Kearney will hold talks with family man Hammill over his Saints future

ADAM HAMMILL’S goal-of-the-year contenders have made him a fans’ favourite at St Mirren, but manager Oran Kearney admits it won’t be a simple task keeping him in Paisley beyond January. The 30-year-old English winger made jaws drop a fortnight ago with a stunning volley from well over 40 yards against Hearts — before outdoing himself with a David Beckham-style strike from inside his own half in the 2-2 draw with Hibernian at Easter Road on Wednesday night. Hammill signed for Saints at the start of October after being released by Barnsley in the summer, but that means he’s spent less time with his young family down south. A decision has to be made when his short-term contract expires next month, and Kearney admits it won’t simply come down to what’s happening on the pitch. ‘In pure footballing terms, it’s a no brainer,’ said the Buddies boss. ‘But I have to respect there’s more to Adam than just football, there is a family there. And whatever decision we come to is the right one. ‘Adam still gets frustrated and misses his family and has some tough moments. ‘There’s no point tying Adam down knowing that, if he stays here, he might be unhappy. His best football comes when his shoulders are back and everything off the pitch is happy and good. It’ll take time to make sure we come to the right decision over the next couple of weeks. ‘Adam is well aware of that. I have a good relationship with him, he enjoys the club and the people and fans and everything that goes with it.’ Kearney always hoped Hammill would make a positive impact when he brought the free agent to Paisley two months ago but he’s already far exceeded expectations, especially with his two spectacular goals. ‘You’d do well across any league, in any country, to see two better strikes than that, particularly the one on Wednesday night,’ he said. ‘He’s quite slight of frame and for him to drive it that distance was a hell of a finish.’ Hammill’s superb form has helped second-bottom Buddies hit a recent upturn in form that sees them unbeaten in three of their last four outings. Kearney, whose team travel to Livingston today, said: ‘Since I’ve been here we’re in our best form, probably our best form all season. So it’s nice we’ve hit a bit of stability. ‘I still wouldn’t say we’re there yet but we have made improvements. We’re getting a bit fitter and sharper but we still have a lot of work to do.’