'Embrace it, don't fear it' - Robinson's St Mirren Euro rallying cry

Stephen Robinson has vowed St Mirren will embrace the sold-out big-game atmosphere in the first European fixture in Paisley for 37 years.

St Mirren take on Valur Reykjavik on Thursday night in the second leg of the Conference League second qualifying round with the tie finely poised at 0-0.

Supporters have sold out both the normal home allocation as well as 900 seats in the away end meaning a record number will be in attendance at the SMiSA Stadium with a march to the ground organised ahead of kick-off.

Robinson's sons will be joining the corteo to the ground on Thursday night, and the St Mirren manager is confident his side will embrace the challenge and not fear it.

“It’s something we’re trying to embrace and enjoy. We want to stay in the competition for as long as we possibly can.

"There’s a carrot for both sides in terms of who we’ll play next. So, it’s exciting times.

"It’s going to be a full stadium and I’ve said to the players – don’t fear it. Go and embrace it. Go out and enjoy the way we play. The game’s finely balanced after the first leg and we’re very much in the tie.

“There’s going to be nearly 7,000 St Mirren fans there as we’ve got the away end as well. So the crowd have embraced the players and what they’re seeing and that’s absolute credit to the players and the staff here because they’re the reason they’re coming out to watch.

“If the away leg in Iceland is anything to go by, they made enough noise for about 20,000 people! And allegedly there were only 200 of them. B

"ut that was fantastic and it means so much to the players. The fans marching to the ground just adds to the matchday experience and it becomes a really enjoyable place to come. Obviously the end result makes everybody go home happier. I think my boys will be marching down there with them so it should be enjoyable.

"We have to embrace that but the fans also have to understand that we won’t just turn up and win in the first five minutes. There has to be a buy-in from everybody that this is a good side we’re playing and there has to be a level of patience as well.”

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Robinson is appreciative of the swell of support within Paisley for the club but is clear that European football is not a day out for his side as he insisted he won't settle for being reduced to also-rans in the Conference League this season.

“I think it’s very important [we take it seriously]," he said. "For whatever reason, Scottish teams haven’t always progressed as far as I believe we should do with the quality that we have.

"So it’s important for the whole world to see that Scottish football is good and it’s a good standard, and for maintaining those European places as well. So there certainly won’t be any of us taking photos and enjoying things.

"We’re there to win the game just as we were in Iceland, which I believe we should have done. But our sharpness and better finishing will help with that.

"We go into the game looking to progress to the next round, nothing else.”

Understandably, the occasion could lead to nerves around the SMiSA Stadium and an increased expectation of a result following the performance in Reykjavik. 

Robinson, though, expects his squad are well prepared to handle the occasion even if there is tension emanating from the stands.

“They have to do that," he said of coping with the expectation and nerves. "As the club grows, the squad grows and the expectation grows, you have to deal with that.

"Big players deal with big occasions. We have to play our normal game and press with our usual intensity and show our quality. Sometimes you have to just ignore the noise and go and do what you do. The team is well-equipped to do that and well prepared to do that.

"And there has to be patience within the stadium as well. We can’t win it in the first five minutes. It’s over a long period of time, potentially 120 minutes and penalties, and will be played to a finish so it’s important we remember it’s only our second competitive games. So we’ll approach it in that manner.”

On Valur's objections to having to play at the weekend, in a heavy defeat to Fram, while St Mirren recovered, Robinson responded: “They’ve played 15 games so they should be match fit.

"I was a wee bit surprised that they did have to play. If I were him I’d be moaning about the same thing so I can see his point.”