Amidst a positive season for St Mirren under manager Stephen Robinson, it’s clear the club’s home form has been a key part of their success this term.
The SMiSA Stadium has become a tough place for opposition teams to go to in the Premiership and Saints now have something to build on for the remainder of this season and beyond.
Saints Have Come A Long Way From Last Season
While teams are warier about rocking up at St Mirren Park this season, it certainly was not the case at the back end of last term. Saints, who are 2/5 in the football betting to finish in the top six this season, suffered a four-game losing streak in the league over February and April as the last campaign finished with a whimper. The Buddies managed just one win in their last six home Premiership games and things hardly started this season off well with a 1-0 defeat to Motherwell in the first home game of the campaign. However, that defeat to the Steelmen appeared to change things at St Mirren Park, as the Saints went on to make the most of their home comforts over the coming months to climb the Premiership standings.
Robinson’s side went on to go 11 games unbeaten, in a run that included some memorable wins over the likes of reigning champions Celtic and Aberdeen, along with a draw with Rangers. Being competitive at home has been the key to the Buddies climbing the table and why the club's supporters see their side battling to finish in the top four this season. Taking over in February last year, Robinson’s side finished down in ninth place last term, with a total of 10 wins from their 38 games. Saints already picked up nine wins from their first 24 games this term and will be looking to finish the campaign on a high, if they can also improve on their performances away from home.
Defence Has Improved At St Mirren Park
Trying to resolve defensive issues from last season has been a big task for Robinson this term and the unbeaten home run from August to February, which included that 2-0 win over Celtic, had much to do with improved resilience at the back. Keeping five clean sheets in that 11-game unbeaten run, while only conceding seven goals during that spell, was a significant sign of progress under Robinson, who deserves credit for making his side a tougher unit to break down. Goalkeeper Trevor Carson has had his injury troubles in the past but the 34-year-old has been thriving at Saints this season as first-choice shot-stopper. The Northern Irishman, who almost secured a move to Celtic during his time at Motherwell, has been a key figure at the back for the Buddies this term, with a wealth of experience now behind him.
A largely settled backline has also been important for Robinson, with Charles Dunne featuring in 23 of the first 24 league games of the campaign. Marcus Fraser, Declan Gallagher and Scott Tanser have also been in the thick of the action this season, as Saints hope to raise a few more eyebrows in the business end of the campaign. The goals have hardly been flying in at the other end for Saints, which has made the tougher defence all the more important. With 26 goals in the first 24 league games, only Kilmarnock and Ross County had scored fewer at that stage of the season. It’s certainly an area the squad can improve on, with Curtis Main the top league goalscorer, with six goals in his first 23 appearances of the campaign.
The most important thing is that St Mirren have shown signs of real progress this season and the appointment of Robinson at SMiSA Stadium looks to have been the right one. Saints are far from the finished product and their away form this year would suggest more goals are needed to really try and narrow the gap to the likes of Celtic and Rangers.
Progress is what supporters are looking for and now that the SMiSA Stadium is a much tougher place to go to, there is a real foundation in place for hopefully bigger and better things to come in the future.