Don’t call me Connin’ Quaner
Saints striker tells crusading gaffer Jim there’s no way he dived to win penalty
JIM GOODWIN insisted he won’t ignore his own club when it comes to his crusade against the game’s con men but St Mirren striker Collin Quaner is ready to defend his corner.
The Buddies boss has hit out in recent weeks at players who throw themselves down in the box to win penalties and Saturday’s vital spotkick to beat Ross County has given him cause to look close to home.
Goodwin admitted the Quaner incident was more soft than stonewall as the hitman raced into the penalty area and hit the deck after a brush with County loan star Leo Hjelde.
Staggies gaffer John Hughes hit the roof and claimed the ref was conned but the man involved was adamant he’s no chancer, even if he understands Yogi’s frustration after Jamie McGrath stuck it away.
Quaner said: “If I was a Ross County player I’d be annoyed just in terms of losing the game to a penalty. That’s never nice for any football player. We had the same situation in recent weeks.
“It’s not my job to make the decision if it was a penalty but I’m quite positive going into the box and then there was definitely a contact.
“Then it’s up to the referee to make the decision. It was definitely not a dive.
“In the box, every defender knows these days that everyone has to be careful. I’m positive I got into the box and felt the contact. It’s not my decision to make.
“Our manager is always telling us that if it gets to defending inside the box, you have to be careful not to make any contact because as you see any single, small contact can lead to a penalty.”
That’s one way to look at it but either way it settled a game that looked destined to be a goalless draw thanks to a couple of pieces of heroic goalkeeping. Ross Laidlaw kept out Conor McCarthy’s thumping header in the first half with a brilliant instinctive save.
Jak Alnwick produced a stunning reaction stop in the second to divert Jordan White when he somehow shoved the ball up on to the bar before Stephen Kelly skelped it again seconds later.
There was precious little between the sides apart from those two incidents but the game was swung on the controversial penalty call with just nine minutes to go.
It looked tame to say the least. Quaner would be called cute by some folk.
However Big Yogi would call him something else, as it did seem the Saints sub initiated the contact before going down.
Ross County need every point they can get right now in the fight at the bottom so their anger was
understandable. St Mirren might have looked a bit sheepish at the manner of their victory but it was another huge step towards a remarkable top-six finish in Paisley.
Goodwin’s men need at most just one win from their last two games before the split – with Rangers and Hamilton up next – to secure their spot.
And it would be a stunning achievement considering everything that’s been thrown at Saints this season from covid to constant crock problems.
Even now Goodwin is having to patch up his side to keep it going, with players such as McGrath gritting his teeth to get back and end a brutal February fixture list with a win.
Quaner has been among the injury hit this term and he added: “It definitely was an important win for us. Everybody in the team is really happy.
“For us it was 100 per cent clear that we wanted to get three points against Ross County and there was no other option for us.
To get three points is huge. The lads have been working really hard the whole season to get to where we now are.
“I’ve felt it since I came in. Top six is definitely the main goal for us and that’s what we’re working towards. We’re in a good place.
“For me it was unfortunate to get injured so early but now I’m happy to be back and first of all the team’s main goal of getting to the top six is most important.
“Personally then for me it’s about getting as many minutes as I can on the pitch and try to make as much of an impact as I can.”