Conway: Goal glut for five- star Saints has been a long time coming
MANY had a certain match at Celtic Park tipped for game of the day in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
Others probably had Hamilton v St Johnstone written off as a boring encounter with very few goals – especially considering Saints were without one in their last four league games.
But punters who splashed out the £ 15 to watch the bottom- of- the- table clash were treated to goals galore as Callum Davidson’s men ended up running out the winners at the FOY Stadium.
Both Stevie May and Craig Conway were at the double for the Perth outfit with David Wotherspoon also getting on the scoresheet, while Ronan Hughes and Marios Ogkmpoe got in on the action for the home side.
The visitors looked like a team full of confidence after their 7- 0 victory over Brechin City in the Betfred Cup and winger Conway was delighted to get in amongst the goals.
“We must be exciting to watch!” he said.
“When we went 3- 0 up it wasn’t as if we were thinking, ‘ we can just see this out from here’. We were free- scoring and it felt as if we could get more and win really comfortably. But we don’t make it easy for ourselves.
“For 40 minutes or so we were excellent and well on top but instead, we had to go in at half time only 3- 2 up. Going from 3- 0 to 3- 2 makes you look at things differently in the break.
“We made sure that we still looked upon it as a positive because we couldn’t forget that we were winning.
“Once we got over that initial disappointment of conceding two goals we knew we had something to hang on to and build on in the second half. We knew we would create more chances.
“We were really struggling to score but now we’ve scored 12 in our last two games. It shows what we’ve been saying all along – that we’ve got goals in the squad.
“We’ve thoroughly deserved this turn of fortune. Hopefully we can build on it now.”
Conway’s first rounded off a fine counter- attacking move from Davidson’s team, while his second was a piece of stunning quality as he arrowed a free- kick into the top corner of the net from the edge of the box.
“I’m obviously delighted to
score a couple from a personal point of view but the most important thing was getting the win,” he said.
“I’ve been well overdue a goal. It’s always the same – once you get one things open up for you.
“I’m a bit disappointed I don’t get a hat- trick. I probably should have. Scotty’s [ Tanser] put it over and I should have got a better connection on it.
“I’ll enjoy watching the freekick back on TV. I’d scored, so I was confident. As soon as I saw where the free- kick was I thought, ‘ I’m having it’.
“I knew where I wanted to put it and I felt as if the keeper was showing me a wee bit too much of the goal on that side. When you catch them sweet you know they’re going in.
“You try a lot of them and they don’t come off but when they go in the top corner it’s a brilliant feeling.”
Saints clambered off the foot of the Scottish Premiership table with the victory and for Conway it is now a case of looking up instead of down.
He added: “I’ve spoken a few times and sounded like a broken record by telling you we’ve been playing well. But I’m more than confident that the position we’re in is a false one.
“We should be higher already and we’ll be looking to make sure we keep moving up.
“With the players we have I believe we can be up in the top six but we’ll have to keep showing that, as we did today.”
Despite conceding five goals at home, midfielder Ronan Hughes insists there were still positives to take for Brian Rice’s side.
He said: “I thought we had a poor start, losing the goal so early. It’s a weird one losing five goals at home, we just need to look at the positives today.
“We never gave up, we fought back. We got goals but the mistakes at the back cost us.
“I didn’t start the season the way I wanted, I had a bad injury and was out for about nine weeks or so and I’ve just been trying to get back fit. I’m just happy to get on and help the team.
“Hamilton over the years, we never give up, we keep going till the end. Even when they scored the fourth and fifth we tried to get the ball forward and try and get goals.
“We just need to move on to the next game and try not to make mistakes. We go into every game trying to win three points, that’s what you play football for. You want to win every game possible. We don’t go in fearing anyone.”