Robinson: We ran out of steam after heroic effort

Stephen Robinson insists a gruelling season saw the St Mirren history boys run out of gas.

The Buddies boss feels his threadbare squad had nothing left to give as they capped their Premiership campaign with a 3-0 defeat at home to Rangers on Saturday.

Saints clinched a top-six finish for the first time in 38 years but failed to win any of their post-split fixtures.

However, Robinson is adamant the efforts of the players need judged over the course of a season in which the Buddies defied the odds.

He said:“We all wanted to be in the top six – this group of players have made history and it has been a challenge.

“The season has caught up with the squad in general. Our injuries, the depth of squad has been tested to the limit. Maybe people only remember the last few games but I want people to remember just how close we took Hearts, a club much bigger than ours, and how close we took Celtic in the recent game we played them.

“We have fallen short for Europe. That’s understandable, but it’s a building block.

“There are lessons for everybody; me, the staff, the players that remain here, that the fine lines between being a top-six side, a European side or a bottom-six side are very small and we have to get that right and build again.

“My job is to run the football club prudently to make sure we don’t get into the debts we had previously but also try to build a successful squad.

“That is the challenge and it’s one we are right up for.”

Saints on Wednesday afternoon confirmed that Joe Shaughnessy, Charles Dunne, Curtis Main and Richard Tait will be leaving the club this summer.