Davidson pays tribute to ‘ruthless’ defence

SCOTTISH CUP ST JOHNSTONE

Melamed 6, O'halloran 21

CLYDE

2

Callum Davidson has praised the new year resolution that has seen St Johnstone's defenders become creatures of habit.

The Perth outfit registered their 16th clean sheet of the campaign as they eased to a 2-0 win over Clyde.

The victory which tees up a Scottish Cup quarter-final clash against Rangers means Davidson's team have also racked up nine shutouts since the start of 2021.

And Davidson, inset, is delighted with how stingy his back line have become in recent weeks as they followed up their Betfred Cup triumph with clinching a top-six place.

He said: "From the turn of the year, we've hardly conceded any goals. We've been quite ruthless at the back. We've not conceded many chances, so it's pleasing. It's a good habit to get into and that all starts from the front. They all work extremely hard.

"I'm delighted to have booked our place in the quarter-finals.

"All season I've asked for that kind of performance, especially in these kind of games, and they've given me it.”

The Bully Wee were playing their 10th game in the space of 22 days, with boss Danny Lennon forced to leave out a string of regulars as his League One part-timers prepare for a vital relegation scrap against Forfar tomorrow night.

And the former St Mirren manager admitted his team were no match for Saints. "Fair play to St Johnstone, they are the best team we've faced this year in terms of how you press without the ball," he said. "You can see why they've had so much success this season. "Their energy was fantastic.”