THE SCOUT REPORT

Express sports reporter Ben Ramage takes a look at Saints’ opponents this evening as they face Partick Thistle at St Mirren Park in their Betfred Cup opener.

FORM

This is where it gets tricky.

The Jags haven’t played a competitive fixture since March, when they drew 1-1 with Dunfermline at Firhill.

When the season was curtailed by Covid-19 the Glasgow side found themselves harshly relegated to League One.

Ahead of their return to action they have faced Hearts and Ayr United in recent pre-season friendlies, losing 2-0 to the Jambos and drawing 2-2 with the Honest Men.

MANAGER

Ian McCall is back in charge for a second time at Firhill, having led the Jags first time around from 2007-2011.

After a successful spell at Ayr United, he returned to Glasgow in September last year to try and help the club avoid relegation to the third tier.

He was unable to do so, but in truth was unlucky given the club were relegated despite being just two points adrift and having a game in hand on Queen of the South, the team directly above them, before the season was brought to an early close.

STAR PLAYER

Striker Brian Graham is coming to the end of his career but still has plenty of gas left in the tank.

The former Dundee United and Hibs forward has scored goals wherever he has pulled on the number nine shirt, and bagged three goals in six for the Jags after joining them in January before the pandemic struck.

LAST TIME THE SIDES MET

The Buddies won’t be hoping for a repeat performance of the last time these two sides met, which again was in the League Cup.

The Jags ran out 5-0 winners back in July 2017, despite going down to ten men in the second half.

The Jags destroyed sorry St Mirren with a swashbuckling performance boss that then manager Alan Archibald reckoned was reminiscent of their Championship-winning season back in 2014.

After racing into a 4- 0 half- time lead, they added a fifth after the break - despite Abdul Osman seeing red just before the hour.

Steven Lawless and Blair Spittal smashed doubles, after Kris Doolan opened the scoring, to equal their biggest-ever winning margin over the Buddies.

Then Buddies boss Jack Ross said after the dismal defeat: “We were desperately poor and the players have been told that.

“We have two weeks to rectify things before the league starts.

“We’ve got a lot of hard work now. Not doing the fundamentals cost us.

“You have to be competitive and have desire, commitment and energy.”