My Euro dream is far from Dunne & dusted But Charles says it’s too early to look out the passports
ST MIRREN LATEST
Charles Dunne admits playing in Europe would mean the world to St Mirren.
However, he warned it’s far too early for Buddies fans to be dusting off the passports as his side fight to achieve back-to-back top-six finishes in the Premiership.
The Paisley outfit last played in continental competition 37 years ago.
Winning the Scottish Cup clinched a place in the old CupWinners’Cup.
After beating Norway’s Tromso IL 1-0 on aggregate, the Buddies lost 2-0 over two legs to Belgium side KV Mechelen who went on to beat Dutch giants Ajax and lift the trophy.
Paisley punters are dreaming of a Euro return with their talented team certainly giving plenty of encouragement that it could yet become reality.
Defender Dunne knows it is all to play for – and while conscious that the hard work still lies ahead, he acknowledges what a special moment it would be if Saints made it back to the Euro stage.
The 31-year-old said:“It would be unbelievable to achieve that for me, the club, everyone involved and all the fans.
“We’ve just got to take it one game at a time.
“Football’s got a funny way of biting you on the a**e if you get too excited or think too far ahead.
“When you do well, the expectation rises and they [the fans] want you to be in the top six.
“Managers and players’ expectations will be rising as well. I don’t see it as a bad thing.”
St Johnstone are the visitors to the SMiSA this afternoon with the Buddies looking to get back to winning ways after the 1-0 defeat to Livingston last weekend.
There was post-match acrimony, however, Dunne reckons everyone was just upset with the fact they had lost to a bottom-of-thetable team.
He said:“I think so because anyone who watched the game can see we did well.
“The result looked bad but people watching could see how on top we were and we were unfortunate not to get the victory.
“We had a lot of chances, we just couldn’t find the back of the net.”
Dunne has started Saints’ last two games after a long spell on the bench and admitted he had to be patient and wait his turn.
“It’s been frustrating,”he added.“At the start of the season I got a little calf injury and I was only out for 10 days but the quality of the squad meant I couldn’t get back in. Everyone was doing well.
“I can’t complain. If the guys are getting results, I can’t say one thing. I’m happy to be in now and I just need to build my confidence and stay there by doing as well as possible.”
a newspaper