Agnew’s brace rounds off dream debut

FOR every new manager, making an instant impact is of vital importance. Ian Murray certainly did not hang around, delivering a home victory in his first competitive match in charge at St Mirren. Of course, this win in the first round of the Petrofac Cup against League Two side Berwick Rangers was only a start, but the taste of victory is sweet. Scott Agnew, the attacking midfielder who followed Murray from Dumbarton to Paisley, did not waste time in making an impression on Saturday, either. Two excellent strikes, adding to Stephen Thompson’s equalising penalty, gave St Mirren’s season the lift-off it required after Colin Cameron’s part-timers stunned the hosts by taking an early lead. Agnew admitted it was a superb way to start life at his new employers. He said: ‘The only thing that could have made it better was to have scored a hat-trick,’ ‘Overall, it was a good debut for me and I’m glad we got the win. ‘After my goals, I think I made about 15 runs forward! I like to have shots from distance, so as long as I hit the target. That is the main thing.’ The 28-year-old has his sights set on repaying his manager for giving him full-time football. ‘I appreciate the opportunity and I work hard every single day,’ he added. ‘Today was a chance to go and show what I can do, and I was glad I did that. I have a good relationship with the manager. For me, it was no-brainer coming to a club like St Mirren. ‘You just have to look at the facilities we train at every day, the stadium and the way we play. It has been amazing since I have been here.’