Kiltie’s pledge
FROM BACK PAGE at the death. Kiltie revealed predictions St Mirren would be relegated after a dismal League Cup group stage exit, sealed by a 2-0 defeat to Airdrie in which the playmaker was sent off, have fuelled the dressing room.
Now he’s determined to prove the doubters wrong at Celtic Park tomorrow.
Speaking exclusively to Express Sport, Kiltie said: “Everybody after those League Cup defeats had us as odds on to go down. Everyone had written us off before the season even started.
“We lost the first two games of the league against Motherwell and Aberdeen.
“But I knew we had too much quality to go down and we bounced back from that bad start. We made the top six when no one believed we stood a chance.
“We found a system that worked for us and that was a serious test of how well we could bounce back.
“The boys were gutted the way the Hearts game ended. It was very quiet in the dressing room after full-time, we were in a bit of shock.
“It would have put us only one point behind the Edinburgh clubs. We have to put it behind us. We have a tough run, the top three teams still to play within seven days.
“It doesn’t get much tougher than that. Finishing in the top six was a big achievement. We have to relish the challenge now.”
St Mirren can take heart from the fact that, prior to last weekend, they were the only team to have beaten Ange Postecoglou’s treble-chasing side this season in the league.
Stephen Robinson’s team have also given strong accounts of themselves against the champions this season, despite being on the sore end of some heavy scorelines when Celtic have capitalised late on in matches against 10 men.
Kiltie insists his side must keep all 11 players on the pitch at Celtic Park to give them the best chance of success in Glasgow.
He said: “We’ve beaten Celtic before and we have to take confidence from that. Celtic Park is probably the toughest test in Scotland right now. It will be tough, but we’ve turned up well against them this season, not just in the win in Paisley.
“Charles Dunne and Richard Taylor were sent-off at key moments in our last two games. We were well in both games until those decisions and we need to make sure we don’t go a man down again.
“Celtic have serious quality and can bring on millions of pounds worth of back up. We must have quality on the ball and be brave to try and compete with them.”