St Mirren v Hearts: where and when to watch the crunch game this weekend

St Mirren will host Hearts on Friday 21 February, in a match that could prove vital to either side’s hopes of staying in the top division.

Naismith and company are running out of time to save their season. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

While the two-horse race at the top of the Scottish Premiership appears to be easing off, the battle at the bottom remains as intense as ever.

With only three points separating the bottom three teams, every minute counts in the remaining games of this campaign.

Daniel Stendel has yet to rescue Hearts from the relegation zone, despite a good result against Rangers, while St Mirren’s recent run of form will be cause for concern, even as they hold a game in hand over the Edinburgh side.

This season has been a slog for Hearts fans, although there have been a few bright points. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

When does the game take place?

St Mirren v Hearts will take place on Friday 21 February, kicking off at 7.45pm.

Where is it being played?

The match will be played at St Mirren’s Simple Digital Arena in Paisley.

Gavin Duncan has been chosen to referee the match, marking only his 14th Scottish Premiership game in charge.

What kind of form have the teams been in?

As you would expect of two sides that find themselves this far down the table in February, neither team is having the best season.

Stendel’s attempts to re-orient the ailing Hearts side he inherited around his own brand of high-tempo, Gorgie-press football have been met with mixed results so far.

The win against Rangers in January hasn’t proven to be the turning point fans were hoping for, and the Edinburgh side haven’t won since.

They may also find themselves without new signing Liam Boyce to lead the line-up, with Stendel having confirmed that the striker is struggling to get to full fitness in time for Friday’s game.

Midfielder Toby Sibbick is also a doubt having been laid low with an illness that’s seen him unable to train for the last two weeks.

St Mirren haven’t exactly been delivering the thrills either – their 21-goal haul for the season so far is the lowest of any team in the top flight and they have drawn three of their last five games, losing the other two.

On the other hand, they have made themselves impressively hard to score against – the 35 goals they have conceded gives them a record that’s seven better than Hibs, who are currently enjoying life in the top half of the table.

However, St Mirren currently sit three points and two places ahead of Hearts with a game in hand.

A home victory would begin to put some daylight between them and the drop zone, while the reverse might finally get Hearts climbing the table again.

Where can I watch it?

The game will be broadcast live on BT Sport 2, with coverage starting at 7.15pm.

Subscribers can also catch all the action on any of their devices via the BT Sport app.