St Johnstone flew out to Turkey hoping their best would be good enough to live with Galatasaray.
And they returned to Scotland knowing it.
Last week the Perth side got the result they needed to keep the Europa League third round qualifier alive for the second leg.
Moreover, the 1-1 draw and the manner in which the match played out, has raised hopes that not only can the Turkish giants be matched and contained – they can be knocked out.
On the biggest of European nights at a packed McDiarmid Park, with danger spread across the opposition XI, there’s reassurance to be found for Callum Davidson’s men in what has gone before and what can even be improved upon.
WATCH: Jason Kerr's penalty puts St Johnstone 1-0 up 👇 pic.twitter.com/riD4Si0QWE
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) August 5, 2021
“It was a brilliant experience last week,” said Zander Clark. “I loved the atmosphere, being there with everyone against you.
“Even most people back home wrote us off, which is something we thrive on, and we took a lot of positives from it.
“We weathered a storm in the first 15 minutes or so while we got used to the pace of the game and the way they play.
“But once we settled into it I think we caused them problems.
“There are areas where we feel we can get at them so we will look to focus on that and see what we can take advantage of.
“This week when they come here we think it will be similar to over there so the manager, Macca and Alex Cleland have a game plan.
“We have been working on what to do this week and it’s up to us to put it into action now.
“We can go out and play our own game. We did that in the first leg because the aim was to go there and come back with the tie still alive.
“We did that and it’s our turn at home now with a good atmosphere behind us.”
It's time to be #TogetherAgain#SJFC pic.twitter.com/2ta7MJkIFy
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) August 9, 2021
Clark added: “I’m sure the fans will create a real, special atmosphere this week.
“We have belief as a group and if you don’t take self-belief from a performance like that in Turkey then when would you take it?
“Obviously we know it’s going to be very difficult, but with the squad we’ve got, the manager we’ve got and the staff we’ve got – we think we can go toe-to-toe with them.
“We did it last Thursday and we have to do it again this week.”
Galatasaray frustration
The end-of-contest body language of the Galatasaray players showed Clark that Saints had posed the right questions in the Istanbul night to muddle their thinking.
“I don’t know how they were feeling at the end,” he said. “They just walked off the park so that maybe tells you.
“They were getting frustrated. The crowd were getting on their back at times near the end of the game.
“They took a short corner and the place went mental. But that’s credit to us because we wanted to frustrate them.
“With the press we had, we were able to harry them and nick it off them in dangerous areas and it’s just disappointing we didn’t make more of it.
“But we got back here with the tie alive and that was the aim when we went there.”
With Steve Clarke among the McDiarmid Park crowd for Sunday’s draw with Motherwell, Clark’s continuation of last season’s double-winning form should be putting him in with a chance of a Scotland call-up.
“I knew my mum and dad were there on Sunday because I left them tickets but that’s it,” he said.
“It doesn’t matter who was watching, I always just go out and try to do my best.
“If the Scotland manager was at the game there are several St Johnstone players he could have been looking at because we have some great talent.
“At the end of the day, it’s the manager’s decision who he picks. If he doesn’t want to play someone then that’s the way it is.
“All we can do, the lot of us, is concentrate on what we’re doing here and if anything good comes out of that then great.
“If it happens, we’ll take it. If not, we are still focused on what we’re doing here and the big games we’ve got coming up.
“Is this the best form of my career? I don’t know, I had a spell in my first season where I kept 16 or 17 clean sheets.
“I felt back then I was right up there in terms of form.
“It’s early in the season. I’ve started OK but I want to get better and keep the level of performances high.”
