Gus MacPherson has dismissed all talk of St Mirren finishing inside the Clydesdale Bank Premier League top six this season.

Saints are arguably the form side in the SPL, winning three and drawing one of their last four games in all competitions.

After avoiding relegation last season by just two goals, MacPherson's men were tipped to struggle again this term and started in that manner by winning just one of their first six league games.

Their mini-revival has seen them leap up a congested table in the last month and they lie a point ahead of seventh-placed Aberdeen going into Saturday's visit of Hamilton.

But MacPherson will continue to take only a cursory glance at the standings until there is just a quarter, rather than three-quarters, of the season remaining.

He said: "It's nine games, that's all it is.

"If we're saying after 29 games that that's what we're competing for, that's when you start looking at other people's results who are round about you.

"At the moment, they remain focused on their own jobs, their own performances as a group and just try to pick up more points."

MacPherson is also refusing to get carried away with the Buddies' run to the Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final, despite being desperate to end their 23-year trophy drought.

"It would be massive if that was to happen," he said.

"But that's February; we're only just going into November and there's a lot of work to be done before that.

"We'll have a transfer window as well, so we just need to wait and see."

Saints' recent run has raised questions of exactly what has changed in the last month.

But MacPherson said: "We've not made any changes.

"It just comes down to taking your chances when they come along.

"We praised the players a lot last season: the way they went about their business, passed the ball, created chances - but didn't take them.

"In the last four games, we have taken our chances at crucial times.

"We've gone behind in a couple of games but the character's been there and we've come back and won the games.

"We've also suffered as well from lapses in concentration, so there are still bits to work on in terms of the concentration side of it.

"When you're a manager or a coach, you're never too happy or completely satisfied; you always want your players to make demands of each other and try to improve."

With games against Rangers, Hibernian, Celtic and Dundee United to follow Saturday's clash, MacPherson should find out in the next six weeks exactly where his side stand.

And win, lose, or draw, he will demand they maintain the standards they demonstrated of late.

He said: "It's always the most important thing; that's why clubs win things; that's why players achieve things in their career and play at the highest level.

"It's consistency, it's maintaining standards. We know what they're capable of; they've just got to believe that in themselves.

"There'll be knocks along the way but you've just got to try to maintain a standard which enables you to compete in games.

"There'll be game when you don't get the bounce of the ball and you get a bit of bad luck along the way.

"But as long as players are competing the way they have in the last five or six games especially, they'll do okay."