McGinn: There’s no thrill in the chase

Skipper looks back on eventful year for Saints

Stephen McGinn insists confidence has been building for over a year that St Mirren are on the promotion path.

The Saints skipper reckons the root of the side’s recent rise to the top of the Championship has been 12 months in the making, with the momentum carrying them through from their survival bid last season.

The Paisley side remain 14 points clear at the top of the league, with Livingston’s 0- 0 draw with Dunfermline on Saturday propelling David Hopkin’s side to second spot on goal difference.

However, St Mirren have the opportunity to push further ahead this weekend when they travel to Almondvale to face Livi.

McGinn believes his Saints side are well primed for the rigours of the run-in, and the pressure that comes with it, having had to deal with the strains of remaining among the pack before eventually staying up with a draw at champions, Hibs on the last day of last season.

McGinn said: “It was a lot harder to look at the table last year.

“It was hard when you were looking at the teams above and needing results to go your way. I always go back to last year and the game we won at Queen of the South, Ayr won at Dunfermline and Raith picked up points too, so in situations like that it was really tough. The chase is much harder than getting chased.

“This year it is in our hands and we know it is lovely to look at the table. We know if we win enough games that we will still be there at the end of the season and get to enjoy looking at it more often.

“I knew even on the last day that we weren’t far away. You look at that Hibs team and how well they have done since. There was a real belief as a team and in the manager that if we could keep it all together.

“Our form was right up there with Hibs from this stage last season so we knew we were getting close.

“Getting Cammy Smith back, for example, keeping Kyle Magennis, Lewis Morgan and the mainstay of that team was so important.”

McGinn has enjoyed a successful career both north and south of the border with the likes of Watford and Sheffield United, but admits he has rarely enjoyed his football as much as he does right now.

St Mirren aren’t due to play at home until next week when they welcome Brechin City, but he says the players are already counting down the days.

He added: “I’ve had spells in my career where you can’t buy a win, but it has been the opposite of that since last January.

“Any game we have lost in that time, we have always felt that we have let ourselves down. It is an amazing habit to get into, especially at home.

“The boys love it here, because we win games here.”