Source: PA
St Mirren V Celtic at St Mirren Park : Match Preview
St Mirren V Celtic - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.Ball backs Saints to sink CelticSt Mirren striker Callum Ball is adamant they can take full points off both Celtic and Aberdeen.Saints scored only once in their first five Scottish Premiership games but they got their first points with a 2-1 comeback win over Partick Thistle at Firhill on Friday night.And Ball is sure they can give the champions a fright at St Mirren Park on Saturday, before doing the same against the Dons.The former Derby striker said: "We have been unlucky and not getting the points. On Friday we came out at half-time and showed our spirit and got the win."We have two big games coming up but I feel we can get four, possibly six, points out of those two games because we've got the players and the ability. It's just been the luck. In most games we have been on top and getting done in the last few minutes."If we can repeat the second half against Partick Thistle, I think we can beat any team in the league. We worked hard as a unit and dug in and pressed well. "If we play like that against Celtic I feel we can give them a good run for their money and put them under pressure, and hopefully nick three points."It's nice to play a big team like Celtic. You can show them what you can do and show other people because it's live on Sky as well. I feel we can get three points."Ball turned the league game at Firhill with an excellent finish to level the scores on the hour, a goal that got him off the mark in the black and white stripes.The 21-year-old said: "It's always nice to get your first goal at a club. It took a while but I finally got it and hopefully now I can get many more for St Mirren."You always get people on your back saying 'when is he going to score?' I knew it would come at some point and hopefully now I can get many more."It was disappointing to lose at Firhill in midweek and go out the cup but we are down there in the league and now we can concentrate on the league and try and rise up the table."Celtic boss John Collins has backed "father figure" Tommy Craig to come good at St Mirren.The 63-year-old has struggled at the Paisley club since moving up from assistant to manager when Danny Lennon departed in May.Few in football know the Saints boss better than Collins.Celtic's assistant manager learned his trade as a midfielder under Craig when he was coach at Hibernian and the Parkhead club .When Collins became Hibs manager in 2006 he chose Craig as his coach and took the former Newcastle and Aston Villa player with him to Belgian club Charleroi, where Craig subsequently had a spell as manager himself.Ahead of the visit of Celtic to Paisley in the Premiership on Saturday, Collins said:"Tommy was my best ever coach growing up so I have huge respect for him as a coach and as a person."He is a father figure to me and I always look up to him on and off the pitch."I had him when I was 17, 18, 19 and had him at Celtic when I came here as a player."He is my kind of coach and I learned a lot as a coach from him."Everything I would want in a coach Tommy gave me as a young player; quality sessions at high tempo."You never walk on a training pitch with Tommy and the session is not organised and high-tempo."He has had a tough start to the season, we know that."He lost players and brought new players in. He has a small budget as well so it was never going to be easy."But he will have them organised and fighting for their lives"At St Mirren it is all about survival in the Premiership, that's the reality and I am sure given time he will get them winning games and going up the table."Given time Tommy will do a good job there."Ronny Deila's men have dropped seven points in six games this season and lie five points behind leaders Dundee United, albeit they have played a game less than the Tannadice side.Collins is hoping the form showed in the 3-0 League Cup third-round win over Hearts at Parkhead on Wednesday night is a portent of things to come but stressed that a magic formula is not available."Consistency is the target," said the former Scotland international, who insisted striker Leigh Griffiths, linked with an emergency loan move to Hibs, is still part of the plans at Parkhead.