GOAL CELE WAS WRIGHT LAUGH
ST JOHNSTONE TRIBUTE ACT Tony: I wasn’t thanking the gaffer
We’ll just kid on I was going towards somebody – anybody TONY WATT
ST JOHNSTONE striker Tony Watt thanked Tommy Wright for sticking by him during a barren spell in front of goal.
But he jokingly laughed off claims that his celebrations after netting the winner against St Mirren on Boxing Day were for the manager.
Watt’s late header was enough to see off the Buddies in Paisley and earn him his first goal since August.
The former Celtic hitman marked the moment by sprinting towards the dugout but was mortified at the idea he was running to thank Wright and the rest of the Saints coaches.
When asked if his celebration was a tribute to his boss, Watt said: “No, I can’t say that! I just didn’t know what to do with myself.
“The boys have been hammering me because they have been saying I was going towards the manager but we’ll just kid on I was going towards somebody – anybody.
“Our fans were at the other side of the pitch so I didn’t want to goad the St Mirren supporters.
“When you score it’s a good feeling if you are doing it every week but when you score a 90th-minute winner after a long time without a goal it feels even better.
“The manager has been brilliant since I came in and has given me confidence.
“He has been telling me that even if I am not scoring I am doing well and that’s a plus point. I have been trying to improve my all-round game and hopefully I can do that.
“Before games, the gaffer BY GRAEME MacPHERSON has been saying to me, ‘Just keep doing what you’re doing and I don’t care if you score.’
“Eventually, the goal has come – I have never doubted it would happen.
“In saying that, I will just keep doing what I am doing and it won’t worry me one bit if I don’t score again before the end of the season as long as the team keeps up this form.”
Wright and the rest of the coaching staff have been telling Watt to do more of his work in the penalty box and the striker finally listened.
He said: “That’s just the manager. He loves getting on to you and getting the best out of you.
“Obviously, I don’t say anything back because he would go through me but they have all been getting in my ear that I need to get into the box.
“The gaffer, Alan Maybury and Alec Cleland have been saying it for weeks so thankfully I got in there this time and got a goal.”
Watt’s strike made it five away wins on the bounce for St Johnstone, all without conceding.
They will look to make it six in a row against Dundee tomorrow afternoon.
And Watt said: “We have a habit of scoring late goals this season. We were gutted not to take anything off Rangers but we made up for that.
“We have three points over the two games and if we can add to that against Dundee, we will be going into the second half of the season on a successful run.”