PRESSURE POINTS
Clark steps up from spot and says Saints back on front foot ahead of ‘massive’livi league visit
Milnathort track star Laura Muir is all set to go for gold at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Glasgow, which starts today.
The Dundee Hawkhill Harrier is among the Scottish medal prospects competing in the 3000 metres at the Emirates Arena.
Confidence will be high for the 30-year-old who claimed gold in the 3000m at the UK
Indoor Championships in Birmingham last month.
The Olympic silver medallist stormed to victory in eight minutes 58.80 seconds, earning her the spot at the Glasgow event.
While Muir has her eyes set on the 2024 Paris Olympics, she is excited to compete in the city close to her heart.
“Paris is the main goal this year but I want to go to Glasgow and be competitive,” she said.
“To have a global championships there now is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Striker Nicky Clark says three points is the only thing on St Johnstone players’ minds ahead of their “massive” game against Livingston.
The 32-year-old converted a penalty to help Saints on their way to a confidence-boosting 2-0 victory at Aberdeen on Wednesday.
The result stopped a run of four straight league defeats and puts the Perth side four points ahead of relegation play-off dwellers Ross County and 11 points ahead of David Martindale’s bottom side. And it put Clark in good spirits ahead of tomorrow’s huge Mcdiarmid Park clash.
“We know Saturday is going to be massive,” he said.
“We will take confidence from Wednesday and take that into Saturday and we will be going for the three points.
“There are still 10 games to go. You know football, it is a crazy game.
“It changes really quickly, so we just have to concentrate on ourselves.”
Clark said home truths dished out by both management and senior players following the St Mirren loss helped shake the team out of their recent poor form.
“We were not good enough: we didn’t battle, we didn’t fight. You won’t win any football game if you do that,” he said.
“Against Aberdeen it was the complete opposite.
“We started the game on the front foot. We battled, we fought, and then you earn the right to play football.
“Everything I thought we did in the game was spot on.
“We are going through a difficult spell and we knew Aberdeen are going though a difficult spell.
“We knew the first goal would be massive.
“On 44 minutes [the penalty was scored], which is always a good time to score.
“We did what we had to do.” Clark’s strike partnership with Benji Kimpioka was on full display at Pittodrie – and could be the attacking solution manager Craig Levein has been looking for.
“We had Benji on the last line as a threat with me dropping in - I think it worked well,” explained Clark.
“I am delighted for Benji to get his goal.
“As a striker you thrive on goals. “It has been a bit of a frustrating season for me, being in and out and not really getting a good run.
“But fitness-wise I feel really great now and I hope to get a couple more between now and the end of the season.”