St Johnstone boss Steve Lomas has issued a rallying call to the club’s fans to pack McDiarmid Park on Saturday and roar the team to victory in the crunch Tayside derby against Dundee United.
The Northern Irishman’s hopes of substantial backing have been boosted by Saints’ chairman Steve Brown’s decision to offer a cut-price deal to supporters in the Ormond Stand that allows entry to one adult and two under-16s for just £10.
Lomas praised that initiative which he believes will be vital in attracting the next generation of fans to the club.
He said: ”I would be really pleased to see a big turnout for the game against United. I think the incentive the chairman is doing is great and I’m sure the supporters appreciate it.
”It is superb to see the young kids at the ground as they are the next generation of supporters and we need them more than ever. I think Dundee United will also bring a big support through and it should be an electric atmosphere.”
The last time the two teams met in February, Saints were on the wrong end of a 5-1 scoreline. Two months on, the St Johnstone boss still cannot believe his side conceded so many goals against United and he is certain there will be no repeat at the weekend.
He said: ”I have watched the game a few times and it is the most bizarre match I have seen in many a year. I think Housty (United boss Peter Houston) was magnanimous to say that if we had come in two up at half-time he would have had no complaints.
”Obviously, after a few individual errors and own goals, before you know it the score was 5-1 but that wasn’t a true reflection on the game.
“At the end of the day, it is 5-1 in the record books. But it wasn’t that sort of match. I expect it to be a bit tighter this time.”