LOOKING TO GO INTO BREAK IN A POSITIVE WAY

Saints host Clyde at McDiarmid Park tomorrow with the Saints players focussed on ensuring they go into the international break with three points behind them.

The last two league matches have proved to be real low points but there was a good degree of improvement in Tuesday night’s Co-operative Cup performance at Livingston despite being knocked out of the competition after extra time.

“We have to take the positives from Tuesday” Derek McInnes said this morning. “If we play in the manner we did at Almondvale then it will give us a platform to go on and win tomorrow.”

There is no game next week due to the start of the World Cup qualifying campaign and when the league recommences Saints have two long treks in successive weeks to either end of the country – Dingwall and Dumfries – and the manager is looking for a win tomorrow to send the players and supporters into the break in better heart. He also hopes that by the time the trip to Ross County comes around he may be able to call on a couple of currently unavailable figures.

“I know from experience that there is nothing worse than going into a two week break on the back of a defeat so we have to apply ourselves properly tomorrow to make sure that doesn’t happen. There is a chance we will have Kevin James and Jody Morris back for the trip to Dingwall – the prospects of that at the moment are good but we’ve been here before so we’ll see what the next fortnight brings before we get too hopeful. I’ve stressed before how important I think Jody will be to this team.”

The Manager has organised a couple of closed door games over the next couple of weeks where Morris, James plus midfielder Kevin Moon could be given a run.

“Kevin has trained this week” says Derek. “We’ll give him a couple of games and see how he does. It is good to have him involved in training again – he is an enthusiastic lad.”

Alan Morgan will make his home debut at left-back tomorrow while Paul Sheerin and Derek Holmes face late decisions on their fitness after picking up knocks on Tuesday. Kevin Rutkiewicz has not yet returned to training following his illness last weekend.

Tayside Safety Camera Partnership (TSCP) enforces the speed limit on roads in Tayside with a history of casualties and excessive speed and they have teamed up with St Johnstone FC to provide safety messages to supporters.

When travelling to and from the game this weekend, supporters should remember that TSCP will be using fixed and mobile safety cameras to enforce the speed limit on the A9 and A90.

Tayside Safety Camera Partnership would like to wish all supporters a safe journey.