Wright: Time we cash in on clean sheet run &

TOMMY WRIGHT hopes his winter of discontent has finally thawed after Saints kept up a month of shutouts.

Ali McCann buried his side’s sole shot on target for his first St Johnstone goal with 10 minutes of a Boxing Day borefest left.

A run of four clean sheets in a row has helped lift them up to ninth spot with not a single goal shipped in December.

Now seven points clear of cut-adrift Hearts, McDiarmid Park boss Wright is adamant it is onwards and upwards.

He said: “We’re absolutely delighted to get three points and another clean sheet.

“We now have an opportunity to get through the 20-point barrier against Ross County on Sunday. If we can win, that will finish the year off pretty well.

“We had a bit of a disaster in terms of the start of the campaign but we seem to be turning that around.

“If you keep clean sheets you always have a chance to win. At home we want to take the game to Ross County and have a

GORDON PARKS REPORTS massive opportunity to move up a place and get to 22 points. Six weeks ago, nobody probably gave us any chance of doing that.

“To be fair to the players and staff, we never get too down. We know we’re not out of it and still have a lot of work to do.

“But it’s always important that you are positive. If the players sense any negativity from the manager, you can be in trouble.”

Chris Kane had missed Saints’ last two games and should have marked his return by hitting the target with a fifth-minute header. Down the other end, George Oakley was similarly wasteful with a snapshot from 18 yards that flew wide.

A lively Mickel Miller had fed Oakley then rattled a shot of his own over from the edge of the box. The blood and thunder,