St Mirren manager Gary Teale has said that the team must beat Motherwell on Tuesday if they are to have any chance of avoiding relegation to the Scottish Championship.

The Saints are currently bottom of the Scottish Premiership table, seven points behind Motherwell with seven matches remaining.

"For me, realistically we need to go and win," Teale told the Daily Mail. "We have to try to claw back points on Motherwell so that's how I will set up the team.

"We're bottom of the league but we can't feel sorry for ourselves. I've told the players there have been teams in worse situations and escaped. History has proven it can be done.

"We've got seven games to turn a disappointing season into a reasonable one by making sure we are still in the league next season. We have to pick up as many points as we can to give ourselves a fighting chance. Every game is like a cup final for us now. Realistically, we would settle for a play-off spot right now. But the aim is to try to catch the team above us first of all. And if we can go to Motherwell and get a result then it puts us right back in it."

St Mirren have won just one of their last six matches.