Sad Saints pay for lack of cutting edge

But defiant Swanson still believes team have what it takes to get top six spot

LIVINGSTON 3 ST JOHNSTONE 1

St Johnstone playmaker Danny Swanson is adamant that Saints can still mount a late charge for the Premiership top six – despite their winless run stretching to nine games on Saturday.

The Perth outfit surrendered Joe Shaughnessy’s 14th minute strike to fall to a 3-1 defeat at Livingston, a result that leaves Tommy Wright’s side four points adrift of sixth place Hibs with as many games left before the split.

Shaughnessy’s effort from six yards from a Sean Goss corner accounted for only two shots on target from the visitors and a lack of cutting edge, particularly in the second half after going behind, was a source of frustration for manager Tommy Wright.

The outcome could have been different had Saints substitute Tony Watt converted Richard Foster’s cross in the 89th minute when the score was 2-1, the striker somehow firing over with the goal at his mercy.

Former Dundee United winger Swanson, however, is determined not to allow their season to peter out.

He said: “The manager said before the game, ‘Do you want it to be Rangers or Celtic or back here?’

“Obviously you want to play in the big games, but we’ve kind of let it slip a little bit, although it’s not over yet.

“We’ve got St Mirren in the next game and we need three points from that. We need to win every game now, really.

“We’ve beaten the other teams before so we’ll need to do it again.

“It’s hard at the moment, it’s been a hard run of games. No disrespect to Livi, though, but we should be coming here and winning games.

“The boys are confident, you can see it at training and stuff, but obviously the more goals you lose it does get tougher.”

Despite taking the lead, Swanson admits Saints got what they deserved in West Lothian.

He added: “To be honest with you, we didn’t do enough. It was ugly, it wasn’t nice, but you’ve got to win these games and we probably didn’t deserve much from it.

“I’ve said it before though, this is the best St Johnstone squad I’ve played with and we have got the ability to do it.

“But old St Johnstone teams I’ve played in wouldn’t have come here and lost as many second balls as we did.

“We’re trying to play nice football, but here we didn’t – I don’t really think we did anything, to be honest.

“There was no lack of effort, we obviously tried, but it wasn’t our day.”

Lions captain Craig Halkett voided Shaughnessy’s goal seven minutes before the break when he headed in Alan Lithgow’s cross.

Craig Sibbald then nodded in a Scott Robinson delivery 42 seconds after the interval.

Scott Pittman finally notched a third in stoppage time just moments after Watt had wasted a great chance.”

Saints boss Wright admitted Watt held his hands up after the match for failing to score at a crucial point in the game.

He said: “Tony’s chance is a big one. “He’s obviously gutted and he’s apologised.

“You don’t miss them deliberately but it’s the best chance of the game.

“It’s a bad run. We’ve been here before and it’s not nice but we’ve caused it ourselves. We’ve got to learn to defend better.

“I’ve asked the players where do they want to play their last five games.

“For parts of the game they showed me they want to be a top six side.

“But that bad spell has killed us and then we didn’t show enough urgency. We didn’t create enough opportunities.”

Livingston manager Gary Holt, who celebrated his 46th birthday on Saturday, said: “It’s a nice present and I asked them for it before the game.

“I asked them for three points.

“We pride ourselves on clean sheets and not giving goals away but I said I’d rather take three points.

“It’s always more satisfying when you have to come from behind to do it. It shows character, resilience and everything what we’re about.”

Livingston are a point behind Saints in ninth place but are effectively safe in the top-flight after moving 19 points clear of the relegation zone.

Holt, however, is refusing to accept that it is mission accomplished.

He said: “We were relegation favourites at the start of the season and it is not a naivety or negative to think like that.

“We don’t want to focus on being safe already and the season peters out because a malaise sets in.

“We can still get top six and still catch the teams above us and that is our aim.

“I ain’t going to stand here and say we are safe until it is mathematically possible.”

It’s a bad run. We’ve been here before and it’s not nice but we’ve caused it ourselves. TOMMY WRIGHT

Danny Swanson still fancies Saints’ chances.