Marcus Fraser’s close-range volley saved St Mirren within the William Hill Premiership because the Buddies beat Partick Thistle 1-0 within the play-off closing.
The defender netted from a set-piece 20 minutes into the second half to seal a 2-1 mixture win and lengthen the Paisley aspect’s eight-year keep within the high flight.
Thistle loved the higher possibilities within the first half and pushed for an equaliser, however Saints goalkeeper Ross Sinclair made a wide ranging cease from Logan Chalmers’ highly effective free-kick.
Sinclair and Fraser proved unlikely saviours for the Buddies. The goalkeeper arrived on mortgage from St Johnstone final month following accidents to Shamal George and Ryan Mullen, whereas Fraser had been dominated out for the season after a shoulder damage earlier than making himself obtainable for the run-in in opposition to medical recommendation.
Championship runners-up Thistle should regroup following a fifth consecutive failed try to earn promotion via the play-offs and their second closing defeat in that run.
Will McLeish get the job full-time?
St Mirren interim head coach Craig McLeish to Sky Sports activities:
“I am delighted for the followers and the gamers. As a membership, we should not be on this place – we needed to dig deep and get ourselves out of it. The sport was the sport, it is cagey and nervy – a recreation of errors and it is about who was going to capitalise on a second. We did that.
“We have to build for next season and make sure this doesn’t happen again. Delighted we got out of it, but don’t want to be here again.
“It does not matter how we bought it completed, we simply needed to recover from the road. We have completed that in huge moments all season.
“Absolutely [I want the job], everyone knows that by now. Whatever the club decide to do, I’m fine. I can’t control those decisions. I stepped in at a difficult moment for the club. I’ve done everything we can to stay in the league. That was the remit when I got the role.”
Wilson: It is merciless, uncooked and sore
Partick Thistle head coach Mark Wilson to Sky Sports activities:
“That is sport at elite level, isn’t it? When you get to the big games, there has to be a loser. We were on the wrong side of it tonight. Really tough because there’s only one goal in it, a set-piece at that.
“It is merciless while you get to the tip of the season, a lot has been to it in 52 video games. You may see each one of many gamers put their coronary heart and soul into it. It’ll be a troublesome one to take, it is vital to recollect it and are available again stronger subsequent yr.
“Everybody has to remember where we were when we got appointed last year – a broken squad and a lot of players leaving. Whatever happened tonight, we’re well ahead of the curve. It really raw and sore just now, but I was just saying to the guys: what they’ve achieved in one season is quite extraordinary. That was just our seventh defeat in 52 games.”
