St Mirren keep unbeaten run going after draw at Kilmarnock

By Sports Desk September 30, 2023

St Mirren remain undefeated in the cinch Premiership after recovering from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Brad Lyons scored for the second time in two games to give the hosts the lead after 19 minutes, but Saints levelled 12 minutes later when Kyle Magennis turned Scott Tanser’s driven cross into his own net.

The second half was broken up by a series of fouls and stoppages, with neither side offering much of a goal threat.

Having extended their unbeaten league run to seven games, St Mirren stayed in second place, four points behind Celtic, with Killie in eighth.

Mikael Mandron could only manage a weak header into the arms of Will Dennis as the visitors created the first opportunity in what was a scrappy opening 15 minutes.

The home supporters screamed for a penalty after the ball appeared to strike the hand of Marcus Fraser, though referee Chris Graham waved play on after consulting VAR.

Kilmarnock opened the scoring when Lyons seized on some sloppy defending by Charles Dunne and then beat Zach Hemming to the loose ball to head home.

St Mirren were almost the architects of their own downfall again eight minutes later when Alex Gogic was dispossessed and it required a good block by Fraser to divert Matty Kennedy’s shot behind for a corner.

St Mirren levelled just after the half-hour mark. Tanser did well to fizz the ball across the six-yard box and Magennis diverted the cross into his own net.

Conor McMenamin worked the Killie keeper as the visitors looked to build on their equaliser and Derek McInnes was dealt a blow when Magennis hobbled off after 34 minutes to be replaced by David Watson.

Danny Armstrong’s tantalising cross somehow evaded everyone inside the six-yard box and Lyons had a low effort saved as the home team began the second half brightly – but chances were at a premium as the half progressed.

The Saints players and supporters were incensed when the referee booked Ryan Strain for simulation after the player hit the deck under the challenge of Watson.

Liam Polworth passed up a glorious opportunity in stoppage time when he blazed over after being picked out by Kyle Vassell.

Watson was booked in the final minute for a cynical pull back on Mark O’Hara, the last action of a underwhelming second half.

Related items

  • Leeds cut gap to automatic promotion spots with comfortable win over Coventry Leeds cut gap to automatic promotion spots with comfortable win over Coventry

    Leeds United closed the gap to second place to just two points in the Championship, following a 3-0 victory over out-of-form Coventry City at Elland Road.

    Wilfried Gnonto got the game off to a good start for Daniel Farke's side, expertly turning home a cross just inside the box with a first-time finish to open the scoring.

    Last season's losing play-off finalists wrapped up a comfortable victory in the second half with goals from Jayden Bogle - his first as a Leeds player - and Joel Piroe, who has now scored three in four as a substitute.

    The victory sees Leeds climb to fourth, significantly taking the opportunity to cut the gap to the automatic promotion places with both West Brom and Sunderland losing.

    Coventry, meanwhile, have lost four and drawn one of their last five matches in all competitions. They are fourth-bottom, with just goal difference separating them from the relegation zone.

    Second-placed Sunderland missed the chance to go top as they were beaten 2-1 away to Watford.

    Regis Le Bris' side went a goal down in the first half to a Festy Ebosele volley before equalising shortly after half-time through Wilson Isidor. They were unable to push on for a winner, with Tom Dele-Bashiru scoring a late penalty to win it for the hosts.

    The win leaves Watford in seventh place in the Championship, outside the play-offs on goal difference, while Sunderland stay second.

    Managerless Cardiff City lost their fifth straight match in all competitions and are still searching for their first league win of the season after being thumped 4-1 away to Hull City.

    The Bluebirds initially went a goal up in the first half through Callum Robinson, which was just their second league goal of the season.

    They could only hold the lead for four minutes, before Bachir Belloumi equalised for the hosts. He grabbed a brace 10 minutes before half-time and Hull never looked back.

    Two second-half goals ensured another miserable afternoon for Cardiff, who remain bottom of the Championship with just one point after seven matches. Hull are up to 12th.

  • Nottingham Forest 0-1 Fulham: Jimenez penalty seals Cottagers win Nottingham Forest 0-1 Fulham: Jimenez penalty seals Cottagers win

    Fulham brought Nottingham Forest's unbeaten start to the Premier League season to a halt with a hard-fought 1-0 victory at the City Ground.

    There was very little to choose between two sides separated by a mere point at kick-off, but Raul Jimenez’s second-half penalty, awarded for Murillo's foul on Andreas Pereira, proved decisive.

    Forest had started brightly with Taiwo Awoniyi missing an early chance, while Chris Wood saw a potential opener disallowed for offside following a VAR review in the 25th minute.

    However, Nuno Espirito Santo's team failed to find a spark without the suspended Morgan Gibbs-White as Fulham's own impressive start to 2024/25 continued.

    The result leaves Forest ninth in the table with nine points, with Fulham leapfrogging their hosts to move into sixth on 11 points.

    Data Debrief: Fulham maintain unbeaten run

    Fulham are undefeated in their last five games in the Premier League since going down 1-0 at Manchester United on the opening matchday.

    They last enjoyed a streak of this length between December 13, 2020 and January 10, 2021.

    Jimenez has now scored three goals in his last three games, maintaining his good record against Forest, with three goals in two matches against them.

  • Chelsea 4-2 Brighton: Palmer makes Premier League history as Maresca's side fight back Chelsea 4-2 Brighton: Palmer makes Premier League history as Maresca's side fight back

    Cole Palmer made Premier League history as Chelsea beat Brighton 4-2 in a six-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge.

    Palmer became the first player to score four goals before half-time in a single Premier League game, helping Enzo Maresca’s side record their fourth straight victory in all competitions.

    Brighton took an early lead through Georginio Rutter's header, but were powerless as Palmer took command of the contest.

    His remarkable quadruple came in the space of 20 minutes - including a penalty and free-kick - with Carlos Baleba's strike to make it 3-2 swiftly cancelled out by Chelsea's talisman.

    Nicolas Jackson and Palmer went close after the break for the hosts, who also had a Marc Cucurella goal disallowed for offside, but they held out for another victory.

    The Blues climb to third place, a point behind pacesetters Manchester City and Arsenal, while Brighton drop to eighth after suffering their first defeat of the season.

    Data Debrief: History-making Palmer does the damage once more

    Palmer completed his third Premier League hat-trick - the joint-most by any Chelsea player along with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard - in the space of only nine minutes and 45 seconds.

    The Blues forward also hit the post, was denied by the offside flag and then slotted a decent opportunity wide after the break, so we could have been saluting the first player to score six or more goals in a single Premier League game.

    His fourth goal was set up by Sancho, who became the third Chelsea player after Eden Hazard (2012) and Cesc Fabregas (2014) to provide an assist in each of his first three Premier League appearances for the club.

    As for Brighton, they are now without a victory in each of their last nine Premier League visits to London, since a 3-0 win over Arsenal in May 2023.

© 2024 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.