker caught the eye of his manager for being late back from international duty but he’ll have forgotten about it now with the winner.
Saints upward curve continues
St Mirren gaffer Stephen Robinson masterminded a brilliant game plan which led to a shock victory over Celtic before the international break. That one result was somewhat surprising but thoroughly deserved, while also keeping a clean sheet, with goalkeeper Trevor Carson largely untroubled.
And after Rangers’ lunchtime win over Hearts at Tynecastle in the day’s live game, it gave the winner of today’s game in Paisley the opportunity to leapfrog Robbie Neilson’s men into third place in the Scottish Premiership table.
The opportunity which was gladly taken by the hosts thanks to goals from Baccus and Greive to secure the Buddies’ fourth league victory in five matches. St Mirren are now in very high spirits as they to look forward to the next few games before the break for the World Cup but they face a tricky trip to Ibrox next weekend as the games don’t get any easier.
Third place goes abegging
After back to back victories against Hearts and Kilmarnock before the international break had David Martindale’ s men level on points with their fourth placed opponents this afternoon at the SMISA Stadium.
And after those two good wins and coupled with Rangers’ lunchtime win over Hearts at Tynecastle in the day’s live game, a window of opportunity opened up for the West Lothian outfit to leapfrog Robbie Neilson’s Edinburgh charges into third place in the Scottish Premiership standings.
But after those wins there will part of Martindale thinking what could have been after today’s disappointing defeat at St Mirren kept his from moving up the table above both today’s opposition and Hearts. Instead, the focus will now be on getting on back to winnings ways at home against Ross County next weekend.
Saints second best but win three points
Stephen Robinson will not care about how his team got into third place and it’s a good job because his team were definitely secured best. Saints did score the opening goal through Baccus but only after dominant display from the visitors from West Lothian.
The hosts were on the ropes once again, firstly for Sean Kelly’s penalty. The incident saw Buddies forward Ayunga sent off for handball on the line but Kelly ballooned the ball over the crossbar. Anderson then thought he bagged a point for Livi with his equaliser.
But Greive, who was late back for international duty earlier this week, earned his second goal of the season, after a couple of set pieces in a row.
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