Stephen Robinson would understandably love a repeat of St Mirren ’s last trip to Tannadice when his ruthless Buddies thumped Dundee United 3-0.
But the Saints gaffer would be equally delighted with a narrower margin this time as long as it helps the Paisley club take another huge step towards a top-six finish.
Dundee United’s stadium has been a happy hunting ground in recent years, with the Saints also winning 2-1 there last season and 5-1 back in January 2021.
With Jim Goodwin now in charge of the Terrors, the former St Mirren hero is hoping to pick up a win that could help keep the home side up.
Saints manager Robinson is only focused on bringing three points back to Paisley in a bid to boost their top half hopes with tomorrow’s clash one of just five games before the split.
When asked about their emphatic win at Tannadice in August, Robinson told Renfrewshire Live Sport: “On the day we were very clinical. When you win like that it looks like you were unbelievably good.
"To be honest we were OK. The main thing was we were very ruthless. We’ll go and try to be organised and hard to break down. We know what a win means at this stage of the season.
“At the end of the day I don’t fear anybody in this division. We’ve shown what we can do against the best teams in this league already.
“Ultimately we want to take a good season and turn it into a tremendous season. The fans will be happy on the back of the League Cup anniversary celebrations this week and hopefully they can drive the team on.
“If we can give them any relative success this season we’ll be fighting hard to do that.”
The Saints supporters were given a boost yesterday with the news star midfielder Mark O’Hara had signed a two-year contract extension, committing himself to the club until the summer of 2026.
Robinson described O’Hara as a “manager’s dream” and backed him to shine on the international stage if called upon by Scotland boss Steve Clarke. He said: “It’s fantastic for Mark and the club. I made it clear to the board he was a huge part of things going forward and he should be rewarded for that.
“St Mirren as a club are usually struggling down at the bottom half, so you’re unsure where you’re going to be. We’re looking to build on that relative success and Mark’s been a huge part of that.
“He’s the ideal footballer. He causes no problems, he’s good around the place, he’s a manager’s dream. There’s never any hassle in his performances on the pitch. Getting him and Trevor Carson signed has given us a bit of stability.
“Mark and Trevor will be part of the core next season, which is good. It’s up to me to get that four or five in now who’ll make the difference.
“Scotland have a brilliant midfield and I’m not qualified to tell Steve Clarke how to do his job. But he’s been terrific, certainly one of the top Scottish players and I’d love him to get his chance in the international arena. If he continues this form there’s no reason why he shouldn’t.”
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