Tommy Wright unhappy with ‘wasteful’ St Johnstone after 1-0 win at Montrose

Boss Tommy Wright described St Johnstone as “wasteful” following the narrow 1-0 Betfred Cup win over Montrose at Links Park.

Tony Watt, making his full debut after signing on a one-year deal earlier in the month, lit up a dull first half in the 35th minute when he headed in a Scott Tanser cross first to grab his maiden Saints goal.

Montrose goalkeeper Jordan Millar made two terrific saves from close range in the second half, first from David McMillan and then his replacement Callum Hendry.

The Ladbrokes Premiership outfit then had two escapes at the end as Matty Allan’s header from six yards clipped the crossbar on the way over before Martyn Fotheringham rattled the St Johnstone bar with a 30-yard drive.

Wright, whose side have five points from two fixtures, said: “We should have been out of sight. (We were) wasteful in front of goal.

“Good goalkeeping but I think wasteful from us, two chances well inside the six-yard box and then the last 10 minutes we lose our composure and allow them to put us under pressure with balls in the box and they could have sneaked an equaliser. Some aspects of the game pleased me but others didn’t.

“He (Watt) took the goal well, a good ball in from Scott Tanser and it was a good goal.”

Montrose boss Stewart Petrie, whose side had taken six points from their first two fixtures, said: “We were hanging on at times but you expect that because Tommy’s boys are a strong side with some good players.

“But I felt we finished the game really strong and we could have nicked one at the end. I think Martyn’s strike is one of those that, it if goes in, it is World Cup stuff but Matty could maybe do better but he knows that himself.”