St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson calls for calm heads in Motherwell clash

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has called for calm heads amid the emotion of his team’s crucial game against former club Motherwell.

Both clubs sit a point off the top six with seven teams battling for three remaining places in the upper half of the cinch Premiership.

Robinson, who left Motherwell in December 2020, said: “I’d like to play it down a little bit but it’s a huge game. Nobody has put a run together over the last three of four games and nailed their place in the top six. So it’s still very much all to play for.”

Both games between the teams have ended in a draw this season and four of the previous seven matches went the same way with only a goal separating the sides on the other occasions.

The pair both have a goal difference of minus 14, significantly below their nearest rivals, so Saturday’s game might have to be an open one as a draw will possibly not suit either team, especially with St Mirren facing Rangers in their final game before the split.

“A point might do if you win the next game,” Robinson said. “Listen, we are going there to win the game and I’m sure Graham (Alexander) will be thinking exactly the same. It’s an opportunity for Motherwell, an opportunity for ourselves as well.

“The game is not going to be won or lost in the first 30 minutes so you have to play to a shape and discipline. We want to put our style on the game, which is to try and dominate the ball and have a bit more ownership of the game like we did in the first half against Dundee United, and we went away from that in the second half.

“The game will be 95-96 minutes long, as we found out to our disadvantage in the previous game. You have to play it cool and calm and not get too carried away with the emotion of the occasion with