Jim Goodwin urges St Mirren to maintain momentum against Celtic

Posted Sunday, December 22, 2019 by PA

Jim Goodwin hopes St Mirren can continue to build momentum as they seek a route to top-flight safety.

The Buddies manager welcomed a valuable point against St Johnstone in Perth but admits games do not come much tougher than a Boxing Day clash with champions Celtic.

“We are in a good place at the moment,” stressed Goodwin after fending off St Johnstone’s attempt to overtake the Buddies and claim ninth position.

“Hopefully we can carry it on against Celtic and finish off against Kilmarnock. Celtic and Rangers are at a completely different level from the rest of us.

“We need them to take their eye off the ball, and that’s just to get a point.

“But we enter every game to be positive.

“Every so often the ‘big two’ have a bad day. We just have to hope it is on Boxing Day. You never know.”

A well-drilled St Mirren side battled for everything at McDiarmid Park and successfully snuffed out St Johnstone’s danger men.

“Any time you are playing away from home a point is a good result,” said Goodwin, who praised a vociferous 700-strong following.

“McDiarmid has always been a difficult venue to come to. I never had too many successes here as a player.

“We came to battle. We knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. On balance it was probably a deserved point for both sets of players.

“This is the first time all season we have put together a run of results. Okay, it’s only a win and a couple of draws, but it has been important because of the teams we have been playing.”

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright was frustrated to miss out on three points.

But a third clean sheet in succession for a previously leaky defence offered consolation from the stalemate.

“They worked extremely hard and made it difficult for us at times,” said Wright. “But we had the best chances and didn’t take them. So a draw was probably a fair result.

“Too many players weren’t as positive as they should on the ball. People will have better games. But we defended well.

“And that is three games unbeaten. When you have been in the position we were in, that is a positive.”

Wright was bemused by some of referee John Beaton’s decisions.

“A team with more fouls than us end up with less bookings. The less said about that the better.”