Ian Maxwell’s form has been improving since Saints returned to a 442 formation. He was delighted with the 1-0 victory, and was unlucky not to score:
"St Mirren are always easier for us to play against because they will come here and try to attack and give us a bit more space than other teams would. It was a big win and sets us up nicely for next weekend. We would take 1-0 every week and the gaffer’s said we will have seven or eight of them over the season if we are going to win the league. You always feel one is never enough, though, and we are always pushing to score more and kill the game off and we did have more chances like my header and a good shout for a penalty, but they never went in today. I seem to love hitting the post here but can’t seem to score them—my three goals so far have all come away from home. But I’m just happy with the zero at the other end because that’s what I’m really on the pitch to do."
It has become a trend amongst referees to ignore Parker’s claims for fouls. It is frustrating for Billy Stark who said,:
"Other than teaching him how to go down, I don’t know what else to do. All the ones on him were fouls but when a player has pace like that it’s hard for the referee to distinguish but he again got nothing and I’m getting fed up talking about it. It was a brilliant piece of play by him, beating four men and then he was going to shoot and there was definite contact made but luckily we were already in a winning position. It was a well-merited win and if Maxwell had scored the header, which he should have done, we’d have seen the game out comfortably. It’s a big, big win for us and, while we’d have loved to have won by a bigger margin, St Mirren will make it difficult for teams this season, and it sets us up nicely for next week."
It was very clear on Scotsport yesterday that it should have been a penalty. Andy Walker and Jim Delahunt discussed how to win a spot kcik and how Parker’s approach was wrong. Ie Keep the arms down, and fall "like a sack of tatties."