Mackenzie back up to speed
Gary Mackenzie believes a delayed return to the St Mirren side after a lengthy spell on the sidelines allowed him to hit the ground running.
By the time the 33- year- old defender took to the field for the crucial 2- 1 home win over Premiership relegation rivals Dundee on 30 March he had been out for the best part of the year after recovering from an Achilles injury.
The former Dundee, Blackpool and Doncaster Rovers player has since played and impressed in two more games, a 3- 1 win at Livingston and 1- 1 draw against St Johnstone in Paisley, which have helped Saints go seven points clear of the Dens Park side, bottom of the table, and two behind Hamilton, with three games remaining.
Ahead o f t o day’s t r i p t o Mo t h e r we l l , Ma c K e n z i e said: “Probably what helped me was the boys having an upturn in form because that probably gave me an extra month of training with the lads and although it is not the same as match sharpness, it helps me and build a platform for my fitness. Maybe if I had been thrown in a wee bit earlier I possibly might have struggled but I am looking forward to the rest of the season.”
St Mirren still hope to climb above Accies into tenth place and avoid the relegation playoff.