Red card managers make up after row

ST JOHNSTONE manager Tommy Wright has revealed he held peace talks with Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara following their Tannadice confrontation.

The pair had a post-match drink and then spoke on the phone yesterday morning after they had time to reflect upon events during their Premiership match on Wednesday night, which Saints won 1-0.

Wright and McNamara— the Tangerines’ boss has declined to comment publicly regarding the row — were both sent to the stand by referee Crawford Allan and are likely to be officially cited by the SFA for their respective roles in the touchline rumpus that followed a denied penalty claim by home striker Farid El Alagui.

As he waits to see what, if any, punishment he is offered by the governing body, Wright held out the olive branch to the Tangerines gaffer.

Indeed, he said he hoped they might meet again for the William Hill Scottish Cup final at Celtic Park on May 17, which Saints can reach by beating Aberdeen and United by seeing off either Rangers or Albion Rovers.

“Tempers and passions were running high,” admitted the Northern Irishman.

“It was a derby game and an exciting contest. “I take full responsibility for my actions. “I’m told I was sent to the stand for adopting an aggressive attitude.”

WITH A change of hairdo has come a change of luck, but Stevie May has vowed that the scissors will now stay in the drawer.

The St Johnstone striker had his famous locks trimmed ahead of Wednesday night’s 1-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice.

In a kind of reverse Samson scenario, May seemed to find new powers that enabled him to bamboozle United keeper Rado Cierzniak with a shot that the Pole fumbled into the net for the only goal of the game.

It brought to an end a five-game scoring drought for the Scotland under-21 international, which was hardly a crisis but still a source of frustration for the frontman.

So, given the magic worked by his barber, will May be going for the full skinhead-look should Saints get into the Premiership top six and the final of the William Hill Scottish Cup?

His reply was a terse: “There is no chance of that.”

He added: “It was three years ago that I last got it cut. It was an off-the-cuff decision and I just fancied a little change.

“There was nothing much to it. I just looked in the mirror and thought I would go for it.

“So I had someone in to do it. It has been cut a good bit but it’s still long.”

As for his goal, there were vicious rumours sweeping Saints’ training ground yesterday— spread, it has to be said, mainly by May’s team-mates — that it was an own goal by Cierzniak.

He was having none of it though.

“It was a bit fortunate, you know, but it was on target as far as I am concerned,” he said.

“A few of our guys were saying they had turned away before it even reached the goal because they didn’t think it was going in.

“So I guess there was a bit of luck involved, but I think I was maybe due a bit.

“I shoot more than most — maybe too much at times — but it paid off this time.

“It was a goal that got us a massive three points.”

As for his spell without a goal, he added: “I heard people talking about it, but I wasn’t getting down about it.

“I was always going to score a goal eventually. It wasn’t going to last forever.

“It did go on a little bit longer than I would have liked but, when you consider the bigger picture, it wasn’t a problem.

“I had maybe set the bar a bit high and now I hope I can get goals regularly between now and the end of the season.” Twitter: @C_IRoache

Picture: Perthshire Picture Agency. Stevie May celebrates his goal against Dundee United at Tannadice on Wednesday.