St Mirren

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson is full of praise for his players after the 2-2 draw with champions Celtic.

"It's not often you come to Celtic Park and say you're disappointed with a point," he tells BBC Scotland. "It shows we've come a long way.

"We had some great opportunities and limited Celtic to half chances, which they are always going to create with their quality.

"Curtis Main scored two good goals and went close with the head twice, but I've got nothing but praise for him and Greg Kiltie all day.

"Curtis will get the headlines, but I thought Ryan Strain was outstanding. The only games we play Richard Taylor in are the big games and his shown what a good footballer he is and he is going to be a fantastic signing for us next season while Keanu Baccus was back to his best.

"We are still in the race for Europe with two games to go, which is a fantastic achievement for everybody at this football club."

Clive Lindsay, BBC Sport Scotland

Instead of another famous win at Celtic Park that would have ended the hosts' 50-game domestic unbeaten home run, St Mirren go five games - and seven on the road - without a victory thanks to Callum McGregor's late equaliser.

The Buddies were as "brave" and positive as manager Stephen Robinson had asked and will count themselves unlucky to now find themselves rank outsiders in the race for Europe - two points behind fifth-placed Hibernian, who play their game in hand at home to Rangers on Sunday.

St Mirren now have their highest points tally in a single top-flight campaign in the 21st century and, having lost three in a row against Celtic, losing 14 goals and scoring twice, since September's 2-0 win in Paisley and can point to a draw as more signs of improvement.

As expected, Ange Postecoglou restores a trio of regular starters to his Celtic side after last week's defeat by Rangers.

Top scorer Kyogo Furuhashi and fellow Japan international Daizen Maeda return to the front line in place of South Korea's Oh Hyeon-gyu and Israel's Liel Abada.

Meanwhile, Scotland's Greg Taylor is restored at left-back in place of Alexandro Bernabei.

Centre-half Yuki Kobayashi drops to the bench and is replaced with Tomoki Iwata. Could that mean the Japan midfielder playing in central defence in place of his compatriot?

St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson makes two changes from their 2-2 draw with Hearts.

Australia midfielder Keanu Baccus and on-loan Southampton defender Thierry Small start, with left-back Scott Tanser dropping to the bench and New Zealand striker Alex Greive missing out through injury.

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Image source, BBC Sport

Celtic: Hart, Ralston, Starfelt, Iwata, Taylor, McGregor, Hatate, O'Riley, Jota, Maeda, Kyogo.

Substitutes: Bain, Haksabanovic, Abada, Turnbull, Kobayashi, Oh, Bernabei, Forrest, Summers.

St Mirren: Carson, Fraser, Shaughnessy, R Taylor, Strain, Baccus, O'Hara, Gogic, Small, Kiltie, Main.

Substitutes: Urminsky, Gallagher, Dunne, Kenny, Tanser, Boyd-Munce, F Taylor, Offord, Jamieson.

Image source, BBC Sport

Celtic have an unchanged squad. Aaron Mooy and Stephen Welsh missed the defeat by Rangers with minor issues while Alistair Johnston (leg knock) and Cameron Carter-Vickers (knee) remain out.

St Mirren duo Alex Greive and Ryan Flynn will miss the final three fixtures through injury.

On-loan Dundee United striker Tony Watt is out for the season following ankle surgery while Richard Tait (groin) and forward Jonah Ayunga (knee) are long-term absentees.

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St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has vowed his side will “have a right go at Celtic” on Saturday as they bid to revive their dwindling European bid.

Last weekend’s home draw with 10-man Hearts – where they squandered a two-goal lead and conceded deep into stoppage time – leaves St Mirren three points adrift of Hibs and four behind the Jambos with three fixtures to play.

Robinson’s men visit Celtic Park where they’ve lost 4-0 and 5-1 in the league and Scottish Cup this season, as well as suffering a 5-1 drubbing at home to Ange Postecoglou’s side in March.

The past two defeats came with Saints having a man sent off, but they stunned Celtic in Paisley in September with a 2-0 win.

"We will go with a real positive attitude,” said Robinson. “We went down to 10 men in two games against Celtic. It would be nice to finish with 11 and have a real go.

"It is another huge test but we go there to try and get a result.

"I am not going to sit back and get beat 1-0. If we go and have a right go at it and get beat 3-0 or 4-0 then so be it. We are going with positivity."

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Stephen Robinson has been speaking to the media before St Mirren’s trip to face Celtic in the Premiership this weekend.

Here are the key points from the Saints boss:

• St Mirren made Hearts look “very average” last weekend but were devastated at conceding a stoppage-time equaliser to 10 men that left Robinson’s men feeling “sorry for ourselves for 48 hours” before getting back to work on Monday.

• They now have to “do it the hard way” in the their bid for European football, with Robinson saying they need points in the next two games so they can take it to the final day against Rangers.

• Rather than sitting back, they will take a positive approach against the champions at Celtic Park on Saturday.

• Midfielder Ryan Flynn and striker Alex Greive will both miss the remaining matches with ankle ligament injuries.

• Robinson adds: "It's a blow because Tony Watt has already gone back to Dundee United injured and Jonah Ayunga is injured so we are quite short up front. But we have two younger players, Lewis Jamieson and Kieran Offord, who will come into contention."

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Stephen Robinson has been shortlisted for the Scottish Football Writers' Association manager of the year award after a stellar season with St Mirren.

Against a challenging financial backdrop, the Northern Irishman has steered the Buddies to a top-half finish for the first time since the split was introduced at the turn of the century.

Robinson is vying with two fellow top-flight bosses - Ange Postecoglou of Celtic and Aberdeen's Barry Robson - as well as League One-winning manager James McPake of Dunfermline.

The winner will receive the trophy at the SFWA awards dinner in Glasgow on 28 May.

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• Celtic have failed to win two of their last three league games, drawing 1-1 at home to Motherwell and losing 3-0 at Rangers. It's as many times as they failed to win in their first 32 matches this term (W30 D1 L1).

• St Mirren have 45 points from 35 games this season, already their joint-highest points tally in a single top-flight campaign in the 21st century (also 45 in 2020-21).

• Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi is the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership this season with 24 goals, while team-mate Matt O'Riley has the most assists (11).

• St Mirren are one of just two teams to have beaten Celtic in the Premiership this season, winning 2-0 at home in September. They've not beaten the Parkhead club twice in the same campaign since 1989-90.

• Celtic have won 18 of their last 19 home games against St Mirren in all competitions, losing the other 2-1 in January 2021 under Neil Lennon.

Stephen Robinson has opened talks with four signing targets for St Mirren as he plans ahead with the futures of Curtin Main, Charles Dunne and captain Joe Shaughnessy up in the air. (Football Scotland)

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.

Can you remember where about in Paisley you were 36 years ago, Buddies?

In their numbers, St Mirren fans lined the streets to welcome their heroes on an open-top boss through the town, after winning the club's third Scottish Cup the day before.

Ian Ferguson's extra-time goal proved enough, eventually, for Alex Smith's side to see off Dundee United and for the celebrations to begin.

That night, thousands congregated in Paisley Abbey to welcome the players home but the next again today, thousands upon thousands of Buddies ensured the party wasn't stopping anytime soon.

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