We have to get our heads down
Defender says Saints must up momentum
F r u s t r a ted Adam Eckersley admits St Mirren need to up their game to stand any chance of victory against Inverness this Saturday.
The Englishman conceded that Saints weren’t at their best at the weekend, despite booking their spot in the next round of the Irn-Bru Cup.
Gavin Reilly’s double and John Sutton’s late header sealed a 3-1 win over Hearts Colts, but Eckersley was unimpressed by the manner of the win.
The 31-year-old told Express Sport : “Saturday is a funny one. I don’t really know how to take it.
“We are at the races most games and hopefully we are at the races again this weekend and our attitudes will be much better.
“It is good to get the win and it is good to get through to the next round but momentum is a funny one because I don’t think we played with any momentum.
“I’m not so sure we can call it momentum.
“I think as a team we went into that game looking like we were sucked of motivation even though we prepared the same way we do for any game.
“We just didn’t seem like ourselves but at the end of the day football is about winning games, and we won so that’s a positive.
“But Inverness will bring a different test. They will come here with everything they have got and we just have to be able to match them.
“We need to get our heads down this week and put in good performances, especially when people are coming to pay to get in.”
Eckerlsey had been a welcome face in the St Mirren squad in recent weeks having missed the majority of pre-season with an Achilles injury.
Slotting into the defence for the clash with Livingston, the former Hearts and Hibs defender insists he is delighted to be back in the fold as Saints continue to run the rule over a new formation which has seen Eckersley play both in a central role and out wide.
He added: “Saturday was another 90 minutes and I can’t complain about that.
“Obviously I was out for a fair amount of time there so the more minutes for me the better.
“It is always an extra string to your bow to go between formations.
“I’ve never really played centre back but I don’t see it as a centre back, more left of a three.
“I enjoy it and it is something I am becoming more comfortable with the more times that I play it.”