ST JOHNSTONE IN EUROPE Keep it clean
Foster warns team-mates that a shut-out at home toTrakai will be crucial to Saints’hopes of progressing in Europa League
Foster admits it’s key Saints don’t lose a goal at home to FK Trakai Richard Foster has plenty of European experience — and he knows how important a home clean sheet will be next week.
Lithuanians FK Trakai are the visitors to McDiarmid Park on Thursday for the first round of Europa League qualifying.
And Saints will hope to know more about their opponents when management staff run the rule over them this weekend.
But, regardless, full-back Foster has highlighted the importance of keeping it tight at the back in Perth and taking a positive result to the away leg.
Foster said: “We’ll be sizing each other up in the first leg, especially the first 20 minutes or so. It will be important that we don’t lose an away goal.
“If we go over there having not conceded, we’ll know that one goal can take us through. They don’t score many and don’t concede many — probably pretty similar to us.
“I would expect it to be a close game and hopefully we can just come out on top.
“The manager being able to watch them could be very important. There’s limited time.
“Maybe they’ll expect us to be scouting them on Sunday, so they might use tactics to throw us off. You have to be prepared for that as well.
“The manager will get us ready as well as he can but once the whistle goes, it’s up to us on the pitch to see problems and work them out.
“We’ve got an experienced team. You have to be able to react. During a game the manager is limited in what he can do.
“It is a big ask for us as well as the manager in terms of preparation.
“We were all huddled round a couple of
Foster faced Valencia in the Champions League while at Rangers phones trying to watch the draw. There was a real buzz.
“European football is different. It is exciting. I’ve played 13 seasons in Scotland, so I’ve seen and played against most of the players up here.”
Foster has competed in Europe with Aberdeen, Rangers and Scotland Under21s. But a trip to Lithuania is a first.
The last Scottish club side to face Lithuanian opposition were Rangers in 2008, when the Glasgow side were knocked out of the Champions League by FBK Kaunas.
“This is a chance to go to a bit of the world I haven’t been to and sample a different atmosphere. It will be a great experience,” said Foster.
“I’ve been to Moldova with the Scotland Under-21s but not Lithuania.
“There were a couple of seasons when there were a lot of Lithuanian players at Hearts.
“They were all very technically gifted. The wide players were quick. You always got a tough game.
“They had that European thing about
going down too easily and time wasting but they were good players.
“This team are third in their league. They’re well into their season and I’m sure they’ll pose us a few problems.
“The problem we have in this country is we think we should be beating Lithuanian teams. Who are we to judge?
“Yes, Rangers should have beaten Kaunas back in 2008 if you look at the size of the clubs, but these teams are no mugs and deserve respect.
“They’re well organised and technically good. It will be pretty warm and it’ll be an artificial pitch we won’t be used to. It’s a difficult tie.”
The Perth squad has been warming up nicely for the European test with a 3-0 behind -closed-doors friendly win against The New Saints on Tuesday.
It was the club’s first game of pre-season and gave recent signing Stefan Scougall some action.
Foster added:“We know what we are. We’re hard-working and well organised. Everybody fights for each other. That always gives you a chance.
“When you lose a player like Danny Swanson, it’s very difficult to replace him.
“He gave us something a bit different. He could always find a pass, a cross or a goal to win us the game.
“Hopefully we’ve got someone in Stefan who can fill his shoes.”
Manager Tommy Wright was planning to make a decision on trialist James Dayton, previously of Kilmarnock and St Mirren, by the end of this week.