St Mirren face a critical home match against Dundee this Saturday, needing to arrest a damaging run of five consecutive Premiership defeats. The Paisley side have not won a league game since early September and sit eighth in the table with 10 points from nine matches, having recorded three wins and a draw from their nine games.
Their recent form is a major concern, having conceded 17 goals while scoring only nine this season, leaving them with a goal difference of minus eight. The latest setback was a 3-1 loss away to Aberdeen last Saturday 17 October, where Eseosa Sule netted a consolation goal. That followed a 5-0 thrashing at Hearts on Saturday 10 October and a 3-0 home defeat to Dundee United on Saturday 19 September. The team's goal minutes show a worrying trend, with 11 of the 17 goals conceded arriving in the second half, including a critical period between the 46th and 60th minute.
Match preview
Saturday's fixture at The SMISA Stadium offers a chance for a reset. Dundee, currently fourth, arrive with momentum from two wins in their last three outings, including a 2-1 victory over Motherwell. Their most recent result was a 2-2 home draw with Rangers. St Mirren's top scorer this season is Killian Phillips, who has three goals in five appearances. The club will hope he can provide a spark against a Dundee defence that has shown resilience. The full fixtures list shows this is the tenth round of the regular season, and St Mirren's next fixture after this will be a trip to face Hibernian at Easter Road on Wednesday, 28 October.
Recent form
Managerial focus will be on shoring up a defence that has been breached repeatedly during a run of five straight losses. The team last used a 4-4-2 formation against Aberdeen, with Phillips and Sule leading the line. Dundee’s last starting XI featured a solid core including Goodman in goal and Astley in defence. St Mirren must find a way to disrupt their rhythm and create chances for Phillips. The match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday, 24 October.
