Sweet memories for former goal ace Peaso as he joins TV team
Callum’s frustration grows as players keep conceding first goal in games
Callum Davidson cannot quite fathom why St Johnstone continue to fall behind in games – but knows it needs to change.
The Perth men have conceded the first goal in six of their seven Premiership matches, the latest coming in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against Motherwell.
Saints manager Davidson admits it is becoming a frustrating trend and is leaving his players with a mountain to climb in order to pick up a positive result.
Speaking yesterday, he said: “We had a lot of the play but we gave Motherwell a chance to defend by conceding the early goal and that made it difficult for us.
“We have conceded the first goal in six out of the seven games and that’s disappointing because you make it difficult for yourself.
“It’s really frustrating because I think in the main we have defended very well.
“If you look at the games recently, we have limited good teams to very few shots in our box – but we have still conceded the first goal.
“Against Aberdeen and Hibs it was in the last few minutes, against Motherwell it was in the first few – so it’s frustrating.
“It’s hard to put your finger on it, but we need to start getting in front in games because it makes such a big difference.
“Against Motherwell we were not good enough or sharp enough in an attacking sense.
“We are looking at the games we’ve played and working on what we should be doing when we get into those good positions.
“I see signs of improvement but we have to keep going with that, it’s a work in progress.
“We are getting into good positions so once someone starts scoring a few goals it will turn.
“Once we can get in front in a game it changes the whole complexion of things.”
Saints remain in the top six but, after the defeat in North Lanarkshire, only two points separate them from bottom of the pile Motherwell.
Boss Davidson is hopeful of adding further competition to his squad, revealing yesterday that the club is working hard to bring a couple of players in.
He added: “The budget is tight and we have to work under the constraints we’ve got so one or two might be going out to create room.
“We have to maximise what we have. “It has been a good and bad window in that we’ve had a long time to assess what we have and what we need.
“And on the other side of that, it has been so long. So it’s had good and bad points.
“I have a clear idea of what we need, we have a lot of games coming up and we need to make sure there is enough cover in a lot of positions.
“We want to bring people in who can put the players who are starting games under pressure.
“I knew most of the players before I came in but it has given me a chance to look at everyone and make a proper assessment.
“Hopefully we can get a couple in. We have played well but we need to turn the performances into points.”
Peter‘Peaso’MacDonald took a trip down memory lane on Saturday.
The much-loved former striker was on Saints TV commentary duty at a Fir Park venue which continues to hold special memories for him.
He netted a perfect hat-trick for the Perth club against Motherwell back on Boxing Day 2009 and, more than 10 years on, it remains at the forefront of his thinking.
MacDonald told the PA:“It was strange doing the co-commentary for the game on Saturday, chatting about the day I got that hat-trick.
“I still remember us being 1-0 down and coming back to win 3-1. Chris Millar was trying to claim three assists that day but two of them were clearances.
“To score a hat-trick for any club is a great achievement.
“That was actually the first
Sensational Laura Muir’s hot streak of form continued in Berlin over the weekend.
The Milnathort talent improved upon her own 1500m world lead time and has now banked five wins on the bounce.
Muir’s latest exploits again had experts in the running world reaching for the superlatives, clocking a season’s best of 3:57.40.
She finished more than 2.5 seconds clear of fellow Brit Laura Weightman.
A former Kinross High School student, Muir’s German success follows victories in Sweden, France, Poland and the Czech Republic.
She has been unbeaten over 1500m during this short season – including a Diamond League win in Stockholm. hat-trick in the Scottish Premier League that year.
“It was at the Christmas period and all of my family were at the game. It’s a memory that will live with me until the day I die.”
MacDonald spent a decade with the Perth side and helped them return to the top-flight of Scottish football.
He said: “I had a fantastic 10 years. It was a fantastic dressing room with fantastic people around the stadium.
Now that my career has come to an end, I look back with fondness. We had a great squad and I still keep in contact with the majority of them. I was speaking to Goran Stanic on Friday.
“You get a bond in a dressing room that never leaves. You can call on favours through time.
“I just wish I had more of an injury-free run with my time at St Johnstone. I had some horrendous injuries with my knee, then hamstring. I went through the wars, as they say. But I have no regrets and just wish I had a wee bit more luck.”
Having cast an eye over the current crop of Perth players, MacDonald is sure the goals will start to flow. He is backing Stevie May to get on the goal trail and said:“I’m sure he’ll be right at it again in the coming weeks. It’s early days and Saints have had a decent start.
“They just need to turn the 1-0 defeats into 2-1 wins.”