Ross urges sensational Saints to stay on top
ST MIRREN boss Jack Ross has challenged his players to prove their staying power after victory over Inverness in a six-goal thriller sent the Buddies top of the Championship.
Having spent the entirety of last season battling against relegation, Ross is well aware that the hunters have now become the hunted.
But, insisting the Paisley men will relish being leaders of the pack, he said: ‘Our target was to maintain the momentum we built up at the end of last season — and we’ve managed to do that so far.
‘It is probably a long time since the club has been top of the league, so it’s definitely a good feeling. The aim now is to still be there at the end of the season.
‘It is a very different scenario from the start we had last year and I think the players are the ones who really deserve the credit for that.
‘The atmosphere at the stadium is totally different. You can feel it — the fans are thoroughly enjoying coming to watch us now.’
St Mirren were far from their best in the early stages, but they could rely on Lewis Morgan to spark them into life.
After his man-of-thematch display for Scotland Under-21s against Holland in midweek, the winger latched on to Gavin Reilly’s pass on 31 minutes and applied the finish for his fourth goal in four games.
The response from Caley Thistle in the second half was admirable and, deservedly, John Baird buried the equaliser on 61 minutes.
But they squandered their hard work just two minutes later, with the excellent Reilly poking home from close range.
Liam Polworth then sprung the offside trap to slot a second equaliser for the Highlanders on 69 minutes.
In what was more of a basketball game than a football match, Morgan raced upfield just 60 seconds later and rattled Mark Ridgers’ left-hand post with a fine strike.
If Morgan was unlucky, Cammy Smith made no mistake on 73 minutes. Running on to Reilly’s lay-off, the former Aberdeen midfielder thumped a first-time finish into the bottom-left corner.
Ian McShane made sure of victory just one minute later with the goal of the game. From Morgan’s lay-off, the former Ross County man sent a piledriver into the top corner.