Brian’s on way back

Brian Easton admits it’s frustrating having to watch preparation for the new season from the sidelines.

The St Johnstone defender has missed most of pre-season after picking up a calf strain but came off the bench at half-time against Hartlepool United on Saturday.

He said:“When you’re in the physio room and the boys are out playing, it’s really frustrating.

“You just want to get back into it, so it was good to get some minutes in the bag now and hopefully over the next couple of weeks I can get some more before the start of the season.

“I’m hoping to get a full game against Dunfermline U23s. Obviously it will be a younger team but mostly it’s about

getting those 90 minutes and getting the match fitness back up.

“Next week is our last game before the start of the season, so hopefully that will be enough to get us into the shape we need to be in for Kilmarnock away.”

Easton understands the impact a strong pre-season can have on how the team deal with the first few competitive fixtures.

He said:“We’ve been playing really well against some good teams.

The last three games we’ve had three clean sheets and three wins and, after the disappointment in the Europa League, we found ourselves thinking if only we had the chance to play those games beforehand. If we get another couple of good results this week then we can head into the season full of confidence.”

Easton said that despite many rival clubs strengthening over the summer, he is confident the Perth side can retain their top six spot. He added:“Every year it seems as though that looks harder and harder because the league is so strong these days but it has to be our aim.

“That’s our aim every year, and although it might change over the course of the year, we’re hoping to have another season similar to last year.”