Craig’s still aggrieved at goal that got away
BY GORDON BANNERMAN
IT was 10 years ago but a 4-1 win over Rangers ranks among his career highlights.
But St Johnstone’s Liam Craig still feels sore about having a goal snatched away.
With fellow midfielder Murray Davidson ruled out with a broken arm, Craig is the only survivor of that shock win over Walter Smith’s title winners who will face Gers tomorrow.
He believes Saints should seek inspiration from that upset against a starstudded Ibrox outfit which included Allan McGregor and Steven Davis.
Early strikes from Cillian Sheridan and Chris Millar paved the way, with Craig initially credited with the third before it went down as a Lee McCulloch OG.
Davidson then hit a late fourth and Craig said: “Cilian’s goal is probably the one that stands out. He had that in his locker with the technique he had. The shot actually hit both posts before it went in.
“Midge put us 2-0 up with a huge deflection. I’m still annoyed he got to keep his and I didn’t. Sasa Papac had got them back into the game quickly.
“My header – which I still think should have been given to me – would make it 75 goals in my career. But it hit Lee McCulloch and went in the bottom corner.
“That put us 3-1 up against a very good Rangers team. Then it was about being hard to break down, which that team was.
“Muzz came off the bench to make it 4-1 with a wee half-volley.
“I’m sure it’s a great memory for the fans as well. It was one of those nights you will always remember – certainly me and Midgey scoring in the same game.
“You would have got good odds on us scoring in the same season, never mind the same game!”
BY GAVIN BERRY GARY McALLISTER has warned Alfredo Morelos to clean up his act after talking himself into the book again – and out of the Braga return.
The Colombian, dogged by disciplinary issues during his Rangers career, was shown a yellow card for backchat to Spanish ref Xavier Estrada Fernandez.
He also missed the first three games of this year through suspension and Rangers assistant McAllister insists they will never give up trying to help him.
The striker, who passed up golden chances in the 3-2 win over Braga, will now sit out the match in the Municipal Stadium with left-back Borna Barisic a huge doubt after a blow to his kidneys.
On Morelos, McAllister said: “These moments have to go. He has to rid them from his game. It has happened before, it is a repeat offence.
“We will keep at him and keep nipping his ear. It is something we are continually working with him on and it is frustrating for us as well.
“The lads have spoken to him, all the management staff have to keep at Alfredo. On the flip side he is in front of the goal again and he is still in there getting chances, still in there creating problems. We have to stay with him.”
Team-mate Scott Arfield added: “He has got better with his discipline since last season but he is going to be a huge loss again for something so minimal.
“I have seen so many players do that. There were a couple of players on Thursday who did the same thing as Alfredo when he shouted at the referee, everyone does it.
“We’ll miss him and he is a huge loss but I have seen many players do exactly what he did and not been carded.
“We do speak to him in terms of letting him know how important he is to us but as players we can only take it so far, it’s the manager’s domain to sort that out.
“Everyone writes headlines about Alfredo because of his goals but he is more than that to us. When you lift one over the defenders you know he is going to chase a lost cause, it gets us up the pitch when we need it. So he is more than just goals to us.” Ianis Hagi also underlined his importance to the team with his brace and the Romanian reminds Arfield of former Falkirk team-mate Russell Latapy who was nicknamed the Little Magician.
Arfield said: “I always go back to Russell Latapy. He was about 20 years older than Hagi when I played with him. And he smoked 40 fags more than Hagi!
“He didn’t have much pace, like Hagi. He wasn’t electric in terms of pace but he drops the shoulder and makes things happen. Those are the players I love.”
Arfield hopes the midweek win can help reignite Rangers’ season but admits they face a completely different test at St Johnstone tomorrow.
He said: “The challenge is different but the demand is the same – to win the game. The Braga win could be a pivotal moment in terms of trying to turn the season around.”