Long-serving striker Peter MacDonald ended a decade’s service with St Johnstone and admitted he needs a fresh start to get the goals to start flowing again.
Popular “Peaso” spent a fruitless afternoon against a stubborn St Mirren defence to finish the season on just one goal, a total he acknowledged is not good enough.
Having not been offered a new contract by manager Derek McInnes, he faces his first summer without a club since signing from Rangers for £125,000 in August 2001.
In emotional scenes at the end of the game, he thanked the noisy band of St Johnstone fans who made the trip to Paisley.
He said, “Ten years is a long time but it has been 10 amazing years. I’m a bit sad but it’s a business decision and every ending just means a new beginning.
“The gaffer was first a friend and then became my manager and he took a chance on me and gave me an extra six months earlier in the year so I can’t complain at all.
“I’ve had my injury problems and played over 250 games, which isn’t great over 10 years, but what can you do when your knee snaps?
“This season I’ve featured in about 30 games and I think I’ve done my bit for the team,” he added.
“But strikers are there to score and I’ve only got one goal this season and that’s not good enough, and that might be part of the decision to let me go because the gaffer wants to freshen things up.
“The jolt of going to a new club will kick-start things for me again and, while I’ll always look for St Johnstone’s results, my aim will be to do well wherever I go, whether that’s Scotland, England or abroad.”
How Saturday’s match could have done with a goal to brighten it but, with a distinctly nothing-to-play for flavour to it, there were few chances for either side. St Mirren had the best of them with Michael Higdon shooting weakly at Peter Enckelman when one on one, and then heading straight at the big goalkeeper in another rare breach of the defence. Both chances came in the first half. There was nothing of note in the second.
It didn’t stop a vociferous away support singing their way through the game, especially for Michael Duberry, who maintains he has made no decision on his future but, by seeming to thank every supporter personally at the end, gave an indication he could be on his way.
Fellow defender Danny Grainger also made a final farewell as a second-half substitute, as did long-serving St Mirren players like John Potter and Craig Dargo.
McInnes said, “As much as we hoped it wouldn’t be like that, it was typical end-of-season fare.
“Both managers had tough decisions to make during the week and that was maybe hanging over things a bit.
“Neither team did enough in the final third and lacked that bit of quality they needed.
“We achieved our aim of staying up this season quite comfortably and will go in next season with exactly the same aim.”
Despite reports suggesting former St Mirren captain Potter will sign for St Johnstone, he said he had heard nothing about a move and had expected to re-sign for the Paisley club until he met manager Danny Lennon on Friday to be told a previous contract offer had been withdrawn.