No sentiment on Swanson substitution
TOMMY WRIGHT last night revealed he didn’t substitute goal hero Danny Swanson to allow him a standing ovation from the St Johnstone supporters when he replaced him with four minutes to go.
The Saints fans were on their feet to applaud Swanson’s contribution and also make the most of his presence before he leaves to join his boyhood heroes Hibernian next month on a free transfer.
Wright stressed: “I don’t do sentiment. Danny was tired, that was the reason why I took him off.
“But he played well today and he goes with my best wishes. He is a fine professional and has given is all. He has a great attitude and has contributed greatly to the success this season.
“We will replace him just as we have in the past when we lost Stevie May and Michael O’Halloran.”
This latest journey into Europe is Wright’s fourth out of five attempts and this one is, perhaps, the sweetest of the lot.
He said: “When I sit back tonight and reflect this one will probably feel the most satisfying as it’s the most recent one. But it’s great for us because we’ve had to overcome a strong Hearts team and they also started the season really well.
“We also had Rangers back in the league this season and that made the fixtures much tougher.
“Also, we have achieved this with two games to spare.
“Listen, we defy the odds time after time. And we don’t get the credit we deserve. But maybe we are fine just doing things under the radar. However, the players should be immensely proud.
“So, we will enjoy this but we will not rest and think the hard work has been done. When we report back for pre-season we go again and we try to raise the standards once again. We need to keep going, keep working hard and keep trying to do better than what we managed in the previous campaign.
“We still have home games to come against Hearts and Rangers and we want to do our very best.
“After that, the players can go away and enjoy their short summer break. They more than deserve a rest.”