Gus MacPherson, the St Mirren manager, has declared injury-plagued striker Craig Dargo fit and ready to face Aberdeen in Saturday's match at Love Street.

Dargo signed from Inverness in the summer of 2007 but a knee injury prevented him making his debut until December. The striker then picked up an ankle injury in pre-season which kept him out of the start of this campaign. But he came on as a second-half substitute for Jim Hamilton with Saints five goals up against Dumbarton in the Co-operative Insurance Cup second-round tie at Love Street on Tuesday night.

Dargo grabbed the sixth as they romped to a 7-0 win, their biggest in eight years.

MacPherson is glad to have Dargo back as he looks for his first league win of the season against Aberdeen.

"He's trained now for a couple of weeks and was frustrated not to be involved against Hearts last Saturday," he said. "It was always on my mind to get him some decent time on the park on Tuesday night as part of his rehab and that's it, he is ready to go now."

With Dargo back, Billy Mehmet couldn't have picked a better time to score the first hat trick of his senior career.

After a slow start to the cup-tie, he set up debutant Steven Robb for his 18th-minute strike which opened the floodgates. Mehmet and Andy Dorman scored before the break and two goals in two minutes soon after the interval earned the Saints striker the match ball.

After Dargo made it six from close range, Gary Mason added the seventh against the bedraggled visitors.

Mehmet is well aware the return of Dargo gives MacPherson options.

"All the strikers will be wanting to play and they will be putting each other under pressure but if the manager picks you then you have to give it your best shot and see if you stay in the team," he said.

"I am just pleased to be through to the next round.

"It was my first hat trick in senior football, I just hope I can take it into this week against Aberdeen and we get our first league win."

MacPherson was reluctant to put too much emphasis on Mehmet's hat trick.

"The good thing was, a couple of Billy's goals were poacher's goals, a natural striker's goals," he said.

"So I'm pleased for him but they all worked so hard, that's the pleasing aspect. Even when we went two and three goals up, they were still working away."

Dumbarton manager Jim Chapman admitted the gulf in class between the two sides was clear to see.

"It sounds morbid but I enjoyed watching Saints play - unfortunately it was against my team," he said. "Their movement and application was brilliant and we got ripped to bits.

"We are all gutted and the players are hurting but if we can learn from that then we can do all right at our level."