Full back Brian Easton insists that the prospect of lifting a second successive Scottish Cup is all the incentive the St Johnstone lads need ahead of today’s trip to Palmerston.
Saints continue their trophy defence in Dumfries this afternoon against a confident Queen of the South side who will fancy their chances of causing an upset.
But having had the taste of what it was like to win silverware last term, Easton and his team-mates are hell-bent on making it to this year’s Hampden showpiece for a chance to do it all again.
“There is more focus on us this season being the holders, but that’s something we have to cope with,” Easton commented.
“Last season we went under the radar and it wasn’t until the final that people even gave a thought that we could win it.
“All the talk up to the semis was that it would be an Aberdeen v Dundee United final.
“And on the day, most people expected United to beat us.
“So we were pretty unnoticed in the competition last season and that suited us.
“We don’t have that in our favour this season, but even now people don’t think we’re going to win it again.
“So there’s no pressure on us in that regard, all we’re looking at is this game and getting through if we can.
“Everyone remembers the final and what the weekend was like.
“For most of us it was the biggest achievement of our careers so far.
“That’s a huge motivation because we want to experience that again.
“Winning the cup last season has given us confidence, why can’t we win it again?
“But that’s miles off, because if we’re not 100% focused on Queens then they’ll turn us over.”
That will be music to the ears of Saints fans concerned that today’s game could be a potential banana skin, and Easton admits that the players know they will have to be switched on from the first whistle.
“We know this is one of the toughest ties we could have been given,” he continued.
“Queen of the South have been flying at the moment and with our goalkeeper Zander Clark on loan there, all our lads keep an eye on their results anyway.
“They’re a good side, they have a lot of experienced players as well as impressive younger ones.
“You’d usually look for a tie against a lower league opponent, but when they came out of the hat we knew it was a really tough one.
“We’ve played Championship teams in the past and have done well against them, but for that to continue we’ll need to be at our best.
“It’s all about focusing properly and doing what it takes to get into the next round.
“It’s a good thing that we know how hard it’s going to be and that we’re expecting a real battle.
“We’re not the kind of team to underestimate someone anyway and all the lads will be ready for it.
“I’ve played at Palmerston before, it’s a really hard place to go because it’s a tight ground and a lot of good teams have been beaten there in the past.
“You just have to look at what they did to Rangers earlier in the season to see it’s going to be a fight.
“Zander can’t play because of the terms of his loan and that’s a bonus for us because he’s a very good keeper.
“He’s not said much about the game so far because he trains with Queens most of the time.
“But I’m sure they’ll be going into the game with confidence and be looking to put us out.
“I played with Derek Lyle at Hamilton and he’s a cracking player, he’s scoring goals and is a big player for Queens.
“They have a lot of quality in their team.”
Superstitious Saints fans might well know that Easton has been something of a lucky charm for the Perth side this season, and they have gone on a run of 11 games unbeaten in all competitions in the games the defender has featured in.
Indeed, the 1-0 League Cup defeat to Rangers in October was the last time a Saints team with Easton in it ended up on the losing side.
But Easton concluded: “I didn’t actually know about that because those sort of things don’t really interest me.
“But someone told me about it on Twitter.
“It counts for nothing, really, and it will come to an end eventually.
“The main thing is that it doesn’t happen this weekend.”