Two teams fighting for a European place in the Scottish Premiership will meet on Saturday as Hearts makes the trip to face St Mirren.
Both go into this match on the back of two games without a win, which is the type of form they will be hoping to change heading into the final stretch of the season.
Match preview
St Mirren might still need a couple of points to mathematically guarantee their place in the top half of the table when the division splits next weekend, but they will be confident of achieving just that.
The Buddies are primarily focused on climbing up the division and breaking into the top four by the end of the campaign to try and secure European football, but a consistent run will be required to make that happen.
Steve Robinson's men currently sit two points behind Kilmarnock in fourth place, showcasing just how much impact three points this weekend could have on their league position.
However, an improved performance is needed from their recent efforts, as St Mirren heads into this game on the back of two matches without a win in the league.
A 5-2 defeat against Kilmarnock was followed up by a 1-1 draw with Motherwell during their most recent outing, in a game where Marcus Fraser's goal in the first half was not enough to secure three points.
The visitors are in a slightly more secure position right now in third place with an 11-point gap over Killie, but they are also out of form at the moment.
Much like their opponents this weekend, Hearts come into this fixture on the back of a defeat and then a draw, the most recent of which was against Kilmarnock as their match finished 1-1.
While the Jambos will struggle to catch either of the Old Firm giants above them, there is no doubt that Steven Naismith will still want his team to close that gap, particularly with one eye on next season.
Hearts have won nine and lost six in away games this season, failing to draw a single match, but the fact they have picked up more victories on the road showcases that it is not something they fear.
The Jambos and St Mirren have traded a victory each in their previous meetings this season, with each team now out for bragging rights.
Team News
Both Keanu Baccus and Jonah Ayunga returned to the St Mirren squad after international duty against Motherwell, and featured from the bench.
Ryan Strain got himself back into the starting XI following his recent injury trouble, and he has made it clear that he is aiming for more minutes as his fitness begins to rebuild.
Youngster Macaulay Tait was given his first start for Hearts last weekend, and could continue to be in the mix this time around.
The Jambos were also able to welcome back Frankie Kent, bolstering Naismith's options even further heading into the run-in.
St Mirren possible starting lineup:
Hemming; Fraser, Gogic, Dunne; Brown, O'Hara, Boyd-Munce, Tanser; Strain, Mandron, Kiltie
Hearts possible starting lineup:
Clark; Sibbick, Rowles, Kingsley; Lembikisa, Vargas, Baningime, Cochrane, Forrest; Shankland, Oda
We say: St Mirren 1-1 Hearts
With each team boasting a victory over the other already this season, either could realistically walk away with three points this weekend.
However, the fact both are out of form could lead to them sharing the points as they try to get things back on track.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
body check tags ::
Previews by email
