ROBBO’S PRAY AND AN X-RAY
Buddies sweat on Carson and Ayunga as squad is stretched
St Mirren celebrated after stretching their unbeaten run in Paisley to 12 games.
But Stephen Robinson fears the win may have come at a major cost as he sweats over injuries to two key men.
Curtis Main’s first-half goal sealed the points but there was concern for the Buddies boss as he revealed keeper Trevor Carson is being sent for a X-ray today on a hand injury.
Substitute Jonah Ayunga also limped off to add to Robbos’s headache. The timing could not have been worse for the Northern Irishman as he braces for further departures.
Robinson was this week ordered to send big- earner Eamonn Brophy on loan to Ross County as cash-strapped club chiefs look to cut costs after posting £1.6million losses.
The Paisley board are hoping to claw back some funds ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline, with teenager Dylan Reid edging towards a move to
Crystal Palace and midfielders Keanu Baccus and Ethan Erhahon attracting interest.
But Robinson admits he may have to ask his directors to dig deep again. He said: “Our squad is stretched to the limit now with injuries.
“Trevor has an X-ray on his hand on Sunday and Jonah had to go off with a knee injury. We can only pray those boys are OK, otherwise I will be asking the board for help.
“We run with a really small squad and if we are going to push on, we can only hope they aren’t out for a long time. At the moment it’s a real worry.
“We are quietly hopeful, my physio doesn’t get too many diagnoses wrong. He has been positive and we have a very good No.2 in Peter Urminsky. Jonah would be a big loss considering we have let two strikers out on loan to even up the finances.
“We’re going to hope and pray and I’m confident the board – if they possibly can – will help me.
“We’re working together to reduce the squad I inherited and still remain competitive.
“It’s a fine balance, we don’t have multi-millionaires, we’re a fan-owned football club.”
Saints were edged out by Well when the Lanarkshire outfit visited Paisley on the opening day of the season but since then the SMISA Stadium has proved to be a fortress for the Buddies.
But there hasn’t been much cheer since for the Steelmen and they’re locked in a four-team battle at the bottom having gone nine without a win.
Saints struck the decisive blow 16 minutes in. Well should have had it covered with two players closing in on Alex Greive out in the corner but as soon the Kiwi international was allowed to slip the ball inside to Ryan Strain they were in trouble.
Main looked pumped up for the battle with his old side and there was no way Shane Blaney was beating the striker to the front post as he darted in to divert Strain’s cross past Liam Kelly.
Aside from a rejected
VAR check for a Charles Dunne tug on Rickie Lamie in the box, there wasn’t much for Well to get excited first half.
They continued to battle through a second- hal f t u s s le a nd a lmost snatched an e qua l i s e r late on when Carson could only p u n ch We l l substitute Ol ly
Cra n k shaw ’s cross to Stewart McKinstry at the back post.
It was panic stations in the Saints ranks but thankfully for Robinson, Alex Gogic was brilliantly positioned on the line to secure the win.
Praising his match-winner, Robinson said: “I am delighted and credit to the players for the workrate and shift they put in out there.
“Curtis Main epitomises everything about us. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves.
“He probably thinks he should score more goals but he does so much for the team and I hope he gets the plaudits because he was excellent.”