Saints lost, but Wright’s winning war with McCann
His team lost the battle.
But Tommy Wright reckons he is winning the war in his spat with Neil McCann.
St Johnstone gaffer Wright was raging after his team coughed up a last gasp winner to Dundee in yesterday’s Tayside tussle.
Heaving learned on the eve of the game that he would not be welcomed into McCann’s office, defeat was particularly unwelcome.
But Wright insists M cC ann’ s comments have cast only one of the pair in a bad light.
“I haven’t spoken to him,” he said.
“I think the messages and the support I’ve received – and what’s being said on social media – shows there’s only one person coming out of it not looking great. “It certainly isn’t me.” Wright’s defence didn’t come out of the game looking particularly good either, and the Saints boss insisted their sloppiness had cost his side at least a point.
“You can’t defend like that in the first two minutes and you can’t defend like that in the last two minutes – that’s what cost us the game,” he said.
“The second one would keep you awake at night.
“It’s a punt from just inside their half and everybody, collectively, should deal with it – it’s a straight ball down the pitch.
“That’s why we’ve lost the game because I thought we did well. Easily we were the better side. We were under no pressure at all from them except for two punts in the box.
“It typifies some of the goals we’ve conceded this season and we have to take responsibility.”
Neil McCann, meanwhile, was in no mood to talk about his opposite number.
Asked whether victory was particularly sweet given the history between the sides, he said: “I don’t really care about that.
“It’s irrelevant. We’ve beaten St Johnstone three times now this season.
“This one is the most important one because it’s in the split.
“It’s a huge three points for us and it lets us build on it now.”
Pressed on his row with Wright, McCann said: “I’m not talking any more about Tommy Wright. What a win it was today.”
His assessment of the result was spot on.
With Partick Thistle winning, the Dark Blues needed three points to maintain their lead over the 11th placed Jags.
They dug deep to get it at the death, leaving McCann visibly delighted.
“It was a brilliant victory,” he said.
“When they equalised I just thought it was going to be one of those days.
“But then it’s a great ball from Cammy Kerr and it’s a thunderous header from big Moussa.”