Gatecrashers can’t spoil our big bash
Robbo relief as Buddies lose but still celebrate top 6 and Euro chance
HEARTS gatecrashed the party in Paisley – but the Buddies still had reason to celebrate.
The Jambos managed to scrape three points in brutal blustery conditions to dampen the mood of the full house at the SMISA.
But the disappointment didn’t last too long as the Saints sealed their spot in the top six for the second season on the spin thanks to Hibs slumping against St Johnstone.
Jorge Grant’s VAR-assisted penalty and a Mikael Mandron own goal had Hearts in front before Toyosi Olusanya’s solo goal pulled one back.
There was another big VAR call late on when Saints were denied a penalty but gaffer Stephen Robinson was determined to look at the bigger picture – and is now setting his sights on a return to Europe after 37 years.
He said: “We just breathed a sigh of relief.
“We were half-planning a night out and nobody wanted to talk about it because we were scared stiff !
“We will enjoy it. I was aware of the Hibs score in the last few minutes but the staff kept it quiet.
“They know I like to go crazy on the touchline and don’t like to enjoy games so they didn’t want to give me any kind of pleasure for 10 minutes!
“It’s the first time the club have achieved successive top-six finishes in 39 years. It’s definitely more satisfying.
“You can get one- of f surprises where everything goes your way but we haven’t been out the top six all season.
“I can’t give the players, staff and board enough credit.
“What we have to do now is build the club to give ourselves more of a chance to do this more often.
“Now our aim is – can we get into Europe? That would be fantastic. It’s a fantastic time to be a St Mirren fan and hopefully they’ll embrace that as you can get used to this.
“We’ve no right to be where we are but we’ve allowed the people of Paisley to dream.”
The gale-force conditions were more of a nightmare yesterday, mind you.
It was never going to be pretty and neither side managed a sniff until Hearts went ahead after half an hour.
The call for ref Alan Muir to go to VAR seemed to surprise everyone when Kenneth Vargas was blocked by Marcus Fraser’s near-post lunge.
But sure enough, the ball did catch his arm on the way and Grant rammed his spot kick down the middle.
Things got more lively in the second period with Vargas close a couple of times to a second and Zander Clark superbly shoving an Olusanya prod around his post. But the Jambos did go clear after Alex Cochrane’s inswinging corner caused mayhem.
Zach Hemming seemed to get a touch but there was some pin- balling on the goalie before Mandron was the unlucky last man to get the final touch.
Saints were not done though and built up a head of steam before pulling one back in stunning style.
Olusanya did well to win a ball in the air initially and the big striker made a beeline to goal before holding off two men and tucking past Clark.
Cammy Devlin should have sealed it when clean through but the midfielder blinked and Hemming brilliantly blocked.
And soon after there was another huge flashpoint when Conor McMenamin hit the deck after cutting across Aiden Denholm.
VAR stepped in but the ref wasn’t for changing and Saints were relieved it didn’t wreck the top-six dream.