Killian Phillips scored in each half as St Mirren recorded a 2-0 opening-day win at Falkirk in the William Hill Premiership on Saturday.
Match summary
The visitors took the lead after 11 minutes when a move started by Samuel Ramos led to Chris Mochrie finding Henry Fieldson on the left. Fieldson delivered an early ball to the near post where Phillips diverted the finish beyond goalkeeper Scott Bain to open the scoring.
St Mirren’s second arrived after a period in which they missed several opportunities to extend their advantage. A Falkirk equaliser from substitute Ben Parkinson was ruled out following a VAR intervention, and Phillips later completed his double to seal the win for the visitors.
Key moments and context
- 11' — Killian Phillips (St Mirren) opened the scoring.
- 71' — Ben Parkinson (Falkirk) appeared to level, but the goal was disallowed by VAR.
- Second half — Phillips added his second to make the result secure.
Falkirk manager John McGlynn faced a challenging start to the season, with recent departures including Dylan Tait, Calvin Miller and Barney Stewart, and the club also missing captain Brad Spencer through suspension. Despite those absences, the hosts produced openings early on: Jack McMillan came close inside five minutes after a clever pass from Ethan Laidlaw, and Bain produced a superb save on the stroke of half-time to deny Phillips following fine work from Eseosa Sule and Jayden Richardson.
What it means for both sides
For St Mirren, who only secured their top-flight status late in the previous campaign, a road win at Falkirk provides a positive start under manager Craig McLeish, whose side have been tipped by bookmakers to struggle this season. For Falkirk, the result highlights the task ahead in replacing key squad members and coping without their captain.
| Team | Goals | Notable performers |
|---|---|---|
| St Mirren | 2 | Killian Phillips, Samuel Ramos |
| Falkirk | 0 | Scott Bain (notable saves), Ben Parkinson (disallowed) |
Though the margin was only two goals, observers noted that St Mirren could have won by a larger scoreline given Falkirk’s missed chances. The intervention of VAR was decisive in the second half; a potential leveller was wiped out and the visitors were then able to close out the match.
Falkirk will look to regroup ahead of their next fixtures while St Mirren travel on the back of a clean sheet and an encouraging performance from Phillips, the Republic of Ireland international who finished the match with a brace.
