All to play for in the Championship dogfight
Ross’s Saints are on the brink of winning unlikely fight for survival
ONE image from St Mirren’s kaleidoscopic season to date stands out above all others. Back in January, shortly after seeing his side slump to the three-goal home defeat to Queen of the South which left them seven points adrift at the foot of the Championship, Jack Ross climbed into the main stand to confront a disgruntled supporter.
The full and frank discussion that took place rather summed up the angst and impending sense of doom engulfing the Paisley club at that moment in time. The walls were closing in.
That day was St Mirren’s 20th league game of the season and just two wins had been recorded. Dropping into the third tier of the Scottish game for the first time since the club’s inception in 1877 seemed about as inevitable as day following night.
For the man tasked with steering the ship to a safer harbour, desperate circumstances called for desperate measures.
No fewer than ten players were signed by Ross in January, with the obvious danger being that by the time they had bedded in the game would be as good as up.
Buoyed by the arrival of, among others, Stephen McGinn, Adam Eckersley and Stelios Demetriou, however, the Paisley side have won seven and drawn four of their 13 matches since the closure of the window.
Were they to leave Easter Road with the point that secures their status tomorrow, the most remarkable metamorphosis of a Scottish football team in living memory will be complete.
‘Did I have a choice? I probably did, to be honest,’ reflected Ross. ‘You could have hid behind it not being your squad and drifted along. I spoke to James (Fowler, assistant manager) at length in the build-up to January and made sure he was on board with what I wanted to do.
‘I think we both acknowledged we were rolling the dice. We were putting our own reputation on the line by making so many changes.
‘The vast majority of what we did was one in, one out, so it was a juggling act. We made big decisions as well because the two players we let go for fees were Jason Naismith and Kyle McAllister, who were arguably our two most influential players. Not only did we change it, but we lost two of our most influential players.
‘Would I like to do it again? Probably not and, even over the summer months, I wouldn’t like to make that many changes.’
Although a trip to Leith on the day that Hibernian are presented with the league trophy is far from ideal, St Mirren have been living on their nerves from virtually the first whistle of the campaign.
They went 14 league games without a win at its outset. At the turn of the year, all hope of a dramatic turnaround looked increasingly forlorn.
When Ross’s side travelled to face Ayr United as early as February 25, they were eight points behind and already deep into must-win territory.
‘The biggest turning point was probably at Somerset (Park) a few months ago,’ recalled Ross. ‘We went down there knowing if we didn’t win the game we would have fallen 11 points behind Ayr. It was a real pressure game and to go there and win 2-0 was huge for us. I think if we had lost that day then it would have been very difficult.’
From that seed of hope being planted, victories over Hibs, Dundee United and Morton were harvested. Last week’s five-goal rout of Raith Rovers allowed Ross’ men to climb above the Fifers with their fate finally in their own hands.
‘Last week was indicative of how they have been for a while now,’ reflected Ross. ‘Sometimes you think it is only the last five or six games but, for half a season, our form has been good.
‘We have a group of players who are high on self-belief at the moment and, for a manager, that is great to have. It means you go into any fixture, home or away, against top or bottom of the league, believing you can get something from the game.
‘There have been some dark days and we would have bitten your hand off for this.’
He needs no one to remind them that they are not there yet, though. There have been setbacks along the way — most notably in defeats at Stark’s Park and Tannadice.
As Hibs prepare to bid a not-so-fond farewell to the Championship after three years, St Mirren would be foolish to consider that the survival script is somehow pre-ordained.
‘They won’t lack motivation, knowing their manager,’ warned Ross. ‘He (Neil Lennon) will be determined to finish the season in the appropriate manner.
‘I think most teams at home on the last day of the season want to go out with a win. It is up to us to try and derail that.
‘Within the dressing room we realise we still have a bit to go.’
Were they to pull it off, they will have set a new standard in Houdini-like escapes.
The relief from all associated with the club would be palpable.
Perhaps more than anyone, however, the man who left Alloa in October to take on this mission would exhale the longest, knowing a potential collision course with his former club in the play-offs was no longer possible.
‘I try not to think about things too much,’ Ross said. ‘If we end up in the play-offs I try just to think about how we will get through it regardless of the opposition.
‘In an ideal world would I prefer not to play them? Of course I would. I signed the vast majority of those players and I am good friends with Jim (Goodwin) as well.
‘I have a close relationship with (chairman) Mike Mulraney, so it is a scenario you would prefer to avoid and I’m sure Jim would say the same.
‘If it happens, you deal with it professionally and, hopefully, I will be going to Alloa’s play-off games as a fan.’