Ouch baby, yeah!
That may well have been the cry from St Johnstone’s very own Austin Powers at Rugby Park on Saturday as he smashed his nose against the back of Kilmarnock player Robbie Muirhead’s head early in the game.
The superhero that he is, however, it would have taken more than a broken nose for Frazer Wright to lose his footballing mojo as Saints marched into the Premiership’s top six thanks to this 1-0 win over Kilmarnock.
Instead, taking inspiration from the spoof spy that he dressed up as on the club’s Christmas night out in Dublin last night, Wright saw the mission through to the end.
Nursing a shapeless blob on the front of your face isn’t the best way to enjoy some festive fun but the central defender is a tough guy as well as being an international man of mystery.
Wright said: “It was the first header I went for and I caught the back of Robbie Muirhead’s head.
“I have broken my nose a few times now but it doesn’t matter and I was happy to play on.
“The last time I did it I had to go off because it wouldn’t stop bleeding but it wasn’t too bad this time.
“I asked the doctor if he could have a stab at fixing it at half-time but I’m fine.
“It was perfect timing – not – just before the lads’ Christmas night out.
“Me and Ando (Steven Anderson) are dressing up as Austin Powers and Dr Evil. We are shaving Ando’s head so I will let you figure out who’s who.”
The victory came courtesy of an 82nd-minute penalty which was driven right up the middle of the goal by striker Brian Graham.
The spotkick was earned by Michael O’Halloran, whose lightning-like pace up the right wing left defender Darryl Westlake trailing.
The home player did get in a challenge but it was deemed to have been illegal by referee Don Robertson and the Perth men grabbed their golden opportunity.
With Dundee losing at Hamilton, the result pushed the Perth men up into sixth spot and Wright is hoping they can stay in the upper half of the table.
“We are back in the top six and hopefully we can stay there and then kick on and close the gap on Hamilton,” he said.
“We are on a good run but we need to keep going because we have also been on a bad run this season,” he said.
“We are now seven unbeaten and I think we deserved to win.
“It was a brilliant turn of pace from Michael for the penalty.
“If he had a brain he would be dangerous but judging by his performances he is beginning to take on board what he is being told.
“Hopefully, he can continue to improve.”
Saints gaffer Tommy Wright was understandably delighted to come away from a tight match with all three points.
“It was an excellent performance,” he said.
“We defended well when we had to, especially at the start of the game, and Alan Mannus made a great save early doors (from Muirhead).
“Our defenders won their headers and as the game went on we got more into it and created more chances.
“I thought we controlled the match in the second half and probably looked the likelelier side to go on and win it.
“In the last 15 minutes the game stretched and we got in behind them.
“We then got the penalty.
“Michael O’Halloran did well with his pace to get in behind and I don’t think there was any doubt it was a penalty.”
Home boss Allan Johnston, whose side have taken only ne point from their last six league games, was rather more downbeat.
He said: “It was a sore one to take.
“Looking at the game overall I don’t we deserved to lose.
“We did enough for at least a draw but we didn’t take our chances.”
The match never quite caught fire on a freezing cold day but the early signs had been encouraging, with just 40 seconds on the clock when Killie almost took the lead.
The ball was nodded on to Muirhead, who lashed a low shot goalwards only for Saints keeper Mannus to save the day by brilliantly palming the shot away.
A freekick from James McFadden caused the Killie defence some problems on 14 minutes then a high ball just wouldn’t land for Anderson as he loitered in the home box.
The Perth club had referee Robertson to thank for stopping Chris Chantler in his tracks as he broke towards goal after Lee Miller had been fouled. Play should have been waved on and, rather predictably, Killie made nothing of the setpiece.
On 23 minutes, David Wotherspoon’s cross from the left reached McFadden, whose volley was blocked.
After a lull in the play, Saints attacked again on 35 minutes through Simon Lappin, who blasted his shot just over the bar.
St Johnstone came close on 37 minutes when Wotherspoon ran forward before playing the ball into the box. It eventually reached McFadden but Killie keeper Craig Samson did well to get down to save.
From the resultant corner, Wotherspoon’s ball over from the right was flicked by McFadden’s heel onto the bar. It was a sublime piece of skill that deserved a goal.
The second half was only four minutes old when there was an injury blow for Saints when McFadden fell to the floor.
It was expected that the Rugby Park artificial pitch wouldn’t suit him, given his injury history, and he was quickly replaced by Lee Croft.
Tope Obadeyi ripped Saints open up the left on 65 minutes but instead of having a go at goal himself he squared and the chance was gone.
On 75 minutes, sub Croft flew down the right wing and when his cross came over Killie keeper Samson fluffed his catch but the ball spun away to safety.
What was a stuffy second period finally livened up when Obadeyi took the ball past Mannus and pulled it behind the inrushing Magennis. It finally reached Slater but he could only shoot over from the edge of the box.
It was Saints, though, who made the breakthrough on 82 minutes from the penalty spot.
A sweeping move up the right saw O’Halloran race clear, only to fall to the floor after being challenged by Westlake. It looked soft but ref Robertson decided it was a foul.
Up stepped Graham to give the visitors the lead with a drive right up the middle of the goal.
Killie sub Rory McKenzie’s shot was well saved by Mannus from close range on 87 minutes as the home team looked for a leveller but the visitors held on to move into the upper half of the table.