SHUTOUT AIM FOR ZANDER Clark hopes to get the better of Griffiths this time
Griffiths netted against Saints in the cup St Johnstone goalkeeper Zander Clark is determined to shutout Celtic and Leigh Griffiths after coming so close last time.
The Perth number one pulled off a number of impressive stops in the recent single goal Betfred Cup defeat at McDiarmid Park.
Griffiths eventually found the back of the net with 83 minutes on the clock to send his side into the semi-final of the competition.
Celtic, who played Red Bull Salzburg in the Europa League last night, return to Perth on Sunday for league action.
Clark is eyeing another solid performance and knows that keeping Griffiths quiet will be key to Saints’ chances of success.
“Leigh Griffiths had a couple of chances that he missed that night and maybe other strikers would let it affect them,” Clark told the PA.
“But he was always hungry to get into the box.
“He’s one of those players that you’re never really sure where he’s going to go.
“He pops into wee pockets of space and is always running off the defenders’ shoulder.
“The boys know that they will need to be concentrated for the full game to try and keep him quiet.
“He is capable of producing a bit of magic from nothing so we’ll need to make sure we limit him to few chances.
“If you give him the half yard, he can create something.
“It’s always good if you can keep a shutout against the top team in the league. That will be my aim, to go and keep a clean sheet.
“I’ll be wanting to keep us in the game as long as I can - and hopefully we can nick something.”
While Clark needs to be on form at his end of the park, home players in the forward department will be hoping to find a ruthless edge.
Saints have lost three games on the bounce - the defeats coming against Celtic in the cup and Rangers and Hearts in the league.
Clear-cut chances have been created and Clark is backing his team-mates to shine this time around.
Clark said: “It was frustrating because the performance that we put in against Celtic was much more pleasing, compared to the Rangers game.
“Much more of the same is going
to be needed and hopefully this time we can take the chances that we create.
“We’ll set out to put in a similar performance.
“But we know we’ll need to be solid again in defence.
“That is not just the back four and myself. It’s everyone all over the park. We need to stick to the jobs we’ve been given.
“It’s always pleasing when you are making saves. The frustrating thing is when you are making those saves then don’t come away with a victory.
“You want to do your best for the team and try get the win. If I can put in another performance again this weekend, then who knows.
“As I said, it’s about taking the chances when they come. If we do that, hopefully it will be a much better feeling after the game.”
Kick-off at McDiarmid Park on Sunday is 3.30pm.