Striker Steven MacLean can’t promise that tackles will be timed perfectly against Aberdeen on Saturday, and passes and shots will find their target.
Striker Steven MacLean can’t promise that tackles will be timed perfectly against Aberdeen on Saturday, and passes and shots will find their target.
But he has pledged that Saints fans will see the endeavour that they’ve been able to take for granted over the last few seasons when the team runs out at McDiarmid Park at the weekend.
Because the performance at Hamilton, and more specifically the first half display, is one the players are not shying away from.
“It was just not good enough,” MacLean admitted.
“If we start games like that we’re not going to win. You can’t turn it on and off when you want. We were poor first half. It’s OK to be poor with the ball, or whatever, but to be outworked isn’t good enough.
“We know what we are and we know that if we’re not bang at it in terms of our work-rate, we’ll get turned over. And we did.
“We were lucky to go in at half-time just one down.
“Obviously we played a lot better in the second half and could have got something out of the game but we didn’t deserve anything from our first half performance.”
St Johnstone’s early season schedule has been busier than most, but MacLean is reluctant to cite their European campaign as mitigation.
He pointed out: “Maybe it has (had an effect), but we’re not using that as an excuse. We’re professional footballers and tiredness is just an excuse. It just wasn’t good enough.”
Chances did start to come their way in the second period.
Martin Canning cleared against his own crossbar, and Dave Mackay headed on to the post (though the referee spotted a foul and would have disallowed it).
Substitute Chris Kane was through on goal but chose to pass rather than shoot, David Wotherspoon was just wide of the target with a low curler, and MacLean himself saw a near post effort brilliantly saved by Michael McGovern near the end.
MacLean is confident that there are goals in a team that isn’t able to call on the talents of Stevie May.
“He’s going to be a miss but we don’t want to be coming in here every week talking to you guys and saying ‘we’re missing Stevie’,” the former Rangers man said.
“He’s gone now and we need to start sharing the goals about starting from next week. We’ve got boys who can score goals, and hopefully it will happen soon.
“It was maybe the final pass and finish that let us down today. We’ll work on that and hopefully put it right against Aberdeen.
“There’s a chance for other strikers and midfielders. It won’t just be one person who’ll get Stevie’s goals.”
Young Kane isn’t May Mark II, MacLean insisted. But he is a goalscorer in the making.
“I thought he did the right thing (in passing rather than shooting),” MacLean said.
“He probably just released it too late. Kano will learn from that. He came on and did really well and probably showed a few of the senior ones the way forward.
“If he keeps getting in the right areas he’ll be fine. He’s a good young kid and he wants to learn. Hopefully his time will come soon.
“He’s at a different stage of development than Stevie was this time last year.
“Kano’s a little bit behind but hopefully he can go down the same path. If he keeps working like he is I’m sure he’ll get his chance, and take it.”
The goal which consigned Saints to defeat summed up the abject first half display.
They didn’t get close enough to the man who set it up (Mickael Antoine Curier), nor the player who shot home from the edge of the box (Darian Mackinnon) via a deflection which deceived Alan Mannus.
The pressing throughout the 45 minutes was half-hearted and so was the running off the ball when Saints were in possession.
The most committed and impressive act of that period was Steven Anderson’s sliding goal-line clearance to deny Stephen Hendrie what looked like being a certain goal.
It was much improved fare in the second half. It couldn’t fail to have been, really.
Accies still had their moments MacLean was another who had to clear off the line but Tommy Wright’s men were more like themselves again.
And had referee Bobby Madden awarded a penalty when a cross struck Canning’s arm, they would probably have claimed the point that the second half fightback might just about have merited.
Maclean said: “They defended well and got some good blocks in, the keeper saved well from me, and we could have had a penalty because I think it was a handball. The referee said it was too close but it definitely hit his hand.”
Perth boss Wright was understandably unhappy that his players had to play catch-up after the break.
“We shouldn’t have to give them a rollicking at half-time,” he pointed out.
“We didn’t make any forward runs or compete for the ball. The second half was better but the first half wasn’t acceptable.”
For Saints it has been two defeats in four days. For Hamilton it has been the exact opposite. They certainly didn’t look like relegation candidates on this showing.
Canning said: “The last two games have been different class in terms of the boys’ attitude.
“The shape of the team is great and the most pleasing thing for me is when we came under that bit of pressure, we were able to hold out.
“That should give us belief and confidence going forward.
“There are so many talented players here. They are young but they’re experienced in terms of the number of games they’ve played, albeit not at this level.
“You can see the ability they’ve got. Last season they were doing it week in, week out in the Championship. The fact they are now able to step up and do it at this level is great credit to them.”