The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Saints move on from Gers defeat
Mannus aggrieved over decisions – but focus is now on Accies
St Johnstone’s defeat to Rangers will be boxed off, with the Perth men determined to make sure that it gets sandwiched by crucial wins against bottom half of the table teams.
Goalkeeper Alan Mannus was aggrieved at the penalty decision awarded against him in midweek which set in motion the Ibrox side’s 4-1 victory at McDiarmid Park – and Saints weren’t too pleased at the free-kick given against them for their third goal either.
But focus will switch straight away to the visit of Hamilton Accies on Saturday.
And if Saints can produce the sort of performance that saw them run out comfortable winners against Ross County, it will go down as a very successful week, with clear blue water put between them and the relegation play-off position.
“All we can do now is go into Saturday and it’s a massive game for us,” said the Northern Irishman.
“We know we’ll have to start the game better and do better in the first half than we were against Rangers but it’s a huge game for us and Hamilton are going to be up for it. So we need to be ready.”
Mannus continued: “The last two games (before Rangers) we’ve been really good and defensively we haven’t given away a lot of chances. And we’ve created chances ourselves.
“We need to get back to doing what we did on Saturday and also what we did against Celtic as well.
“In the first half (on Tuesday night) we weren’t good enough. We were disappointed with that and the second half was a bit better. At the end they won 4-1 but they only had one other attempt apart from that.
“So it’s disappointing they’ve taken nearly all the chances they’ve had.”
Rangers’ opener came from the penalty spot after referee Steven McLean ruled that Mannus had brought down Alfredo Morelos in the box.
The Northern Ireland international reflected: “I didn’t think it was a penalty. I felt the ball touch my leg. He’s touched it first and it’s touched my leg and then we’ve gone into each other.
“So for me it’s not a penalty then. What am I meant to do? Just move out of the way for him once it’s touched my leg. We were looking at the replay to see if it was clear that it did touch me. I felt it did after he hit it but we couldn’t see if it was clear on the replay.
“But I was certain it did, so for me as it hit my leg it was a corner and not a penalty.
“I said to the referee that it’s hit my leg after he’s hit it. I don’t know if he couldn’t see it and it wasn’t clear that it did that.
“For me it’s not a penalty and that changes things.”
As for the free-kick award which led to Sean Goss giving Mannus no chance from 20 yards, he noted: “I didn’t clearly see what’s gone on but everyone in our changing room didn’t think it was a free-kick. I’ve not seen a replay but again it’s another decision that’s gone against us.
“The second goal is good play from them but our line was maybe a bit off in terms of trying to play him offside or whatever.
“In saying that, over the course of the first half we still weren’t good enough. But at the same time two of their goals, we feel the penalty wasn’t a penalty and the free-kick wasn’t a free-kick. That takes away two of their goals.”