ST JOHNSTONE boss Steve Lomas admitted he hasn’t given up hope of seeing Peter Pawlett stay with the Perth club until the end of the season.
But whether or not the winger remains at McDiarmid Park is out of the Saints manager’s hands, as any extension to Pawlett’s loan deal could hinge on Dons midfielder Ryan Fraser’s intentions.
Aberdeen boss Craig Brown has expressed his hope that Fraser will opt to turn down a reported move to Bournemouth this week, but with Pawlett likely to return to Pittodrie if the 18-year-old leaves, Brown is not the only SPL manager keen to see Fraser stay put for the time being.
“Aberdeen have accepted a bid from Bournemouth for Ryan Fraser, so we’ll have to see what happens there because it could impact on Peter’s situation,” Lomas explained.
“If he goes that might change things.
“Obviously, we’d like to keep Peter here, but it’s just going to be a case of wait and see.
“Aberdeen were very kind to allow him to come to us and then extend it by three weeks so he could stay longer.
“So Craig will assess his own options first and then I’ll speak to him about Peter.”
While Pawlett’s spell in Perth has been largely successful so far, Lomas has also been delighted with the performances of midfielder Paddy Cregg this season.
The addition of the former Hibs and Falkirk man may have been seen by many as a gamble when the 26-year-old first signed at the start of the 2012-13 campaign, but the Saints boss reckons Cregg came with a point to prove.
“We know what Padge (Cregg) is all about and it was a no-brainer, especially the position we were in with so many people out, to get him in,” he added.
“I knew what I was getting with him, I spoke to a few people about him and they were all very positive.
“Padge has been good since he came here and unfortunately he injured his hamstring when he was doing really well, but he’s come back and played well.
“I like bringing in players who have had a few knocks in their career because they are coming in hungry to do well.
“It doesn’t always work like that but at the level we’re at, we’ve got to do that.
“Let’s have it right, we’re not going to have a perfect player with a perfect reputation throughout his career because we aren’t going to get them.
“I always like to try and take people at face value because football is a right cynical little world.”
Meanwhile, Courier Sport understands Notts County have cooled their interest in Craig Beattie, after the Saints striker spent a few days training with the English League One side last week.
The 28-year-old didn’t train with the Saints squad yesterday due to illness, and it remains to be seen whether or not Beattie’s future lies in Perth.
“Craig is unfortunately ill,” Lomas continued. “He’s got a sickness bug and a few of the lads have already had it, so we’ve told him to stay away in case it spreads further.”
As for any new faces coming in, Lomas and his management team looked at a number of trialists in a bounce game yesterday but the manager concluded: “I don’t think I’ll be bringing anyone in unless someone leaves.”
csmith@thecourier.co.uk