Wright impressed as St Johnstone continue impressive away sequence

Posted Thursday, December 27, 2018 by PA

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright felt his side deserved their 1-0 victory over St Mirren despite not finding their winning goal until late in the game.

Tony Watt’s header in the 89th minute was enough to settle matters in a stodgy contest in Paisley and extends St Johnstone’s recent impressive away record.

Wright said: “I think we merited the win. There wasn’t much in the first half or the start of the second half, but I think we had control of the game.

“The last 20 minutes we were the side on the front foot and we should have scored before we did take the lead.

“I’m pleased we kept going and got the goal. It was quick thinking with the throw, a great cross and Tony is in the area of the pitch I want to see him.

“I’m pleased for the players as it was a controlled performance rather than a brilliant performance, but I thought we deserved to win.”

St Johnstone have now won their last five away games and kept a clean sheet in each one, pleasing their manager who hoped Murray Davidson’s knee injury would not prove to be too serious.

Wright added: “Hopefully we can make it six at the weekend against Dundee. It is down to the players and their hard work.

“They have so much belief and we always fancy ourselves to score goals. We know how to win on the road. It’s no fluke that it’s another late winner as it happens too regularly for that to be a fluke.

“It’s ironic that we’ve scored a late winner today after losing one late to Rangers in our previous game. When it gets that late into any game you do start to think that the opposition could be the ones to get the winner but I’m pleased that it was my team who got it on this occasion.”

His opposite number Oran Kearney bemoaned St Mirren’s lack of pace and power.

He said: “Overall, I thought a draw was probably a fair result, I don’t think we did enough to win it and neither did they.

“I don’t think we have anybody with lightning pace so it is hard to get in behind teams. We don’t really have a physical presence in the forward areas either so it is very hard to just lump balls in there because they just come straight back out again.”