It�s the end of a 115-year affair as the Buddies click through the turnstiles for the last time, reports Graeme Macpherson

It is the football match in danger of getting lost amid a sea of sentimentality and a mountain of memories. The endeavours of St Mirren and Motherwell, in their respective battles to move clear of the relegation zone, will this afternoon be reduced to a mere distraction as the Paisley club brings down the curtain on 115 years of history with what will likely be the last ever match at their Love Street home.

Ninety SPL minutes have never seemed so irrelevant to so many as present and future issues are set to one side to allow unadulterated wallowing in the past.

For those of a 30-something vintage there is no shortage of material with which to reminisce: the trouncing' of Tromso, the late heart-breaking capitulation to Hammarby, Guni Torfason's hat trick against Airdrie, Thomas Stickroth's mesmerising debut against Rangers, the late, magical Brian Hetherston nutmegging Chris Waddle in the first minute against Falkirk, the same player hugging a startled ball-boy after scoring the winner in a derby match against Morton, title-clinching days against Raith Rovers and Dundee, and the recent victory over Rangers all feature highly.

Hugh Murray, St Mirren's longest-serving player, offered his own personal memories.

"My favourite game was probably when we played Raith Rovers here to win the title in 2000, having got promoted the week before," he said. "I had been here a long time and never seen the stadium totally packed out. To get the trophy in front of our own fans, I couldn't have asked for anything more."

The end of an era has drawn a bumper sell-out crowd, including Murray's father, Tommy, who has watched his son's development only sporadically.

"My mum and dad are going to the game, which is funny because my dad doesn't really come to many games. He appeared last week at the Hamilton game and said he would definitely be here because it's our last game.

"My dad picks and chooses his games, usually Celtic or Rangers, then he disappears for the lesser games and my mum always moans at him for it. I think even fans who probably haven't been for a long time will turn up because it's the last game. It will be a hard game, but it would be nice to win it for the capacity crowd."

Not everyone can afford to get caught up in nostalgia, however. For Gus MacPherson, the St Mirren manager, there will be no daydreaming about his five years in charge at Love Street. St Mirren's recent sequence of four consecutive victories has lifted them to within reaching distance of a place in the top half of the table and earned MacPherson the Clydesdale Bank Manager of the Month award. His focus, therefore, will solely be on defeating Motherwell.

"We can understand the emotion but most players and managers don't get that emotional attachment that supporters and directors have," he revealed. "We pride ourselves on our professionalism. That emotional attachment is for other people. We'll have memories of the place but we're preparing for the new stadium and trying to move the club forward.

"It's emotional for the supporters and directors, but the players have got a job to do. The most important thing is getting the result. We said before the Inverness game it would be good to finish on a high and try to get maximum points from the last three home league games. We've got six so far, so it would be nice to finish with a win."

MacPherson concedes that, while those inside the dressing room do not share the same appetite for sentimentality as those on the terraces, a common desire to see St Mirren progress does link the players and the supporters.

"Everybody in football is in it to win games. Supporters love winning and they sometimes feel they take defeat greater than players or managers, but I can assure them they don't. I can see how much this group of players enjoy winning and we'd like to continue that. We don't want to lose, but we'd have approached the Hamilton, Inverness and Rangers games, when we won at home, in the same way."

Murray added: "Everyone's getting carried away with it being the last game but we need to go out and get a result. We are on a good run and we want to keep it going. We don't want to let the big crowd down. We want to put on a good showing, but for a team like St Mirren there are no easy games and Motherwell will be relishing it - especially Steven McGarry and John Sutton, who used to play here and will want to show St Mirren fans they are still big players."

Only a draw against Brechin City next Saturday in the fourth round of the Homecoming Scottish Cup could prevent this from being the last ever match at Love Street and it is a scenario that Murray would like to avoid.

"There was a bit in the paper saying the fans can't take anything from the ground at full-time because we are playing Brechin in the cup and if there's a replay it has to be here. It's up to us to win against Brechin. Everyone's looking at the game against Motherwell as our farewell game, so it would be a bit of a nightmare if we have a replay."