Hearts, St Mirren, and Motherwell Face Off in Final Top Six Showdown
All eyes will be fixed on Fir Park and the SMiSA Stadium this Saturday at 3pm, as Hearts, St Mirren, and Motherwell lock horns in a dramatic battle for the final spot in the Premiership’s top six.
With Celtic, Rangers, Hibs, Aberdeen, and Dundee United already securing their places above the split, the final top-half berth comes down to the wire between these three sides.
Hearts currently sit in sixth on 39 points, just ahead of St Mirren and Motherwell, who are both one point behind on 38. However, Hearts hold a slight edge on goal difference, sitting at -1 compared to St Mirren’s -10 and Motherwell’s -19. The rest of the league has been left out of the race.
The fixture list has served up a direct clash between two of the contenders: Motherwell host Hearts at Fir Park in what promises to be a high-stakes encounter. Just down the M8, St Mirren welcome Ross County to Paisley, hoping to take advantage of any slip-ups.
For Hearts, the task is simple—beat Motherwell and they’re in. A draw leaves them vulnerable to a St Mirren win, while a loss would see Motherwell leapfrog them. However, in that scenario, the Steelmen would still need St Mirren to drop points unless a highly unlikely nine-goal swing comes into play.
The pressure is highest on Hearts, a club where top-six finishes are expected. They missed the chance to clinch their spot last weekend, losing 1-0 to Dundee United after going down to 10 men early following James Wilson’s red card.
Head coach Neil Critchley, who took over in October with the team at the bottom of the table, has overseen a decent recovery, but questions linger over the team’s performances in key games. Failing to make the top six would mark a significant step back after last season’s third-place finish under Steven Naismith.
There’s a sense of long-term planning at Tynecastle, with their collaboration with Jamestown Analytics starting to shape recruitment. Just this week, the club announced the signing of Valerenga captain Christian Borchgrevink. Critchley also has a Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen to look forward to, but results over the next two weekends may go a long way in shaping supporters’ opinions of his tenure.
Motherwell, meanwhile, find themselves in a familiar position. A year ago, they narrowly missed out on the top six after a draw with Hibs. Under new boss Michael Wimmer, who replaced Stuart Kettlewell, the Steelmen have embraced a fresh approach but remain embroiled in a tightly packed bottom half of the table.
A win could not only put them in the top six but provide crucial breathing room from the relegation zone. Hearts currently sit just five points clear of the playoff spot occupied by Dundee, with St Johnstone a further five points behind.
“It’s a huge game,” said Wimmer. “Even if St Mirren win and we can’t make the top six, every point matters. Securing safety is our top priority.”
As for St Mirren, a late-season surge—including a 5-1 rout of Kilmarnock—has reignited their hopes. A third consecutive top-six finish would be a notable accomplishment for manager Stephen Robinson, who will be urging his side to come out strong against struggling Ross County.
While Sky Sports has chosen Celtic v Kilmarnock as its featured match in hopes of a title celebration, the real drama may unfold elsewhere. For Hearts, the stakes are high and the pressure is mounting—now would be the perfect time to deliver a statement win.
