Win wraps up wonderful week for Wright

Posted Sunday, December 09, 2018 by PA

St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright was delighted to cap off a good week on a personal level with a win at Pittodrie, and stressed the importance of a clean sheet.

Wright’s side made it eight games unbeaten with seven clean sheets to boot – form which had earned him the Premiership manager of the month award for November before he signed a new contract this week.

He said: “We’ve thrown the manager of the month curse out the window – if that’s a thing! It’s a great way to finish off a very good week for me personally and a very good week for the club.

“Away wins are always nice and this place is difficult to come to – I think Aberdeen have won their last five home games and they’ve done well this week.”

The Dons followed up their League Cup final appearance by beating Rangers in midweek but had no answer to second-half goals from Joe Shaughnessy and substitute Blair Alston on Saturday.

“I think we played better in the first half, we had the best two chances,” Wright continued. “Second half I was disappointed – we sat off but we defended well and Blair has come on and changed the game for us.

“It’s an old adage that clean sheets win you matches. I’ve said to them today that there are points we weren’t happy with but we kept it at 0-0 and that was key.”

Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes blasted the “simplistic goal” that put St Johnstone in front and changed the game.

“We lost a simplistic goal from a set-piece,” he said. “I thought we were the better side in the first half but it was clear we lacked a bit of inspiration and creativity today.

“We freshened things up a bit today and the players who came in maybe didn’t make the impact we were hoping for.

“St Johnstone are a good side and really good at set-pieces so for Joe to get a free header is really disappointing.

“I just think we looked like a tired team. It was clear that when we needed more exertion, more creativity, more speed, it wasn’t there.

“I can’t be too critical of my players. We can look for more from the ones who came in, but the ones who had to play at Ibrox and in the Cup Final, that takes it out of you.”