ST MIRREN HAD Connor Ronan largely to thank after they picked up their first league win of the season at the seventh attempt.
Ronan opened his Scottish Premiership account by scoring twice as his side moved up to eighth place in the table courtesy of a 3-2 victory at home to Aberdeen.
The former Ireland U21 international, who has joined St Mirren on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, gave the hosts the lead in the 14th minute with a strike that beat Dons goalkeeper Joe Lewis with the aid of a David Bates deflection.
GOAL! St Mirren 1-0 Aberdeen (Ronan, 14)
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) September 26, 2021
🗣 "There's a huge slice of luck on the finish!"
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Football pic.twitter.com/illWBY2ri7
Goals from Scott Brown and Christian Ramirez had Aberdeen ahead at the break, but the visitors were then hindered by the sending-off of Teddy Jenks early in the second half.
St Mirren capitalised as Ronan finished brilliantly from the edge of the box after being teed up by Jamie McGrath, before Curtis Main headed the winner on 61 minutes.
GOAL! St Mirren 2-2 Aberdeen (Ronan, 58)
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) September 26, 2021
🗣 "He is certainly making his presence felt in Paisley!"
The Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee grabs his second goal of the match to level it against 10-man Aberdeen 💥
📺 Watch live on Sky Sports Football pic.twitter.com/l4Pu4jjRnP
A senior Ireland call-up is one of Ronan’s objectives, the 23-year-old playmaker stating earlier this month that he hopes the move to St Mirren will do for him what it did for McGrath.
Having joined the Paisley outfit from Dundalk in January 2020, McGrath won the first of his three caps to date during the summer friendly win against Andorra.
Ronan impressed for Ireland during his time as a member of the U21 side, with the English-born midfielder earning nine caps under current senior boss Stephen Kenny.
58' - STM 2-2 ABE
— St Mirren FC (@saintmirrenfc) September 26, 2021
The Irishman slams home to score his second and level for Saints!#STMABE | #COYS pic.twitter.com/2guVHBkTfi
There were five Irishmen in the St Mirren starting line-up that was selected by Waterford native Jim Goodwin this afternoon, with McGrath and Ronan joined by Alan Power, Conor McCarthy and captain Joe Shaughnessy.
