Preview: St Mirren vs. Kilmarnock – prediction, team news, lineups

Fighting for a place in the top half before the Scottish Premiership splits, St Mirren will take on Kilmarnock at the Smisa Stadium on Saturday.

The Saints are on a three-game winless run going into this weekend, while Killie have gone four without victory, and both teams will sense an opportunity to put things right in this clash.

Match preview

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Stephen Robinson‘s St Mirren have lost two and drawn one of their three games in the last month, and with just one win across all competitions since late January, they will need to turn things around if they are to make the top six before the division splits.

For the Saints, the international break could have served as a time to reset, especially after they dropped points in a 2-2 draw when threw away a two-goal lead on the road to Motherwell just before the season was interrupted.

That stalemate brought Robinson’s side up to eighth on 35 points, leaving them four behind sixth-placed Hearts with three games to play in the top-flight’s first phase.

However, while the hosts have a clear goal in mind, they will be aware of the fact that they have failed to win any of their matches at the Smisa Stadium in 2025, and that they have only avoided losing once on their own turf this year.

If St Mirren are to take maximum points on Saturday, then they could overtake Motherwell thanks to their superior goal difference, but they will need to go against their form to do so.

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Meanwhile, Derek McInnes‘s Kilmarnock lost three and drew one of their four games prior to the international break, and they will be desperate to pick up points this weekend as the threat of relegation looms.

Last time out, Killie came from behind to draw 1-1 with Hibernian in dramatic fashion thanks to a stoppage-time equaliser from Fraser Murray, after being behind for more than an hour.

That point kept McInnes’s men just in front of 11th-placed Dundee, and within three points of both ninth-placed Ross County and their eighth-placed opponents.

With such a slim lead over their demotion rivals, the visitors will hopeful going up against a team with a poor home record, but they will also be anxious considering that they have not won on the road since October, losing eight and drawing two in that stretch.

Should Kilmarnock overcome their disastrous away record and seize all three points, then they could find themselves as high as eighth by the end of the weekend depending on their goal difference.

Team News

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St Mirren will be without striker Toyosi Olusanya this weekend after he was sent off against Motherwell, so expect Jonah Ayunga to be joined by Owen Oseni up front.

Elsewhere, midfielder Caolan Boyd-Munce was taken off with an injury in that match, but with the international break giving him time to recover, he is likely to start alongside Killian Phillips and Mark O’Hara in the centre of the park on Saturday.

As for Kilmarnock, a strike partnership of Marley Watkins and Matthew Kennedy will be looking to fire their side to a first away win for more than five months.

Supporting the duo will be attacking midfielder Bobby Wales, while wing-backs Danny Armstrong and Fraser Murray should provide width.

St Mirren possible starting lineup:
Hemming; Fraser, Gogic, Iacovitti; Alebiousu, Phillips, Boyd-Munce, O’Hara, John; Oseni, Ayunga

Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
McCrorie; Wright, Mayo, Deas; Armstrong, Lyons, Ndaba, Murray; Wales; Watkins, Kennedy

We say: St Mirren 2-1 Kilmarnock

Given that St Mirren have been worse at home than away this year, and that their opponents have struggled on the road for months, expect a close-fought contest this weekend.

That being said, Killie have only avoided defeat away from their own ground on two occasions since October, and they are unlikely to make it three on Saturday.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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