HARD WORK AHEAD AFTER WINTER BREAK WE’LL BE UP FOR TOP SIX SLOG
Saints won’t rest on laurels – skipper
Joe Shaughnessy is already looking forward to getting back from the break St Johnstone entered the winter break in the top six but Joe Shaughnessy insists the Perth players aren’t getting comfortable. The McDiarmid Park captain has led by example this season to help hoist Saints into a promising position. Players will now have time for rest and recovery due to the winter break before competitive football returns on January 19. Shaughnessy is content with Saints’ opening to the season and believes there is much to look forward to in the coming months. “We’re off for a week and I’m going to go back over to Ireland,” Shaughnessy explained to the Perthshire Advertiser. “We’ll be back in training and then ready for the game on January 19. “We’re into the top six and it’s been a good first half of the season – and after the break we’ll be looking to kick on. “It’s good to get to 10 wins before the winter break, which is a big thing for us. It’s all going in the right direction.
“When we lost to Motherwell in December I think we went down to eighth in the table. It’s a really strong league this year.
“It’s good for the league and good to watch.
“You would have thought that having 10 wins and 34 points going into the break, then you’d comfortably be in the top six.
“But that is not really the case and there are eight teams who are there or there about.
“No-one gets comfortable and we know we need to keep working hard and be playing well to stay in the team. And also playing well in order to stay in the top six.”
Numerous club records have been matched and broken this season with the latest coming in last week’s 2-0 derby win against Dundee.
Jason Kerr and Joe are working well together It was Saints’ sixth consecutive win and clean sheet on the road and Shaughnessy said: “I only found out about the record after the game. “It goes to show how the squad is developing and coming along. “Everyone knows their job in the team and it is a good run away from home. Hopefully that is one we can keep going. “Myself and Jason Kerr have got a good relationship going and a good understanding. “If I’m out of position, Jason covers me and vice-versa. And if the opposition get through then Zander Clark is making big saves. “It’s nice to be captain and be a part of these runs. Everyone is pulling their weight. “Ross Callachan and Chris Kane have come in during the last couple of weeks and have done really well. “We’ve got a really strong
squad now which is good for the club moving forward.”
Supporters left Dens Park in high spirits after goals from Scott Tanser and Liam Craig saw the points heading for Perth – but Shaughnessy would’ve liked Saints to have netted more.
“If we took our chances it could have been very comfortable,” he said. “In the first half I thought we were the better team by far.
“We played better all over the park and really should have been out of sight by half-time.
“We weren’t taking those chances and that might have given them a sniff of getting back into the game. But we managed to keep the door shut at the back and let the lads go and win it. It was a good day all round.” Shaughnessy