Your guide to the Premiership play-off final

Partick Thistle will face St Mirren over two matches to determine who plays in the Scottish Premiership next season. Thistle finished second in the Championship and beat Dunfermline Athletic to earn a chance to end an eight-year absence from the top flight. St Mirren won the League Cup in December but finished second bottom in the Premiership and are trying to extend an eight-year stay. St Mirren’s season included strong cup success under Stephen Robinson, followed by struggles after his departure, including a run of defeats without scoring and a drop into the play-off. Thistle finished 11 points behind St Johnstone in the Championship, then beat Dunfermline 3-2 on aggregate to reach the final.

"St Mirren have had one of the most succesful seasons in their history after beating Celtic in December's Premier Sports Cup final. It was the club's second League Cup triumph and the summit of their four-year era under Stephen Robinson which also included three top-six finishes. But the Premiership has been a struggle for them all season. St Mirren were 10th when Robinson left for Aberdeen in March and interim manager Craig McLeish struggled to stop the rot."

"A run of four defeats in a row without scoring came just as Kilmarnock hit form under Neil McCann, which consigned St Mirren to 11th place and the play-off. They ended the regular season having scored 10 fewer goals than even Livingston below them, with their productivity up top ultimately costing them as well as a host of injuries. Partick Thistle have naturally had a more enjoyable season to get themselves into this position."

"They pushed eventual winners St Johnstone until the final few games in the Championship title race, eventually finishing 11 points adrift of Saints but 15 clear of third-place Arbroath. That earned Mark Wilson's side a place in the play-off semi-final, where they defeated Scottish Cup finalists Dunfermline 3-2 on aggregate after a second-leg home win. As the Premiership side and with the second leg at home St Mirren will start as favourites - but only just."

"After finishing second in the Championship, Thistle got the better of Dunfermline Athletic to give themselves a shot at ending their eight-year absence from the top-flight. St Mirren, who won the League Cup back in December, finished second bottom of the Premiership and are trying to extend their eight-year stay. Here is all you need to know in preparation for the play-off final, which starts on Thursday night at Firhill."

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