Time to stand up and be counted, says MacLean

St johnstone: Striker admits Saints are in relegation battle

They have been used to a staple diet of top six finishes, European campaigns and cup runs but St Johnstone now have to show the stomach for a relegation battle, according to striker Steven MacLean.

The Perth side have drifted down the table since beating Rangers at Ibrox and are winless in their last six Premiership matches, losing four in a row.

Three points separate them and second-bottom Hamilton Accies, with Ross County six points behind them.

“We are most certainly involved in a battle against relegation,” said MacLean.

“It is as simple as that. We need to roll the sleeves up and get back to what we used to be good at.

“Our away form this season has been decent and we need to try and pick up points. We have games in hand but there is no use having them if you can’t pick up points.

“Everything is still in our own hands but we need to turn it around sooner or else we will be right in amongst it.

“We need to stand up and be counted. It is in there but is has to come out more often.”

It was a split-personality performance at Motherwell on Tuesday night, the like of which can’t be repeated as far as MacLean is concerned.

“It’s the story of our season,” he said. “We have played well in patches.

“We started the game quite well and had a great chance and at half-time the game was fairly even.

“The second half was unacceptable. We never got started and Motherwell bullied us and ran over the top of us.

“They are a big physical team but they never bullied us in the first half. They showed more energy and fight and it is just not good enough.

“Motherwell did all the simple stuff better than us.”

SNS. Steven MacLean has called on his Saints team-mates to stand up and be counted in fight against relegation.