We can knock Dundee Utd out of title race: Magennis

St Mirren midfielder Kyle Magennis insists his side are gunning to knock Dundee United out of the title race this Friday.

Saints head to Tayside on Friday night in a clash that has taken on increased importance for Csaba Laszlo’s side following their defeat to Livingston over the weekend.

And Magennis believes that a win for the Buddies at Tannadice would end all hopes of United winning the Championship.

That would leave the title wrangle to between just Saints and Livi – but Magennis is adamant that the Buddies have what it takes to see the season through at the league summit.

Magennis said: “It is a massive game on Friday night and I think if we take the three points off them, then Dundee United are out the title race.

“That would leave it down to just us and Livingston – and I believe 100 per cent that we are a better side than Livingston – to go and win the league.

“People should not judge us on the game at Livingston last week. That was just a bad day at the office all-round.

“We beat them 3-1 in the past two games before that and I think when we play them at home, we will beat them again.

“If you were to tell us at the start of the season that we would be 11 points clear with this amount of games to go then everyone would have taken it.”

The midfielder struck the only goal of the game at the weekend as St Mirren came out 1-0 winners in their clash with Brechin City.

His goal, a free-kick, appeared to find the net via the back of Brechin keeper Patrick O’Neil.

But Magennis says he is claiming it as he is the last player, who has been at the club all season, to find the back of the net.

He added: “I’m claiming anyway. I’ve been hitting a few in training over the past few weeks, so it was just nice to see it in there.

“It doesn’t really matter how it goes in, so as long as St Mirren get the points, I’m happy.

“The boys will be trying to take it off me because I am the only one who hasn’t scored this season, so I’ll take it.

“It’s almost like Harry Davis did it deliberately when he hit a penalty last week. But to be fair to him, he has taken a good few penalties in his career. I don’t think it was anything to do with leaving me out.”