Robbo: We are trying to bridge gap to big boys
Buddies boss Stephen Robinson admits Lawrence Shankland was the difference after St Mirren left Tynecastle empty-handed.
The Buddies’ away-day woes continued in the capital with the Paisley outfit now having failed to score in six of their last eight games.
They have also lost their last six matches on their travels and, after a stunning start to the campaign, Robinson’s side have slipped to fifth in the table.
And the Saints gaffer was left lamenting not having a striker of twogoal Shankland’s calibre.
He said: “Lawrence has scored a lot of goals at the back post and we pointed that out – but we go in 1-0 down.
“That’s not because they’ve opened us up, it’s because of our lack of quality in the final third and our decision-making.
“Lawrence’s second goal is exceptional and it changes any momentum that we had.
“That is difference between the levels. We are trying to bridge a gap where there is a huge financial disparity, which is why you get players like Lawrence Shankland.
“The second goal is an incredible finish and that’s the difference between the levels.
“His forward play was the difference.
“We have players who can show quality but they didn’t today. They are honest boys and will put their hands up because it’s not through lack of effort – but we have better quality than what we showed.”
Robinson admits he can have no complaints about the result. He added: “We pressed well in the first half, won the ball back on numerous occasions and they didn’t have a shot on target other than the goal.
“But when we landed on the ball, we didn’t penetrate or deliver balls into the box with any quality. That’s disappointing because we are better than that.
“We lacked the quality and then lost a goal from a set-play, which has been our Achilles heel.
“When you look at the organisation and detail we go into, there is a frustration.”
St Mirren have now dropped to fifth in the
table ahead of Wednesday’s visit of Kilmarnock, a team only one point above them in the table.
And Robinson hopes his team can get back on track after making a blistering start to the season.
He added: “Expectations have risen because we have been able to bridge the gap between Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen – big clubs with huge resources.
“We have bridged the gap to an extent through hard work, organisation and quality. But we are better than we showed in the final third. Nobody stood up and said, ‘I’ll be the main man... I’ll be the Lawrence Shankland of our team.”