ERHAHON EDGES IT AS SAINTS STAND FIRM AGAINST LIVI SURGE
AFTER a first league victory of the season that showcased their attacking verve, St Mirren celebrated consecutive wins by highlighting another side of their character.
Ethan Erhahon sealed a valuable three points with a strike on the break. It was by no means a backs-to-the-wall display against Livingston but the winning goal, beautifully worked but with a fortuitous ending, was an appropriate way for the Buddies to clinch it.
The Paisley outfit are now five matches undefeated and building momentum — and manager Jim Goodwin could not hide his delight at returning home with another success tucked away as the reward for a tough afternoon’s work in West Lothian.
‘It’s very rare that you see an attractive and entertaining game of football here,’ he said. ‘You need to give Livingston credit but any side would come here and take a one-nil win all day long.
‘We would obviously have loved to have played a bit more possession-based football and try and dominate the game. But I said to the boys before a ball was kicked that I didn’t care how we got the result, just as long as we came away with all three points.
‘Putting together back-to-back victories was the most important thing and we managed to grind out the result. We stood up to everything Livingston had to throw at us and they will feel unlucky not to have taken a point.’
St Mirren travelled with belief and in expectation after finally getting their first victory of the Premiership campaign in stirring circumstances against Aberdeen last weekend.
When the opener did come, it was thanks to a lightning counterattack from a Livingston corner. Connor Ronan, the two-goal hero six days earlier was inevitably involved, slipping a well-timed pass to the supporting Marcus Fraser, who in turn found Erhahon a willing runner on the left. The midfielder still had plenty to do but drilled a powerful drive across goal and into the far corner.
Livingston manager David Martindale recently admitted that goalkeeper Max Stryjek had ‘credit in the bank’, despite costly errors against Aberdeen and Rangers. Martindale admitted the Pole was at fault again after allowing Erhahon’s shot to slip through his attempted stop.
However, there was an impressive reaction from the home side, playing at home for the first time since their recent win against Celtic, and they would
count themselves unlucky not to be level by the interval.
James Penrice stung the palms of Jak Alnwick, while Stephane Omeonga’s shot was easier for the St Mirren keeper. Alan Forrest’s effort was also deflected wide.
In first-half, injury-time, Livi inched even closer to an equaliser. Odin Bailey’s deep corner was nodded back into the danger area by Forrest but Ayo Obileye’s volley was cleared off the line.
The West Lothian withstood the blow of losing Andrew Shinnie to injury five minutes after the break to continue on the front foot. Jackson Longridge saw a shot deflected wide before the goal opened up for Bailey in the 57th minute. His strike was true but, again, a St Mirren defender got the vital touch and the ball flew over.
Stryjek saved a Matt Millar header from a Scott Tanser freekick and a Curtis Main effort to offer a reminder that St Mirren remained an attacking force.
In the end, the Saints defence stood firm in the face of a late flurry of hopeful attacks.
‘I don’t think we deserved to lose that game,’ said Martindale responding to the boos from the home fans at full-time. ‘On the balance of play, we deserved more. The players were really unlucky.
‘So support. There’s a clue in the name — supporters. I just think: ‘Would you pay your money to come and abuse people?’ Maybe it’s just me.’