SHOTS & CROSSES

Boss urges Saints to be more clinical in front of goal and hails‘ top target’ winger’ s delivery into the box up there with best in league

St Mirren gaffer Jim Goodwin says Scott Tanser was a top target for the club in the summer.

And he believes his early performances in Paisley have underlined why that was the case.

Saints face Tanser’s former side St Johnstone tomorrow as they look to get back to winning ways after two defeats in the last three.

And Goodwin believes that’s possible, but he knows how hard it will be.

Blackpool-born Tanser, 27, signed a one year deal with

Goodwin (below) in June.

The manager said: “We didn’t think we were going to get him at one point because he had a bit of interest from down south and Callum Davidson was desperate to keep him at St Johnstone too.

“Losing Ilkay Durmus was a big blow to us in the summer, so we had to find an adequate replacement.

“Tanser was one of the best left wing-backs in the country.

“His delivery, in my opinion, is as good as anyone I’ve seen in the Scottish Premiership over the years.

“He’s got one thing in his mind when he receives it, which is to get a good touch and get a ball in the box.

“He’s been a pleasure to work with up to now.

“He’s always available, a good athlete with good energy levels and he carries a real attacking threat which is massive.

“He’ll be looking forward to going back to Perth tomorrow and I’m sure he’ll get a decent reception.’

Goodwin has been in football long enough to understand how quickly momentum can swing.

So he’s not panicking after earning only one point from the last three games, having being unbeaten in the previous six Scottish Premiership matches.

Instead he’s focused on making his side more clinical in front of goal in future games.

Goodwin continued: “I don’t think it will be difficult. A week is a long time in football, especially when you’ve got three games. Football is a strange game. Prior to Rangers, we were unbeaten in six, we’d won three in a row and everyone was flying.

“Now we’ve lost two of our last three and all of a sudden people are asking questions again. That’s the life of being a football manager.

“You’re two wins away from being a great manager and two away from a crisis. Unfortunately that’s just the life we lead.

“In terms of performance levels, although results didn’t go our way I thought we were excellent against Rangers and should have taken something from the game had it not been for giving away a penalty and a really stupid second goal.

“And Saturday was one of those games, unfortunately.

“For all the trying and balls we put in the box, it just wasn’t falling for us and it certainly wasn’t due to a lack of commitment

“Unfortunately, sometimes in football things just don’t go the way you want them to go.

“The most difficult thing in the game is to put the ball in the back of the net and that’s what we’ve been working hard on this week.”