Patience is the key for Saints star Cummins

St Johnstone striker Graham Cummins admits he must be patient in his quest to secure more first-team game time.

The Irishman, who has scored one goal in the league this term, has struggled to nail down a place in Tommy Wright’s starting XI.

But the 28-year-old remains upbeat and told the PA: “Sometimes when you’re a sub, you feel like you are totally out of the picture but I don’t feel like that.

“I feel like I’m really involved with the team and, hopefully, I will get a chance soon.

“I had a lot more minutes coming off the bench on Friday than the last few weeks, so that’s a start. You need to be patient.

“All the lads get on well and we know if we don’t work for each other then the team won’t be winning.

“We never let a player get beyond themselves and think he can’t work for this team. That bodes well for us.”

Cummins played 25 minutes in the Kilmarnock win on Friday evening and was inches from doubling Saints’lead, only for home stopper Jamie MacDonald to pull off a spectacular save from a back-post header.

“The goalkeeper turned to me after it and said that he seems to have a great save against me every game,” Cummins joked.

“It’s a great ball in by Blair Alston but, just as it comes in, my eyes get caught in the floodlights and I didn’t even know where the ball was.

“It just hits my head in the end and I didn’t get the connection I wanted on it. But

it’s good to be in there getting chances. You know if you keep creating chances, the goals will come.

“Coming into the game we knew the conditions were difficult but we played them extremely well.

“I don’t think Kilmarnock had a real clear-cut chance and we’ve had a few decent efforts. We deserved to win the game and it’s a good one because it gets us up the table to further the gap between us and seventh.”

Saints will look for a result against Rangers, who visit McDiarmid Park for league action on Wednesday night. Cummins knows how vital it is to continue the feel good factor in Perth.

“The league is crazy and I always say that,” Cummins said. “Last year I remember Partick were fighting relegation and then they almost pipped us for top six.

“It’s still early days and hopefully we can pick up a couple of positive results before the break and then come back stronger.

“It’s going to be a difficult game against Rangers. We know the first thing we need to do is work hard. Concentration will be vital.

“It’s a game we’re confident of getting something from.”