The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Robinson relieved as Buddies hold firm to land first win of season
ST MIRREN 1
ROSS COUNTY 0
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson felt his side got what they deserved after beating Ross County to land their first win of the season, having feared it was going to be another “hard-luck story”.
Richard Tait’s superb second-half strike proved the difference between the teams on a stiflingly hot day in Paisley.
Saints had dominated Motherwell on the first day of the league season but ended up losing and Robinson admitted he was worried that another frustrating afternoon was brewing here.
He said: “I thought we thoroughly deserved to win. We created a lot of half-chances, Jonah (Ayunga) hit the post in the first half as well.
“But you’re wondering if it’s going to be another of those days and a hard-luck story again.
“It needed a moment of quality to win it.
“Richard scored a couple of decent goals for me at Motherwell as well.
“He’s technically very good with both feet so it was no real surprise.
“But I thought we were very organised and the boys have got their just rewards for a very good performance today.
“The work rate was incredible.
“In all three games I couldn’t have asked for any more.
“When you’ve got boys like that who are willing to play for the badge – and not the name on the back – then it makes all the difference. And they do that in abundance.
“I think if we’re as organised and disciplined as that then we’re going to be very hard to break down.”
Staggies boss Malky Mackay, meanwhile, reckons his side are learning daily as they seek to get off the mark in the Premiership.
The defeat in Paisley leaves the Dingwall club as the only team yet to get off the mark, with 2-1 and 3-1 losses against Hearts and Celtic coming amid some really encouraging spells.
A slow start on Saturday didn’t help them before a quality strike by Tait earned the hosts their first points of the campaign.
County did raise their levels in the second half, but only managed one shot on target from substitute Kazeem Olaigbe not long after Owura Edwards struck the post.
Manager Mackay, who signed 10 players this summer, says his group can soon make an impact once more after the Staggies finished sixth last season.
He said: “We played a Champions League team (Celtic) and Europa League team (Hearts) in our first two fixtures. But our bread and butter are the games against seven or eight other teams in this league.
“It’s very early in the season and we have to find a way, like everyone else in this league, to ensure we stay in the league and then see what happens after that.
“This is a new group and, for some, it’s their first few weeks playing in the Scottish Premiership.”