Premiership play-off final. First leg Davidson draws on European experience

Inverness CT v St Johnstone

ST JOHNSTONE manager Callum Davidson has urged his players to show again how well they can perform under pressure as their battle for top-flight survival reaches a conclusion.

Saints travel to Inverness tonight for the first leg of the cinch Premiership play-off final. It is not the sort of end-ofseason showpiece that Saints wanted to be involved in having won the Scottish Cup at this stage last season to add to their earlier League Cup success.

A season which started with the Perth side getting a Europa League draw against Galatasaray in Istanbul took a major turn for the worse and their cup defences ended during a 10game losing streak.

But they got off the bottom of the table in the second half of the season and beat Aberdeen last week to secure 11th place after Dundee had briefly put them under pressure.

Now Davidson wants his side to brush off the pressure and utilise their experience of playing on big occasions such as their recent Hampden and European encounters.

“I think it will do us well, the ones that played, and know the situation,” he said. “The European games are very similar with home and away legs. It’s something that players at our level don’t get too much of. I think that proves they can perform at a high level under pressure.

Meanwhile, Inverness manager Billy Dodds hopes to pile the pressure on St Johnstone.

With the second leg at McDiarmid Park on Monday, Dodds is hoping his team can do enough in the Highlands tonight to ensure an anxious few days for the Saints.

“I’d love an advantage, but the main thing is we’re still in the tie going to McDiarmid and putting on the pressure,” said Dodds. “Everybody’s got pressure in this game but St Johnstone are probably under more pressure. We want to get them to a place in the tie where they’re really starting to think about it. St Johnstone have not had a great season but they’ve got good players. We’re going to have to be at our best.”