Goodwin feels pandemic helped Saints sign Dennis
Syme sets up shop at top in bid to improve on last week
ST MIRREN manager Jim Goodwin says he is delighted to have bolstered his attacking ranks with the addition of Kristian Dennis – and admitted that the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic helped him recruit a player that St Mirren wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise.
Dennis, 30, agreed a twoyear deal with the Paisley club after joining from Notts County on a free transfer on Wednesday afternoon and will be part of the matchday squad for this weekend’s fixture against Ross County.
With a salary cap about to be introduced in England’s lower leagues and many clubs feeling the pinch of the Covid outbreak, Goodwin moved quickly to snap up the bustling centre-forward – and the Irishman believes that other players south of the border may follow suit in order to gain a steady income.
When asked if St Mirren could have afforded their latest acquisition had the pandemic not taken place, Goodwin replied: “We wouldn’t have got him. Notts County are a very big club that has lost its way with a number of relegations.
“They have a great history and big fanbase. Kristian would have been on too much for us to consider.
“But with this salary cap in the lower leagues in England it brings guys like that to the fore for us and makes it more of a level playing field.
“It’s brilliant because it means we can compete with League One and Two clubs in England.
“Finances have always been an issue for clubs in Scotland. We’ve always been a few hundred quid short here and there whereas now if you’ve got the chance to play League Two in England for the same money as the Premiership here, if you’ve got any ambition you want to play at the highest level.
“The Scottish Premiership is much higher than League One and Two and thankfully that’s why we can get the likes of Kristian.”
The signing of Dennis may have been a somewhat opportunistic one for St Mirren, but Goodwin is confident that the forward will be able to make the step up to top-flight football from England’s non-league.
The Saints boss pointed to Dennis’ physicality as evidence that his new recruit will be able to adjust to life in the Premiership, and pointed out that other strikers have followed a similar path in recent years and gone on to be successful at their new clubs.
“Coming from the lower leagues he’s played in down south, he needs to be physically strong to be successful down there,” Goodwin explained.
“We have good energy in our team. [Jon] Obika is a good target man, we have good young midfielders and we needed that final piece of the jigsaw which is someone who’s proven in front of goal.
“I don’t care what level you’re playing at, if you score goals in the fourth and fifth tiers of England, then you will score goals in the Scottish Premiership. We’ve had numerous examples of that over the years in Scotland.
“[Sam] Cosgrove at Aberdeen couldn’t get in the Carlisle team two years ago and now he’s one of the top scorers in our league. Lyndon Dykes was at Queen of the South in the Championship and has got a move to the Championship in England. Then there are Lawrence Shankland and Kevin Nisbet who have proved they can score goals at the lower levels.
“If you’ve got a habit of being in the right position in front of goal you don’t lose that knack.
“It’s very hard to coach that. These guys have an instinct and read the game well. Finishing comes naturally to some guys and is why they demand top dollar.”
SCOTLAND’S Connor Syme played himself into contention to make up for last week’s near miss at Celtic Manor with an opening 66 at the same venue in the ISPS Handa Wales Open.
Syme carded seven birdies and two bogeys to claim a share of the lead with England’s Jordan
Smith on five under par, with Robert MacIntyre, Sebastian Soderberg, Callum Shinkwin and Kurt Kitayama sharing third place on three under.
Syme held a one-shot lead after 54 holes of the Celtic Classic but had to settle for a share of third place following a final round of 71 which was compiled either side of a twohour lightning delay.
“We were thinking a little bit about how they might change the golf course but the wind has certainly done that for us – a completely different direction and a lot stronger,” the 25-year-old said. “It was a good round, I had to plan my way around differently but I did that and holed a few nice putts which was a bonus.
“I took a lot of confidence from last week. It was a new experience for me having a 54hole lead and I really enjoyed it. I’m trying to get back into those positions as much as I can.
“It’s a long way to go and I think tomorrow is going to be a tough day [with bad weather].”
Asked how valuable his experience of last week could prove, Syme added: “Massively. You never really know how you’re going to handle it all until you’re in those situations, sleeping a little bit different on a lead was obviously new.
“Having won on the Challenge Tour has definitely helped me.”