Get set to pop the champagne cork
Take a step back a minute and take it all in.
St Mirren are on the verge of glory and the Premiership is just at the end of the street.
Dundee United’s demolition derby tactics may have provided a bump in the road on Tuesday night, but it is going to take a lot more than the erratic Bilel Mohsni and Co to send Saints veering off the tarmac just yet.
There is a sense of déjà vu this week as for the third game in a row we begin to prepare for another potential title party. Look out the balloons, banners and... er... the inflatable dinosaur ( again) for the visit of Livingston tomorrow afternoon.
It would have been nice to win the league at Tannadice, but we all wanted to win it at home anyway, didn’t we?
I don’t know but it would be nice to get it over and done with before the knicker- wetters let the panic sink in deeper than a Dundee United defender’s studs on Danny Mullen’s shins.
For those of you with a nervous disposition, it is time to clarify that all St Mirren need is a point. One measly little point.
They came within the inch of Deniz Mehmet’s crossbar of doing it at Tannadice.
But it seemed pretty early on that it just wasn’t to be.
However, even if they were to fall to defeat to Livi tomorrow, if David Hopkin’s second-placed side are to lose a game in the run-in then the title will be Saints’ regardless.
And bear in mind they too still have to go to United, who appear to have slightly bucked up their ideas having given the impression that they simply wanted to get their own manager sacked with a series of embarassing performances.
But the Saints players won’t worry about what Livi are doing elsewhere, they want it won on their own accord – against them – tomorrow.
Saturday is another afternoon, however, where the Buddies shouldn’t expect to coast to an easy win.
St Mirren have only ever beaten Livingston at home once... ever. Albeit that came this season with a 3-1 win in November where Jack Ross’ celebrations led to the classic handbags on the touchline between himself and Hopkin.
But as is always the case of Scottish football karma, it was Hopkin having the last laugh when the two sides met again in February with Saints well and truly thumped 4-1 at the Tony Macaroni Arena. That had been Saints’ last defeat until Tuesday night.
Despite finding themselves 12 points behind in the standings, St Mirren and Livingston have actually incurred the same amount of defeats. It is the Lions’ knack for snatching a draw, although propelling them into second place, that has actually been their downfall in catching Saints.
One last positive for St Mirren to take is that they have never lost two games in a row this season.
Every defeat has been followed by a victory and one of those will do the trick yet again.
A packed house is set to greet the hosts. And despite the predictable cry of the glory hunters returning to town, it will be great to see St Mirren Park filled to the rafters for both the Livi and upcoming Morton games.
Tickets for the Ton are like goldust, sold out already. Livingston looks set to follow suit.
As has been mentioned in these column inches countless times this season, the supporters have been different class.
Starting from the first game, and inevitably to the last, they have been on another level.
But although we have had some dinosaurs in the dugout in recent years, it would be great to see one back among the fans following his successful debut at Brechin.