Scottish Premiership: What next in battle to avoid play-off?

Livingston’s hosts, St Mirren, had a hand in relegating Hearts, despite the Edinburgh side beating Partick Thistle, with a victory over Motherwell 12 years ago.

The Paisley side were also the executioners when Gretna suffered the earliest relegation this century.

The Borders minnows were consigned to their fate, which was also followed by liquidation, after losing 2-0 in Paisley on 29 March 2008 – with seven games still left of the season, having suffered a 10-point deduction.

St Mirren would go on to finish 10th, one place above Kilmarnock at a time when no play-off faced the second-bottom side.

This time, however, there is much more at stake as Neil McCann leads his side to Aberdeen sitting two points behind the Buddies and five adrift of their hosts and Dundee.

The Dons stretched their lead over the Ayrshire side after beating Hibernian at home last time out to end a run of eight games without a win while Kilmarnock were being held to a 2-2 draw by visitors Dundee.

Head coach Stephen Robinson will be hoping a first win in four games since he switched from St Mirren will ease some of the pressure that mounts on Aberdeen whenever they are in danger of suffering the first-ever relegation in their history.

Kilmarnock’s results have improved since McCann took charge in January, but they still have a fight on their hands to avoid a repeat of 2021, when their 28-year stay in the top flight was ended after a play-off defeat by Dundee.

Indeed, the odds appear stacked against them at Pittodrie considering they have not won in 13 trips away from Rugby Park since September and have lost on their latest four visits to Aberdeen.

As they seek to extend their own eight-year stay in the top flight, St Mirren will fancy their chances of bouncing back from Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final disappointment considering Livingston arrive having still not won in 33 games since August.

A 6-2 defeat would take the wind out of many a side’s sails, but interim manager Craig McLeish will be stressing how well they did to come back from 2-0 down to Celtic to take the tie into extra-time before they were flattened by an amazing spell of four goals in six minutes.

St Mirren will also be wary of a side who have only lost two of their latest seven outings under new head coach Marvin Bartley and came close to ending their long wait for a win before Dundee United came from behind to win 3-2 at Tannadice last time out.

Livingston have not won away from home since beating third-tier East Fife in the League Cup on the opening day of the season and have failed to record a victory at SMiSA Stadium in 10 visits, losing the latest four, including 1-0 in December.

However, their latest three meetings with St Mirren have all finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, albeit all at home, with Livingston only losing the first after a penalty shoot-out in the Scottish Cup before two league stalemates.