Saint-sational
But defender warns the hard work is still to come
Adam Eckersley struggled to keep his poker face as he buzzed with excitement as St Mirren moved to the top of the table at the weekend.
But the Saints defender insists the side have dealt themselves the best possible hand by getting their season off to a flier, thanks to another win on Saturday.
Three points over Inverness, coupled with a defeat for Dunfermline and a Queen of the South draw sees the Paisley side sit proudly at the league summit – just 12 months since they sunk to the bottom of the table.
But Eckersley reckons the hard work is still to come, despite being the team to beat at this early stage of the campaign.
He said: “It does give you a huge psychological boost when you’re top of the league, but it can also be quite difficult.
“If you’ve ever played poker, then you’ll know how difficult it can be sometimes to be the chip leader.
“It is still a long road to the end of the season. We just want to make sure we are still there at the top when it’s all over and finished.
“If we can continue to show the character and desire we showed in this match, then I think we’ll stay at the top.
“We were rock-bottom of the league in January. The way we fought back has just carried on into this season and there’s definitely a ruthless attitude among the lads.”
St Mirren were made to work hard for their victory at the weekend following a surge of second-half goals from both sides.
When all was said and done, it was the hosts who went up the road happy and Eckersley hopes that the supporters enjoyed a thrilling afternoon of entertainment – even if the players didn’t.
He added: “It must have been quite entertaining for the crowd but not so much for the players because we want to get it wrapped up as soon as possible.
“That’s the way football goes sometimes, so to keep bouncing back, not once but twice, is fantastic – so fair play to the boys.
“We have got a few flair players up there who can really damage teams and we utilise them well. The majority of the time we are defending well then giving them the ball and letting them do the damage and it’s working well.
“That’s what our team is all about this year, we never know when we are beaten.
“And I think that is a massive strength for us this year, because we will keep coming back no matter what the score.
“We have got that winning mentality in training and that’s the least the fans deserve as well.”