Latest news with #ShamalGeorge
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
St Mirren 1-1 Hearts (5-4 pens): Have your say
St Mirren prevailed on penalties against Hearts to reach the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals after a tense match in the Paisley George's save to deny Claudio Braga resulted in the only unconverted spot-kick in the shootout as the Buddies avenged last season's loss on penalties to Hearts in the Scottish us your thoughts on St Mirren's the full match report.
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Shamal George says 'life is good' at St Mirren after first clean sheet
The goalkeeper, who is on loan from Sky Bet League One side Wycombe Wanderers, was signed this summer to compete with fellow summer shot-stopper signing Ryan Mullen. Life at St Mirren is becoming more comfortable for Shamal George after he got his first clean sheet under his belt. The shot-stopper, on loan from Sky Bet League One side Wycombe Wanderers, achieved his first shut-out of the season last week against Motherwell. And the 27-year-old says that, for a goalkeeper, chalking them up early-on helps the settling-in process. 'The first game was always going to be tough – Celtic away – but the boys did well, defended well,' he said yesterday. "We dusted ourselves down and I was pleased to get a clean sheet against Motherwell. 'That's what a goalkeeper wants to get under his belt, you want one nice and early. Game by game we will get better. Life is really good here. I'm feeling a lot more comfortable than a few weeks ago, really enjoying it and I've got to know all the boys.' The former Livingston keeper has been a target for manager Stephen Robinson for a while – with the Englishman stating the Buddies gaffer has tried to sign him a few times in the past. And that played a huge part in him choosing to come to Paisley as well as seeing the club's recent success. He went on to say: 'He's a great manager, a great guy. I know he's signed a new contract so I'm really happy for him. Clearly he's doing something right when St Mirren are getting to the top six for three years in a row. 'I think the club had tried to get me for a while which obviously makes you want to come here. One of them was while I was at Livingston. I had a release clause that was quite complicated but we finally got it done.' George, who faces Hearts in the Premier Sports Cup round of 16 on Saturday, added: 'It makes you feel wanted; you feel good. I know the team have been top six for the last three years. It's a club with ambition and I really wanted to be part of it. 'That was quite an easy decision for me. I'm excited for the 10 months I'm going to be here.'
BBC News
05-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Goalkeeper George makes Premiership TOTW
St Mirren held firm against the reigning league champions but were undone by a late Celtic goal. Goalkeeper Shamal George more than played his part in a hugely creditable St Mirren performance against Celtic. Came so close to keeping them at bay, with a little help from his woodwork.
The Herald Scotland
03-08-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Brendan Rodgers on Celtic's Champions League shape after St Mirren win
But Rodgers stressed that he was happy with his team's display afterwards and singled out the visitors' keeper Shamal George, who pulled off a string of outstanding saves to keep the scoreline level, for special praise. Celtic will discover who they will come up against in the Champions League play-off when the draw is made in Nyon, Switzerland, this morning. Read more: They will find themselves up against Basel or Sturm Graz or the winner of the outstanding ties between Slovan Bratislava and Kairat, Shkendija and Qarabag and Dynamo Kyiv and Pafos. The games will be played on August 19/20 and 26/27. Rodgers, who lost striker Kyogo Furuhashi back in January and winger Nicolas Kuhn during the summer, has admitted that he is keen to strengthen his side in the forward areas. But the Northern Irishman emphasised that he is satisfied with how his team is currently performing. 'To win in the first game of the season is always good and it rounds off a lot of the good work that we've done over pre-season,' he said. 'I'm absolutely pleased with the performance. 'Everyone knows St Mirren and Stephen Robinson's qualities. They're such a hard team to break down. You have to be aware of the threat on the counter-attack, the physicality at set-pieces. All of that we dealt so well with and the keeper's made some brilliant saves, which then keeps the game in the balance. 'At times we moved the ball really well. At other times we could have attacked a wee bit more when we got into certain positions and been a bit more aggressive in the one v one moments. (Image: Andrew Milligan) 'But overall to play against that team, against that system, that's how you've got to work it. Then you need better quality to finish it. I think everyone who was at the game or watched it on TV would say that ([[Celtic]] could have won by three or four). 'Sometimes you need a wee bit of good fortune as well. We didn't quite have that, but some of them hit the post and the bar. You have to give credit to their keeper and to St Mirren. 'Teams aren't just going to roll up here. We see a lot of them. Teams are banked up and tight and compact. You've got to move side to side, to penetrate, to cross, to create half-spaces for crosses, all these things. 'There is no space, it's not a 50-50 game like Newcastle or Sporting Lisbon for example, that you've seen in pre-season. There's no space, it's tight, it's compact and I thought the players came through so well. We got into a lot of good areas. We created a lot today and dominated the game.' Asked for his thoughts about the Champions League play-off double header, Rodgers continued, 'I'm feeling really good. We've had a great, really, really good pre-season. The players are shaping up very well and are working very hard. There's real spirit and solidarity here in the team. So we look forward to that. Read more: 'We know whoever we get it's going to be tough, but it will also be tough for them. And we will accept whatever challenge comes. We'll be ready for the games. Whenever they come, we'll be ready. The players are working very hard. They are always tense games. But we're in a good place and we'll take that game on when it comes.' Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, the Manchester City centre-back, watched the game from the stands and Rodgers is hopeful that Celtic can finalise his season-long loan deal at Parkhead in the coming days. 'We're still waiting for clearance on that one,' he said. 'But he's up here. Obviously, once it's definite, then it'll be announced. But, yes, he's up here and is ready for the move. 'Your centre-halves need to be strong at Celtic. Sometimes you're not doing a great deal. You're stood on the halfway line and you're attacking a lot of the time. But you also need to be able to defend space. That area is always so important in any team. Your centre-halves need to be dominant and we've got really good options there now.' Rodgers feels that he needs to increase competition for places in the front three before the transfer window closes on September 1. 'It's just about improving,' he said. 'There's areas that we want to improve in the forward line. That's something that we hope we can do over these remaining weeks.'
BBC News
27-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Listen: St Mirren probe for opener against Ayr - radio & text
Update: Date: 13' Title: Post Content: St Mirren 0-0 Ayr United A decent chance for St Miren to lift the ball into the box with a free-kick inside Ayr's half but it's well dealt with by the visitors. Update: Date: 8' Title: Post Content: St Mirren 0-0 Ayr United Alex Gogic steps in to blast the ball away just as Ayr's Marco Rus threatened to latch on to a pass in the final third. United are enjoying more of the ball now and are patiently knocking it about the park. There are a few sloppy passes in there, though, as they try to advance. Update: Date: 5' Title: Post Content: St Mirren 0-0 Ayr United Plenty of St Mirren possession early on, but it's all been in the middle third of the pitch. A cagey start it's far to say. Update: Date: 1' Title: KICK-OFF Content: St Mirren 0-0 Ayr United A peep of the referee's whistle and we're under way in Paisley. Update: Date: 14:54 BST Title: George makes first Buddies start Content: St Mirren v Ayr United (15:00) Speaking after signing Shamal George on loan midweek, Stephen Robinson said he would be St Mirren's "best available" goalkeeper. The 27-year-old spent two years at Livingston before joining Wycombe Wanderers, who have an option to recall George in January, and has made more than 100 senior club appearances across spells at five clubs. "He comes with a vast amount of experience in the league," said St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson. "I believe Shamal's now the best available goalkeeper to us. It's not something we searched out, but when he became available, I had no hesitation whatsoever. "He gives real composure, a real presence in goal as well." Shamal George starts for the Buddies this afternoon Update: Date: 14:50 BST Title: Brown wants a composed performance and progression Content: St Mirren v Ayr United (15:00) Ayr United manager Scott Brown tells Premier Sports: "The results yesterday went for us and for us now, we know St Mirren are at home and will come after us with a fast start. "We're in a position where, as long as we don't lose by nine, we should hopefully be in the next draw. "It's not about coming here and trying to win the game early doors and being silly, it's about staying in it for as long as we can and being compact, and go to press when we can." Update: Date: 14:47 BST Title: Robinson knows a win is a must Content: St Mirren v Ayr United (15:00) St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson tells Premier Sports: "It's black and white, we need to win the game. "We don't want to go to penalties and hope, so we set out to win the game against a good side who have started the season very well. On Shamal George starting, he adds: "We know what he's done, and he's someone I've chased for a long time. "It gives us the chance to get real solidity and a real presence in goals straightaway." Update: Date: 14:45 BST Title: Permutations, permutations, permutations Content: St Mirren v Ayr United (15:00) Basically, whoever tops the group will qualify. Runners-up must equal Dunfermline Athletic's nine points as both Ayr and St Mirren have a superior goal difference. For Dunfermline to go through on goal difference, Ayr would have to lose by seven goals as even if they finish level on goal difference, United have scored more goals. Easy as that, eh? Update: Date: 14:43 BST Title: Group D as it stands Content: St Mirren v Ayr United (15:00) Take a close look here. This is about to be important. I'll try not to make it sound too complicated, though. Update: Date: 14:38 BST Title: Draw to follow the full-time whistle Content: St Mirren v Ayr United (15:00) We'll bring you the all-important draw for the next stage after full time. Some more permutations coming here too, sorry. For the draw, Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee United, Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian, Rangers and St Johnstone are seeded. Alloa Athletic, Falkirk, Greenock Morton, Kilmarnock, Livingston, Motherwell and the Group D runners-up or Dunfermline Athletic are unseeded. It is still to be decided whether the Group D winners and Partick Thistle will be seeded/unseeded. Why is it still undecided, I hear you asking? Well, should Ayr win, they will be seeded as they'll pip Partick on goal difference. Should St Mirren win, Partick would be seeded due to having more points. Again, simple as that. Got it? Good. Update: Date: 14:35 BST Title: What happened yesterday? Content: St Mirren v Ayr United (15:00) Third-tier Alloa Athletic - along with Premiership sides Falkirk and Kilmarnock, and Championship duo Partick Thistle and St Johnstone - have secured progress to the Premier Sports Cup last 16 after winning their groups. Alloa scored a late winner as they came from behind to win 3-2 and overtake Championship hosts Airdrieonians at the top of Group C. The Diamonds' defeat also meant they miss out on being one of three best runners-up to progress along with Livingston and Greenock Morton. Dunfermline Athletic are currently third best but will miss out should St Mirren win or draw with a penalty shootout bonus point at home to Ayr United in Sunday's final group game. Read more about yesterday's action here. Steven Buchanan scored Alloa's winner away to Airdrieonians Update: Date: 14:30 BST Title: League Cup groups wrap up Content: St Mirren v Ayr United (15:00) Just one final game remains in the League Cup groups this year as Ayr take a short trip north to Paisley to face St Mirren. The winner here will top the group and secure progression to the next stage, but more on all of the permutations shortly... Update: Date: 14:00 Title: LINE-UPS from The SMISA Stadium Content: St Mirren v Ayr United (15:00) St Mirren: George, Fraser, Gogic, King, Richardson, Phillips, Taylor, O'Hara, John, Idowu, Mandron. Substitutes: Mullen, Iacovitti, Freckleton, Sobowale, Smyth, McMenamin, Calvin, Ayunga, Mooney. Ayr United: Mitchell, McAllister, Dick, Want, Holt, Main, Murphy, Walker, McKenzie, Rus, McMann. Substitutes: Russell, Oakley, Thomas, Ure, Hastie, Bonnar, Watret.
