St Mirren are fighting for their Premiership lives, and interim boss Craig McLeish is navigating a squad that's been hit hard by injuries. The Buddies have extended the emergency loan of St Johnstone goalkeeper Ross Sinclair—a smart move, given Shamal George is still nursing an ankle injury and Ryan Mullen is out long-term.

But the real headache? Alex Gogic. The Cypriot midfield powerhouse is suspended for half of St Mirren's remaining fixtures after picking up his 14th yellow card of the season in the home defeat to Livingston. He'll miss crucial away trips to Dundee and the home clash with Kilmarnock—a massive blow for a side scrapping to stay up.

And it doesn't stop there. League Cup final hero Jonah Ayunga was stretchered off with an ACL injury in that same Livingston game and is out for the long haul. Marcus Fraser, who opened the scoring in that unforgettable cup final win over Celtic, won't feature again this season. Australia international Keanu Baccus is also done for the campaign.

It's a brutal run of injuries that McLeish had no control over—the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune," as they say. If he can keep St Mirren in the top flight under these circumstances, you'd have to say he deserves a proper shot at the job long-term.

St Mirren haven't had European football this season, but two cup runs have taken their toll. With a small squad driven by financial necessity, the team is running on fumes—or at least running out of personnel. But let's not dwell on the negatives. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the Buddies still hold a two-point lead over Kilmarnock with a superior goal difference.

There's hope yet. A win over Dundee by two clear goals would lift St Mirren into ninth place, setting up a massive showdown with Kilmarnock the following Saturday. Beat them, and Premiership survival is firmly in sight. St Mirren are creating chances—17 shots against Livingston—and enjoying more possession. Maybe all they need is a fortunate bounce to turn their season around.