Goodwin sings praises as battling Buddies win again

JIM GOODWIN leapt as high as an Olympic long jumper, punched the air in delight and let out a roar of relief at the end of a dramatic 3-2 victory. Sound familiar?

Fortunately for the St Mirren boss here, there was no repeat of the red card he received for celebrating his team’s stunning quarter-final win against

Rangers in the Betfred Cup last Wednesday.

But the feeling of utter joy remained amid torrential rain in Paisley after the Buddies sealed a late turnaround against 10-man St Johnstone.

Ethan Erhahon cancelled out Stevie May’s penalty only for the visitors to take the lead again thanks to a brilliant strike by Scott Tanser.

The Perth men suffered a blow when captain Jason Kerr was sent off just before half-time for a lunge on Ilkay Durmus.

But if this week has proven anything, St Mirren now possess a never-say-die attitude and goals from strikers Lee Erwin and substitute Jon Obika in the final eight minutes ensured the hosts extended their unbeaten run to 11 games.

‘Another one,’ joked Goodwin as he reflected on the latest 3-2 win which moved his side up to eighth spot. ‘We’ve been well criticised for our lack of goals of late, but that’s six goals in two games this week, which is fantastic.

‘The two goals we lost today were disappointing. Two goals out of nothing, really. It was a bit of stupidity from Joe (Shaughnessy) for the penalty. And then the second one he slashed at the cross, but it was a great finish from Tanser.

‘But I know my boys have got character and will keep going right until the end.

‘They weren’t satisfied with taking it to extra time the other night — they wanted to get the winner.

‘And today it would have been easy to take a point but credit the players — they just kept going and going.’

The hosts threatened an opener within 14 minutes when Erwin, handed a start ahead of Obika, smashed a shot from 18 yards but St Johnstone goalkeeper Zander Clark produced a firm save.

Jamie McGrath has been one of the stars for St Mirren in their recent run, with five goals in his previous four games, including a brace in that Betfred Cup win against Rangers.

The Irishman’s neat turn away from Murray Davidson presented a chance to shoot, but once again Clark was equal to the effort.

Callum Davidson’s men made the breakthrough from the penalty spot on 22 minutes. St Mirren captain Shaughnessy

was the culprit with a needless tug on David Wotherspoon just inside the box.

Buddies goalkeeper Jak Alnwick got a hand to May’s spot-kick, but the ball nestled in the corner.

The final seven minutes of the first half proved to be a crazy affair. St Mirren equalised when Marcus Fraser’s cross from the right fell nicely for Erhahon in the box and he fired the ball into the top-right corner.

The Perth men, however, took the lead again when left-footed Tanser cut in on his right and produced an excellent shot from the edge of the box which was beyond the reach of Alnwick.

But they then suffered a huge blow when skipper Kerr was sent off for a challenge on Durmus.

‘I haven’t seen the tackle back but he gave the referee an opportunity to make a decision and he has done that,’ admitted Davidson afterwards.

Despite being down to 10 men, St Johnstone started promisingly in the second half. Only a fingertip save by Alnwick denied defender

Liam Gordon’s close-range header.

St Mirren needed more urgency to make their numerical advantage count. McGrath tried his luck with 15 minutes left but his 20-yard shot flew just wide.

Their equaliser did arrive, however, with eight minutes remaining when substitute Kyle McAllister’s cross from the right found Erwin at the back post and the striker headed the ball past Clark.

The turnaround was complete in the 87th minute when McAllister assisted again, this time from a free-kick, as his delivery found Obika unmarked and he couldn’t miss with his header.

‘It was two real bits of quality from Kyle McAllister,’ noted Goodwin. ‘As a manager, when you make substitutions you want an impact.

‘We put Jamie McGrath on the left and McAllister on the right and his two crosses for the second and the third were brilliant.’

Davidson, whose team lie 10th, added: ‘When you are down to 10 men you need decisions to go with you and they didn’t. The defending was not acceptable.

‘To come away with nothing is hard to take.’