The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Wrong decisions cost us the game, says Wright
St Johnstone’s Stefan Scougall cuts a dejected figure after the Saints were beaten 2-1 by FK Trakai in a Europa League qualifying clash in Perth last night. See report and reaction on
DON’T WRITE SAINTS OFF: Wright continued: “We have to learn from that but the way we got in behind them gives me encouragement.
“We created chances. Blair Alston, Stefan Scougall, Liam Craig and Graham Cummins all had good chances.”
He added: “We are disappointed to lose the game. I think we lost it in the first half even though we had the best chance of the first 45 minutes.
“We started OK but let them have too much time on the ball. We should have been tighter at the first goal.
“It was naive and a lack of communication and responsibility. We let Silenas score a wonder goal but the build-up was total naivety from us.
“I thought we were the better team in the second half and with the opportunities we should have had we scored.
“We made too many wrong decisions in the game.
“Every one to a man in there knows they can play better.”
Stefan Scougall came on as a second half substitute to make his debut and hit
TOMMY WRIGHT
the post as well as producing other moments of class.
Wright said: “Stefan was lively when we got him on the ball, that’s what I expected from him.
“He’s still way short of match fitness because of the break he’s had but I was encouraged by his performance.
“He was unlucky with his shot and put a very good cross in for another chance, so I was very pleased with his performance when he came on.”
Wright dismissed suggestions his side paid the price for a lack of sharpness against a team 16 games into their league campaign.
“I don’t want to single him out, but it doesn’t matter how fit Graham is, he should score from six yards,” he said.
“The keeper’s down early and Blair should lift the ball. I don’t think that’s anything to do with fitness, just poor finishing.”
Trakai manager Oleg Vasilenko said: “The game went really well. They guys played their own football from the first minute to the last.”
We let Silenas score a wonder goal but the build-up was total naivety from us.
ST JOHNSTONE 1 FKTRAKAI2
Learning their lesson from a 2-1 home defeat in the Europa League three years ago was a common theme of Tommy Wright’s pre-match build-up ahead of St Johnstone’s return to Europa League action.
Unfortunately, it was a repeat scoreline against FK Trakai that has left the Perth men with a major recovery job on their hands in an away leg once more.
First-half goals from Maksim Maksimov and Vaidotas Silenas, either side of a Joe Shaughnessy header, will make the Lithuanians strong favourites to progress to the second qualifying round on their artificial pitch next week.
And it will take one of Saints’ best results in Europe to stop that happening against one of the strongest teams they have faced in their five recent campaigns.
There were plenty of team news talking points for Saints fans to absorb as they arrived at the ground.
Zander Clark was preferred to Alan Mannus in goal, Ally Gilchrist was chosen to partner Shaughnessy at centre-back, new signing Stefan Scougall was on the bench and Murray Davidson missed out altogether.
Wright wanted his players to operate at a temp oT rakaiwouldn’ t be accustomed to in their domestic league and they certainly started in a positive fashion.
In the very first minute Brian Easton floated a cross to the back post, which keeper Ignas Plukas made a bit of a mess of. He was a relieved man when his flap didn’t result in the ball falling to a Saints boot.
It quickly became clear though, as suspected, that Trakai were a capable footballing side and on seven minutes a nice move culminated in Valdemar Borovskij crossing into the box where a glancing header from Aliaksandr Bychanok narrowly missed the target.
The visitors had settled into a rhythm and it wasn’t a great surprise when they took the lead on 14 minutes. Nor was it a great surprise that it came from th eT rakai right.
Another ball into the box fro mB orovskij was aimed at Murphy Dorley.
The 18-year-old showed why he is already a Liberian international with a classy dummy that earned his team-mate Maksimov time and space for a side-foot finish that gave Clark no chance.
Things started to get better for Saints midway through the first half.
On 20 minutes Steven MacLean worked the keeper with a well-struck low shot, then three minutes later they earned their first corner. A training ground move saw Liam Craig picked out on the edge of the box but his shot was charged down.
The improvement should have produced a goal shortly before the halfhour mark. A flick by MacLean left Blair Alston with a glorious chance but he shot straight at the keeper. From the rebound Craig then had a go, as did Graham Cummins, who blasted his effort over.
If the Trakai goal had been coming earlier in the match, it was the same when Saints got their equaliser.
Kilmavicius nearly scored an own goal but from the corner he conceded on 32 minutes, his keeper was caught flat-footed and Shaughnessy headed home from virtually on the goal-line.
After the hard work of getting back into the tie, Saints were stunned to go behind again just four minutes later when Silenas found the top corner with a spectacular long-range left-footer.
After the break Paul Paton had his pocket picked by livewire Dorley and he didn’t need a second invitation to burst into the box. The low shot that followed was wide of the post, however.
Wright made a double substitution just after the hour – Scougall and Chris Millar for David Wotherspoon and Paton.
Scougall’s impact was almost an instant one, and his cross teed up Craig who was uncharacteristically wild with his finish. The former Sheffield United playmaker came even closer on 68 minutes when it took a combination of post and keeper to keep out a low 18-yarder.
Trakai appeared to be a team happy to settle for what they’d got but they nearly had another goal to take home when Maksimov’s quick feet deceived Richard Foster and Clark was forced into making a fine save with his feet.
Saints pushed for a late equaliser and a deflected Alston shot went just wide, and then from the corner ago al was disallowed for a foul on the keeper.
Vaidotas Silenas was sent off for a second yellow card after catching Scoug all, and Cum m ins missed the chance of the night – hitting a shot straight at Plukas from six yards.