St Mirren and Partick Thistle playing off for high stakes

Image source, SNS

• Published38 minutes ago

Much has happened for both clubs since St Mirren knocked Partick Thistle out of the Scottish Cup in March - and a place in the Premiership next season is the even greater prize on offer as the Glasgow side return to Paisley on Monday.

Thistle were already nine points adrift of eventual winners St Johnstone in the Championship at the time of their previous meeting, while St Mirren were three points clear of Kilmarnock in the relegation play-off spot in the top tier.

Since then, however, Mark Wilson's Thistle have gone 12 games unbeaten, including a play-off semi-final win over Dunfermline Athletic and a 1-1 draw at home to the Buddies in Friday's first leg of the final.

St Mirren, who had gone into that Scottish Cup tie on the back of a five-game run without a win, have since lost their manager, Stephen Robinson, to Premiership rivals Aberdeen and won only three times in 11 outings.

And rival defenders Alex Gogic and Cammy Logan know just how important the second leg could be to everyone at both clubs.

• 'Hearts' Shankland agrees free transfer to Rangers' - gossip

  • Published4 hours ago

• Rangers agree deal for Hearts captain Shankland

  • Published16 hours ago

• Hull's Wembley hero McBurnie - a striker Scotland can do without?

  • Published1 day ago

None more so than St Mirren interim manager Craig McLeish, who is hoping Premiership survival will bring with it the offer of a permanent contract.

"He's done a great job since coming in and we showed him respect," 32-year-old Cyprus international Gogic said of the club's former youth coach.

"We got some good results, but it is up to the board – we can just help him out. It's for everyone – it's for ourselves, the fans, him and all the staff."

Gogic stresses that he and his team-mates cannot let the pressure weigh them down.

"It's a huge game," he said. "I was in this situation with Hamilton [Academical].

"When you are younger, you don't realise how much it matters to the backroom staff, the people throughout the whole club and the fans.

"There is a balance. We can't put pressure on us. We just play to our best and go and get that win."

Gogic has "respect" for Thistle but hopes home advantage will swing it for the Paisley side, just as it did in March.

"We just have to perform as we did in the first half in the first game," he said.

"In the second half, I feel they got momentum. They changed formation and went long, which I think worked for them. They caused trouble up top because they have got good players."

Logan, meanwhile, points out that Thistle have come a long way since their 5-1 thrashing by promotion title rivals St Johnstone on the opening day of the season.

"That game and that defeat feels like ages ago now," the 24-year-old said.

"The boys have come on leaps and bounds since then. We were caught out that day - they were decent that day."

Logan believes it was a sobering experience that perhaps had benefits in the long run.

"We've come on brilliantly since then and maybe it helped having that wee setback at the start of the season," he said. "It was a case of 'fingers out'.

"In the changing room afterwards, the lads were all devastated. We were distraught after the game, but Alex [Rae, assistant] and the gaffer told us it can happen and we have grown - and it definitely made us stronger."

Logan takes confidence from their last visit to the SMiSA Stadium despite their 2-1 defeat.

"We've played them already there this season, so we know what to expect," he added. "I thought it was a decent performance from us there last time.

"It would mean the world to me if we were able to do it. Coming to this club at the start of the season, that was always an ambition, but it would mean the absolute world to go and do that with this team. This group of boys all deserve it."

Related topics

• Scottish Premiership
• Scottish Football
• Scottish Championship
• St Mirren
• Football
• Partick Thistle