St Mirren's dramatic 2-0 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie has injected a much-needed surge of confidence into the squad as they brace for a high-stakes relegation play-off. Midfielder Killian Phillips, who found the net in Tuesday night's triumph, emphasized the psychological boost the result provides heading into Sunday's crucial fixture.
"This has to give us confidence to take into Sunday," Phillips told BBC Scotland. "We need a positive result on Sunday, it gives us even more confidence going into the relegation play-off."
The win snapped a four-match losing streak for the Saints, who were dealt a harsh 3-0 defeat by Kilmarnock just days earlier. Despite the impressive performance, Kilmarnock's victory over Dundee condemned St Mirren to 11th place in the table, meaning their top-flight survival will now come down to a two-legged play-off against either Dunfermline or Partick Thistle.
"It has been a very tough season, we know the big thing now is to stay in the league," Phillips admitted. "We just need to focus on Sunday and then see whoever we play, we need to get ready for that."
The midfielder didn't shy away from addressing the team's recent struggles, acknowledging the need for honest reflection after the disappointing loss to Kilmarnock. "Last Saturday wasn't good enough from the players, we have to take that on the chin. It can't always be the manager, it has to be the players and we spoke about it on Sunday and we gave a couple of harsh truths but that is how it is."
Despite being stretched thin with injuries, Phillips praised the squad's resilience and belief in manager Craig McLeish's system. "You saw the reaction, we have some very good players in the group no matter if we are down to the bare bones. It is just about helping each other, helping the group and we believe that we can do it."
For St Mirren fans, the Aberdeen result offers hope that their team can rise to the occasion when it matters most. With the play-off looming, the Saints will need to channel that same fighting spirit to secure their place in the Scottish Premiership for another season.