COOL CLARK IS WORTH IT
Davidson given instant return on spend as striker rejuvenates Perth attack line
CALLUM DAVIDSON’S deadline week business paid an instant dividend and equalled the largest margin of Premiership victory of his St Johnstone tenure.
Davidson brought in Nicky Clark on a three-year deal from Dundee United and Aberdeen winger Connor McLennan on loan to liven up their final-third play.
After managing only one goal at McDiarmid Park in four league and cup games, they looked a team transformed, principally thanks to Clark’s presence in a two-man attack with Stevie May.
The striker opened the scoring, linked play well and was immediately in tune with May to tease the best performance of the season from his colleague, who also played a part in the second goal for Drey Wright.
McLennan, a late substitute, announced himself to the Perth faithful by winning a penalty converted by Graham Carey. Davidson said: ‘Nicky got the goal to give us the vital lead in the game. I felt the first goal would be crucial.
‘That’s why we went after him, we know what he can do. Hopefully he will enjoy his football and score goals, then we’re all onto a win.
‘It’s great for Nicky’s confidence. We then defended really well as a group and got the goals to kill it off.
‘I thought Stevie May’s energy up front was incredible. He epitomised how we played and worked, leading the line really well.
‘Stevie got the assist and it was nice to see the strikers working as a pair. We had good impact from the subs, too, which helped us near the end. ‘I was really pleased with the clean sheet. St Mirren threw everything at us but we handled it well.’
On 26 minutes, Wright’s backpost delivery was headed across goal by May.
Clark escaped the clutches of St Mirren’s central defenders with the classic poacher’s instinct.
He controlled with his chest, four yards out, and swivelled to volley past Trevor Carson with the outside of his right foot.
Dad Sandy would have been a proud man watching on. His son spoke of childhood memories of joy in the home dressing room here on the night his father led the club to European qualification 23 years ago. On this evidence, celebrating big moments at McDiarmid Park are about to become a family tradition.
The strike meant St Johnstone were content to allow their rivals possession — and stifle them in the final third. Stephen Robinson’s visitors had been excellent on the counter-attack during three wins in a row without conceding. But this dynamic didn’t appear to suit them so much.
Seven minutes after making three changes just before the hour mark, the St Mirren boss was staring at a two-goal deficit and no way back.
May played Adam Montgomery through the inside-left channel and his cutback was powered home by Wright as he arrived unmarked into the penalty area.
St Mirren couldn’t match that cunning at the sharp end. Scott Tanser’s header came off the underside of the bar, then he watched as Jonah Ayunga hit the post with the rebound.
For the third, a laser of a long-range pass all the way from keeper Remi Matthews sent McLennan driving in on goal.
Slaloming inside, he was scythed down by Marcus Fraser to concede a spot-kick. Carey found the top corner and his third goal for the club with his ace left boot. Robinson stressed: ‘It looks like a hammering but it certainly wasn’t. The result is very frustrating because there wasn’t very much in the game.
‘We probably had three or four chances and took none. It’s hard to criticise the players because they have given everything and we went right to the end.
‘We’ve been defensively sound so far this season but we made errors and were punished for it.
‘Credit to St Johnstone for taking their chances and, in the key moments of the game, we weren’t good enough. I believe we will play a lot worse than that and win matches.’