Kearney rues lack of ‘bottle’
ORAN KEARNEY has lambasted his St Mirren players for a lack of ‘bottle’ after a meek second-half surrender against Livingston sent them spiralling further into the relegation mire.
The Buddies took a slim advantage into the half-time interval following Alfie Jones’ first goal for the club, however their hopes of securing a maiden away Premiership victory of the campaign dissipated amid a woeful capitulation after the break.
Goals from Scott Pittman, Ryan Hardie and Craig Sibbald were enough to secure a 3-1 triumph for the hosts, who also struck the bar through Jack McMillan. The visitors’ collapse was enough to prompt an ‘embarrassed’ Kearney to posit that his side actually have a fear of winning.
It is a phobia they will need to find a way to combat if they are to stay in this division. St Mirren are just a point above rock-bottom Dundee, with Jim McIntyre’s charges boasting two games in hand and showing ominous signs of life lately.
‘I’m embarrassed and that is me putting it mildly,’ said the furious Northern Irishman. ‘The hardest thing in this league is to get yourself in front and we managed to do that, to put ourselves in a good position — then we show an inability to cope.
‘People talk about a fear of failure, but it’s a fear to win that strikes me about how we went into our shells in the second half.
‘I think we lost our bottle, simple as that. People talk about bravery in the sense of 50/50 challenges and putting your body on the line — which is hugely important — but there is also the bravery required to go and make a pass, get your foot on the ball.
‘We did that sporadically in the first half but in the second half people just totally went under. It’s a mindset and, as much as football is a physical game, I think it’s the mentality that was severely lacking.
‘I’m embarrassed for ourselves, the fans and everyone involved with the club. It’s unacceptable.’
There was little indication of the St Mirren travails to come when they broke the deadlock through Jones.
Fresh from adding another entry to his catalogue of stupefying strikes in Saints’ 2-2 draw against Hibs in midweek, it was no surprise to see Adam Hammill involved. His dead-ball delivery was perfect for the on-loan Southampton defender to head beyond Liam Kelly from close range.
It provided a welcome talking point from 45 minutes only otherwise notable for a nasty clash of heads between Craig Halkett and Paul McGinn that saw the latter replaced with a suspected concussion.
Livingston, boasting a home record only bettered by Celtic and Rangers prior to kick-off, were never likely to go down without a fight and were level within five minutes of the restart when Pittman sent an angled drive skipping off the turf and past Danny Rogers.
The turnaround was complete when another low effort from the dynamic Pittman was blocked, only for the ball to spill into the path of on-loan Rangers kid Hardie, who slammed the ball into the roof of the net from point-blank range.
This was Hardie’s first start in eight months following a tortuous battle with a persistent ankle injury that has required two separate operations. His ferocious finish for a first-ever Premiership goal smacked of catharsis.
‘I’m delighted for Ryan,’ lauded Livvy boss Gary Holt. ‘He has been out for such a long time. So just to get his first start was a big thing.
‘He was actually right on the cusp of coming off. We were thinking: “Sixty minutes, is it time to take him off?” We have a lot of games coming up and we need to look ahead.
‘But me and Davie (Martindale, Livingston assistant) are sitting there saying: “He’ll get one chance — it’s what he does”.’
Second-half substitute McMillan struck the bar with a looping header after a deep cross was only half-cleared as Livvy sought to put the game to bed against their fragile visitors.
However, that would prove a temporary reprieve as Sibbald completed the scoring in the dying embers, tapping home after Rogers had spilled yet another shot from Pittman, who had a hand in all three goals.
‘I was calm at half-time. I can be fiery at the best of times but it was about getting into each individual what they can do more. What can you offer?’ added Holt.
‘It was really pleasing to see how they responded in the second half.’