 On 7 January 2012, Russell netted a hat-trick, the second of his career, in a 6–2 Scottish Cup win over Airdrie United.As of that match, Russell had scored a total of 9 goals in the 2011–12 season and it saw him become a regular in the starting line-up alongside Jon Daly.On 19 January 2013, Russell scored his first SPL hattrick in a 3–2 win over Kilmarnock.