St Mirren’s manager, Stephen Robinson, has thrown his support behind Mikael Mandron, suggesting a potential last-minute Scotland call-up for the player who recently excelled in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Motherwell.

Mandron, originally from France, delivered an outstanding performance that included two goals and an assist in St Mirren’s 4-1 triumph over Motherwell. Having previously expressed his desire to represent Scotland through his Scottish grandmother, Margaret, Mandron’s aspirations for a national team jersey have been rekindled.

Robinson revealed that his squad was driven by comparisons of their direct playing style to Motherwell’s more fluid approach. He believes that Mandron, showcasing a lethal touch in his 100th appearance for St Mirren, could be a valuable asset for Scotland’s manager, Steve Clarke, as he finalizes his lineup for the critical World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Denmark.

Mikael Mandron celebrates as St Mirren put Motherwell to the sword at Hampden

Mandron hails Nlundulu after the latter scored St Mirren’s second goal at Hampden

“Look, Steve knows his players inside out,” Robinson commented. “I’m a big supporter of the national team, and my wife has even taught me ‘Flower of Scotland,’ which I now sing at every game.”

He continued, “Steve is certainly aware of Mika’s abilities. He’s incredibly talented, consistently finds the back of the net, and is a strong leader on the field. So, why not consider him?”

Robinson highlighted the number of players he’s coached who have earned international caps, noting, “Before our arrival, there weren’t many capped players at St Mirren. This is a testament to our dedicated staff and effective recruitment.”

‘Mika, certainly, he wouldn’t look out of place at international level.’

Robinson admits his team laugh at being called a long-ball outfit and believes a performance to match yesterday’s heroics in the final will give them a great chance of dumping either half of the Old Firm at Hampden on December 14.

‘When we play like that, we’re very, very difficult to play against,’ he said.  ‘If we play like that, we can beat anybody on our day. We’ve got no fear.

‘I think we play an exciting brand of football, create a lot of chances.

‘We make teams defend. We steal a lot of ideas off Bournemouth and Brentford to increase your xG. We put long throws into the box, free-kicks into the box. Outwith that, we play some really good football.

‘As players, in an occasion some that aren’t used to, I thought they carried out the game plan to the letter (against Motherwell). We could have scored more goals.

‘We came here with no emotions. A lot of people motivated us with things that were said – unfairly, unjustified, in my opinion – and we used that to show what a good side we are. We wanted to be ruthless and we were, which is something we haven’t been in the league.

‘I’ve said to the players: “Go and put yourselves down in history. You’ve got an opportunity now to be remembered at St Mirren for the rest of your lives”.’

On those comparisons with Motherwell’s style, Robinson said: ‘Listen, the rules of football haven’t changed. You’ve got to try and score more goals than the opposition.

Richard KIng (left) and Mandron celebrate after the former had scored St Mirren’s third

‘You’re allowed to play players that are over six feet. My six-foot players aren’t very physical, to be fair and I need more from them. What I want to do is show how good they are. That’s more the motivation rather than proving people wrong.’

Goalscorer Richard King, meanwhile, dedicated his strike – his side’s third of the game – to those killed in his native Jamaica by Hurricane Melissa.

‘I dedicate this goal to my country,’ King told BBC Radio Scotland. ‘As you guys know, we just had a hurricane a few days ago and a lot of people lost their lives, so I dedicate that back home.

‘These are the occasions we play for our families and friends.’

Saints centre-half Alex Gogic was named man of the match by sponsors and was delighted to reach a final with a big win on the occasion of his wife’s birthday.

‘This doesn’t happen every day,’ he stated. ‘It has been fantastic the last couple of years, but the only thing missing was a day like this. A lot of pundits suggested Motherwell would win this because they play nice football, but goals win games.’