Bring on Rovers
Eckersley can’t wait to put his red card misery behind him on Saturday
Adam Eckersley is still adament he shouldn’t have been sent off at Dunfermline – but he is ready to put that disappointment behind him.
The Englishman was shown a red card following an altercation with The Pars’ Aaron Splaine in the closing minutes of the clash at East End Park on September 16.
St Mirren decided to appeal Craig Thomson’s decision, but it was dismissed, forcing the full back to sit out of their last two matches.
The experienced defender is set to return to the squad for the clash with Raith on Saturday and he insists he can’t wait to get back in action.
Eckersley told Express Sport: “I still don’t think it was a red card. To get a two-game ban as well, after we appealed it – that was a tough one.
“I saw worse fouls than the one I got a red card for.
“Players in the penalty box were grabbing each other and throwing each other to the ground. It was happening all through game and no cards were dished out. So I think I was hard done by.
“But it is out of the way now and I am fully focused on getting back out there. I’m looking forward to getting back out there this weekend.
“We got to the final of this tournament last year and it was a competition that served us well.
“This run means that we aren’t going weekends without games, despite the international break, so we are in training and it keeps us all sharp.
“Hopefully, that will be reflected in some of the games we have played, and the game this weekend.”
Eckersley watched from the stands as Saints made hard work of Brechin City at the weekend.
He admits that the Buddies weren’t at their best over the 90 minutes but revealed the side has discussed a need to improve – despite finding themselves top of the league at this early stage of the season.
He added: “By our standards, it wasn’t pretty. Obviously I wasn’t playing at the weekend, but from where I was sitting it wasn’t our best.
“From the conversations we have had as a team this week, we know we have to be better than that. But the most important thing was the three points ahead of going into the international break.
“We are top of the league and that can only be seen as a bonus.
“The team has been winning, but we have a big squad and it gives the manager the chance to rotate the team.
“It means he can keep the lads fresh, and we will all have an opportunity at some point to show what we can do.”