Mccann eager to see more of Saints’ newest strike pairing

One of them has persistently had his value to the St Johnstone team questioned from afar. The other has endured a character-testing ordeal in a foreign land.

Chris Kane and Guy Melamed haven’t had it easy this season.

But in midweek they struck up an attacking partnership that produced instant rewards.

Team-mate Ali Mccann is thrilled with the fact that two hard-working and dedicated players got some tangible return for their contribution to the Saints cause in the shape of a goal each against Dundee United.

He is also excited about the prospect of what more is to come.

“The two up front were brilliant in the United game,” said Mccann.

“It was even better that they both got on the scoresheet.

“The fans might not see it but the work Kano puts in is incredible in every match. You can’t put a value on what he does for us.

“Kano holds it for us, he battles, runs, presses and wins fouls to get us up the park.

“He does the not so nice stuff in the game and he manages it every time he plays.

“It was great that he got his rewards with his header.

“It was a great ball in from Spoony (David Wotherspoon) and a lovely touch before that from Guy.”

Kane’s story is a well-told one of a ‘player’s player’ finding out that recognition inside a dressing room far outweighs kudos from outside it.

Melamed’s, though, is peculiar to the unprecedented backdrop Scottish Premiership football is getting played against – a mix of selfisolation, loneliness, frustration and hopefully now fulfilment.

From a spinning bike in a local hotel to a sparky performance at Tannadice, Melamed’s journey as a St Johnstone player has been like no other.

“Guy has been brilliant the last few weeks in training,” said Mccann.

“He has put in so much work and I’m glad he got his chance. He is at it every single day in training and doing extra gym work.

“It’s been so tough with him coming over here to a different country by himself and he can’t really do much away from the football.

“No one had any doubt he would put in a good performance when he was named in the team.

“It was great for him to get on the scoresheet. He deserved it for his performance. Hopefully he can kick on now.”

Along with Melamed getting only his second Premiership start, one of the selection plot-lines for Saints at Tannadice was Mccann filling in as a right wing-back.

The Northern Ireland international was out of his comfort zone but you wouldn’t have known it.

“The last time I played wing-back was about three years ago,” said Mccann.

“And it was on the left that day. You’re not involved as much as in midfield where you get plenty of short-sharp battles.

“You can take a breather, which you can’t really do when you’re in the middle.

“The way I look at it is I’d rather play out of position than not at all.

“If the manager thinks I can do a job out there then I’m happy to do it. I’ll do whatever he wants me to do.

“It was different but it was still enjoyable.”

One of the recent trends at the top end of football has been the growing influence of wing-backs as a creative focal point. And it has reached Perth.

“The role has become more important,” said Mccann.

“Look at Liverpool – (Trent) Alexander-arnold and (Andy) Robertson have had the most assists in the Premier League over the last couple of years.

“Wing-backs are definitely more involved in the game than in the past.

“You can see how important they are for us here.

“Danny (Mcnamara) was a big part of our team before he left and it’s the same on the other side with Scott (Tanser) and Boothy (Callum Booth).

“With the system we play we try to utilise the wingbacks as much as we can because they’re a good outlet to help us get up the pitch.

“Midfield is where I see myself going forward in my career but if the manager feels there are other games where he wants me to play there, I’ll be happy to do it.”

It might not have been noticeable to people who haven’t seen Saints play much this season but Mccann has been showing central midfield versatility under Callum Davidson.

“I’ve played a few different roles in midfield this season,” he said.

“I was further forward in the Dunfermline game, I’ve been holding a couple of times and I’ve played in a two and a three.

“It’s a challenge but you need to be able to do it as a modern-day midfielder.

“There are different demands to each of them but I enjoy them all.”

Mccann is likely to be back in a familiar position against St Mirren today for a match that has a real crossroads feel about it.

“It’s a massive game for us,” Mccann admitted.

“Taking three points off them would hopefully be the start of us challenging for the top six again and opening up a gap on teams below us, which is what we need to do.

“The last three games are all ones in which we could have taken three points from rather than draw.

“That’s disappointing but we just need to keep plugging away and turn these draws into wins.

“There’s belief in the squad. We have been playing well and we are creating plenty of chances.

“But we have to be extra clinical and grind out results when we do get ahead to ensure we get the three points we need.”