Fowler aware of the pitfalls as St Mirren go to Brechin in search of title

By St Mirren assistant manager James Fowler knows that terrific stories could unfold at Glebe Park when the Paisley side take on Brechin City this afternoon but he also knows that one of those stories does not have a happy ending.

More than 2,000 fans of Jack Ross’s side are heading to Angus where a win over their already relegated hosts would see St Mirren win the Championship should Renfrewshire rivals Morton not lose at second-placed Livingston.

Fowler, pictured, said: “You cannot tell the players not to think about what could happen and what could be achieved because they will. Therefore all you can ask for is a performance at the right level and we have tried to make everything business as usual to get one.

“This will be a tough game as every game with Brechin this season has been tight. They can play without any pressure and their players have the incentive of trying to secure a contract for next season.” Fowler added: “Even if we win there may not be anything to get over-excited about as Livingston could get the result they want against Morton. However, we are also aware that we could end up with egg on our face. We are facing a team that knowthattheyaregoingdown and have not won a game but it would be a great footballing story if they beat us and stopped us winning a league at their place. That will be the picture their manager Darren Dods is painting.”

Dods reckons that his side have been using “bows and arrows” against teams equipped with “machine guns” this season but he is hoping that St Mirren have run out of bullets.

Dods said: “It has been a tough season for us where we have found the demands placed on the squad difficult. When we played Inverness Caledonian Thistle in midweek, we had to go with the same players minus the suspended Sean Crighton whereas they made five changes.

“That is what I mean by bows and arrows against machine guns. We are now facing the side with the biggest artillery and it is my job to lift everyone for it.”

To add to Brechin’s woes, Paul Mclean will miss out after an appeal against his sending off at Falkirk last weekend was unsuccessful.