St Mirren kept their European qualification hopes alive with a comfortable 2-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice on May 10, 2025. The Buddies struck first with Mikael Mandron opening the scoring in the first half, before Jonah Ayunga sealed the victory after the break. This crucial win brings St Mirren within two points of Dundee United, who currently sit in fifth place in the Premiership table—the last European spot—with just two games remaining in the season.
The match saw Dundee United make two changes to the side that lost to Hibernian last week, with Kristijan Trapanovski and Glenn Middleton coming in for Jort van der Sande and David Babunski. St Mirren also made two alterations to the team that beat Aberdeen last Saturday, with Roland Idowu and Caolan Boyd-Munce replacing Oisin Smyth and the injured Mark O’Hara.
St Mirren was quick to threaten, as Mandron sent a 25-yard curler just past the right-hand post of United's goalkeeper Jack Walton in the seventh minute. Dundee United responded with an opportunity of their own when Will Ferry found skipper Ross Docherty inside the St Mirren box, but the midfielder’s shot was saved by St Mirren keeper Zach Hemming.
The hosts missed a golden opportunity in the 15th minute when Middleton delivered a pinpoint cross to Sam Dalby, but the striker headed over with the goal at his mercy. St Mirren regained momentum, with Richard Taylor heading over before Walton made a superb save to deny an Ayunga shot.
However, the home keeper could not prevent St Mirren from taking the lead in the 31st minute. Ryan Alebiosu teed up Mandron at the edge of the United box, and the striker’s low shot nestled into the bottom corner of Walton’s net, giving the Buddies a 1-0 lead.
Three minutes after the restart, Dundee United had another chance when Docherty threaded the ball through to Dalby, but the striker’s shot went wide of the target. Dalby threatened again shortly after when he connected with a Ferry free-kick, but Hemming pulled off an acrobatic save to deny him.
United was on the front foot, with Middleton sending a snapshot just wide, while St Mirren finally produced another opportunity when Alebiosu’s low shot was saved by Walton.
In the 66th minute, St Mirren doubled their lead when Idowu found Ayunga, who beat home defender Emmanuel Adegboyega before calmly slotting low past Walton. This goal put the Buddies firmly in control of the match.
Despite a late push from Dundee United, including a chance for Killian Phillips, who blasted over in the 78th minute, St Mirren held on to secure the 2-0 victory. The win is a significant step for St Mirren as they continue their quest for European football next season.
In terms of injuries, Dundee United's Ross Graham is unlikely to feature again this season due to a hamstring injury, while Luca Stephenson is also absent due to a hernia issue. Manager Jim Goodwin expressed optimism about the fitness of Emmanuel Adegboyega, Declan Gallagher, and Sam Cleall-Harding, who are all nursing minor injuries.
For St Mirren, Mark O'Hara and Ryan Alebiosu are doubtful for upcoming matches, and Owen Oseni remains unavailable. However, Evan Mooney has returned to training following an ankle injury and could be included in the squad for future fixtures.
As the season winds down, both teams are facing critical moments. Dundee United will need to regroup quickly to secure their spot in the European competition, while St Mirren is riding high on the momentum of this important victory.
