18BADMINUTES DOESN’TMAKE ABADSEASON

Assistant boss wants to write off Killie performance

Diarmuid O’Carroll insists St Mirren won’t allow their Kilmarnock collapse to take the shine off a sparkling season.

The Buddies return to Premiership action this afternoon at Motherwell looking to put the incredible events of Rugby Park a fortnight ago behind them. Saints held a 2-0 lead at the interval but were blown away by five goals in the space of 18 minutes in the second half.

The squad was back together at Ralston yesterday for the first time since that game with sights set on bouncing back against the Steelmen.

Time is certainly a healer and assistant manager O’Carroll revealed their East Ayrshire setback had been considered a freak one-off.

“There was no big post mortem,” he said. “We had 18 bad minutes and, given how consistent we’ve been, 18 bad minutes doesn’t make it a bad season.

“The boys know their level.

“If we’d won 2-1, we’d have assessed it the same way and ask, ‘What can we do better?’

“It’s the same if you concede five. You do that then it’s put to bed quite quickly.

“The boys have earned the right to have a bad 18 minutes so it’s now a case of re-setting and going again.

“We still control our own destiny and we’ll go into the next few games confident we can get ourselves into a very good position.”

When asked if the international break came at a good time given what happened in East Ayrshire, O’Carroll replied: “Yes and no.

“It’s hard to know either way. We’ll probably only know after the [Motherwell] game.

“Knowing the boys, though, they’re a close group and they are self critical. They know.

“Sometimes players make mistakes but they’ll be the first ones to say it’s not good enough and look to drive it again.

“But they’ve earned that right by being so consistent. There’s no crisis here.”

Motherwell are the definition of mid-table – six points off the top six and five clear of the relegation play-off place.

To have any chance of a top-half finish, the Steelmen will have to win their three remaining pre-split fixtures which means the Buddies will have to be on their guard.

“I think they’ve been brilliant,” said O’Carroll, who has been on duty as assistant coach to Michael O’Neill with Northern Ireland this past two weeks.

“They’ve had their tough run, and I think Ketts [Stuart Kettlewell, manager] has been measured, he’s been calm, he’s been consistent through the whole time.

“He didn’t change his system, stuck with it, kept the same message to the players.

“They’re a good side, they’ve got some good players and they play very similar in terms of style to ourselves in the shape.

“I’ve no doubt they’ll come and fancy it. We’ve had good battles this season already so it should be a good game.”