Training is child’s play for Clark

ZANDER CLARK praised the power of repetition after making a crucial save to earn St Johnstone a goalless draw against St Mirren on Wednesday night.

The goalkeeper reacted instinctively to push a deep cross from Jamie McGrath on to a post just as it looked like it would creep into the net.

That kept the game scoreless and made St Johnstone’s task easier to see out the game when Liam Craig was sent off for a second booking.

And Clark revealed it is the sort of move that he practises over and over in training every day. He said: “The cross seemed to evade everyone. Jason Kerr went to head it and I’m not sure if he stumbles or slips. I managed to get a fingertip to it. I thought it was a re-run of the goal we conceded against Celtic last weekend but luckily this time I got something on it.

“That is why I am there, to prevent things like that and stop goals. It’s stuff we work on every day. There are not too many things a goalkeeper can do in training. We can’t go and run. Instead we work on our reactions a lot and thankfully on that occasion I’ve touched the ball onto the post.

“It’s a good bit of fun practising those drills as you get to welly balls off cones and get deflections. It brings out the inner child in you. I’m glad that a couple of saves helped get us the point.”

Clark admitted it was a relief to be back making a solid contribution to the team after a spell of shaky form.

He added: “I know what I’m capable of. Teams and players go through spells when you are not great. It’s good to be back making saves because that is what gives you joy as a goalkeeper.”

Tommy Wright’s men remain four points behind Hibernian with just five games to play before the split. But Clark hasn’t given up on reaching the top six ahead of tomorrow’s home match against Livingston.

“You have got to look at the St Mirren games as a positive result,” he said. “We are a point closer to teams above.”