Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
St Mirren began life under permanent manager Craig McLeish with a 4-2 pre-season win at Arbroath, Roland Idowu scoring twice in the first half.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Arbroath struck first on 16 minutes. Ryan Dow raced onto a long ball and slotted into the left-hand corner beyond St Mirren goalkeeper Tamosevicius to put the hosts ahead.
The Buddies responded within four minutes. Idowu was fouled inside the area and picked himself up to roll the penalty home, levelling the score at 1-1 on 20 minutes.
Idowu was denied by Aidan McAdams after good footwork on 23 minutes, but he would not be stopped twice. On 32 minutes, the forward burst through the Arbroath defence, raced onto a pass and slammed beyond McAdams to give St Mirren a 2-1 lead they carried into half-time.
Luke Douglas almost added a third before the break — his low drive was kept out by McAdams at full stretch.
McLeish changed the entire XI at half-time, a common pre-season approach to maximise minutes for the squad. The new lineup nearly scored within two minutes of the restart when Innes Clark headed a Declan John corner just over.
St Mirren did extend the lead on 55 minutes. Jayden Richardson fired high into the top-left corner beyond Arbroath substitute goalkeeper Jordan Pettigrew to make it 3-1. Three minutes later, a slick passing move ended with Fraser Taylor slipping through Theo McCormick, who slotted home for 4-1.
Chris Mochrie — announced as a new signing two days earlier on 25 June — had a shot blocked on the line with 15 minutes remaining. Richardson fired wide and Jake Young lashed over as St Mirren pushed for more.
In the 88th minute, former Buddies striker Gavin Reilly nodded home a cross from the right for a late Arbroath consolation, making the final score 4-2.
The turning point
Idowu's quickfire double inside 12 minutes flipped the match. After Dow's opener had given Arbroath a platform, the penalty conversion (20') settled St Mirren nerves, and Idowu's excellent solo strike (32') gave the Buddies control they never relinquished. Arbroath barely threatened again until stoppage time.
Key performers
Roland Idowu — The Irish forward won and converted a penalty, then added a fine solo goal. His movement and direct running were too much for the Arbroath defence in the first half. Clear player of the match.
Jayden Richardson — Introduced at half-time, the full-back scored St Mirren's third with a clinical finish into the top corner and was a threat down the right throughout the second period.
Theo McCormick — Composed finish for the fourth goal capped a lively second-half display after being introduced along with the entire new XI.
Ryan Dow (Arbroath) — Took his early goal well and was Arbroath's brightest attacking outlet before fading as St Mirren took control.
By the numbers
The 4-2 scoreline reflected a deserved win for the Premiership side against a team from the division below. St Mirren used 22 different players across two entirely separate XIs — standard for a first pre-season friendly — while Arbroath made their own changes, including a switch in goal at half-time when Pettigrew replaced McAdams.
Six goals from 11 total shots on target across both sides (noting the match page data) indicated an open contest low on defensive structure, as expected in a June friendly. St Mirren's four goals came from four different scorers, spread evenly across both halves — two from the first XI, two from the second.
What it means
For McLeish, this marks a positive beginning to his permanent reign. The 36-year-old was appointed after keeping St Mirren in the Premiership via the play-offs, beating Partick Thistle 2-1 in the final. This friendly was the first step in building fitness ahead of the Premier Sports Cup group stage, which begins for the Buddies away to Dumbarton on 11 July 2026.
Arbroath, preparing for life in the Scottish Championship, used the fixture to test themselves against top-flight opposition. They face Falkirk in their next pre-season outing.
Verdict
A productive afternoon for McLeish and his staff. The scoreline mattered less than the run-out, but scoring four goals, seeing Idowu in form and giving every available outfield player 45 minutes ticks every pre-season box. Arbroath will sharpen up defensively as their own preparations continue, but they caused St Mirren few problems after the opening 16 minutes.
Match Events
Arbroath and ST Mirren have met 2 times — Arbroath won 1, ST Mirren won 1, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2022. A combined 5 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 2.50 per match (1 for the home side, 4 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 0 matches (0%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 1 game (50%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 4–0 in 2023.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 27 Jun 2026