FOLEY: ACCIES’ SIT IN LEFT US FUMING
LOAN STAR SAM REVEALS SAINTS’ FRUSTRATIONS
St Mirren midfielder Sam Foley felt having a man advantage against Hamilton made it even harder for them to find a breakthrough goal.
The Accies were sitting in at the Simple Digital Arena on Saturday even before they went down to ten men, when George Oakley saw red for a shoulder barge on Sean McLoughlin.
The 32-year-old midfielder revealed he and his teammates were frustrated they couldn’t find a way to breach the Hamilton defence to seal all three points.
“They came with a game plan, which was obviously to contain,” he said.
“When they had the man sent off, it changed the dynamic of the game totally.
“It’s sometimes more difficult to play against ten men than it is to play against 11. They deny you opportunities and it’s frustrating.
“Frustration is definitely the feeling the in dressing room.
“They denied themselves any attacking opportunities and everyone just defended.
“Fair play, they did that in the end, but we’re disappointed.
“We should have created a little bit more and, if we’d had a bit more rub of the green, we might have scored.”
Foley, who joined on a free transfer after leaving Northampton Town in the summer, almost found the telling strike with just minutes to go.
When it clattered off his own teammate Jonathan Obika, he knew it was going to be one of those days when the Saints just couldn’t get the ball over the line.
He said: “That summed up the afternoon really.
“Big Jon couldn’t do anything about it. “It was going in, but these things happen. “We have to look at ourselves over the 90 minutes.
“We need to create more opportunities and not rely on the fine margins.”
The Saints faithful were left incensed when referee David Munro, who has only officiated a handful of top-flight matches, didn’t award Junior Morias a penalty when he went down in the box in the first half.
Foley refused to lay all the blame at Munro’s door, as the home side had 15 shots in the game, with only two forcing a save.
He added: “I can’t affect what the referee does.
“At one point in the second half, I think he had more touches than me.
“Junior thinks he might have had a penalty, but it’s one of those things.
“We can’t judge ourselves on what the referee does.
“We have to block it out and play the game in front of us.”