St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright has praised referee Brian Colvin for picking up the phone to talk through Saturday’s incident-packed match against Hearts.
There were three sendings off, two penalties and plenty more besides to discuss, and Wright emerged from the conversation encouraged that this could be a “real step forward” for manager-referee relations.
Wright, who confirmed Saints will be appealing Steven Anderson’s red card but not that given to Alan Mannus, said: “Brian called me on Monday morning to go over Saturday’s events and I really appreciate that.
“What was said will remain private but I want to thank him for taking the time to do that. For me that’s a real step forward. I spoke to him after the game as well, we had a good chat.
“He didn’t phone about one specific incident, he phoned because there were so many incidents to talk about.
“Brian is a good guy and I think I’ve got a good relationship with them all. You have to have mutual respect, we’re in a game where decisions have to be made.
“Players have to make decisions, managers have to make decisions and officials are under pressure to make decisions.
“None of us get them right all the time and you have to realise that. I do realise that and I’m grateful to Brian for calling to have a chat about things.”
Explaining the club’s thinking behind their decision to challenge one ordering-off and not another, Wright said: “We will be appealing Steven’s red card on the basis of what we’ve seen.
“My opinion hasn’t changed from the moment I saw it.
“As for Alan’s red card, we won’t be appealing that. If it was 20 years ago you probably would have got away with two yellow cards because there wasn’t that much in it.
“But we’re in 2014 now and you can’t get away with that.”
The fact that the two-game ban for Mannus means he can play in the League Cup semi-final, and an appeal would jeopardise that, would also have come into the equation, no doubt.
Wright has every faith that back-up keeper Stevie Banks will perform to a high standard at Partick Thistle on Tuesday night and Tannadice on Monday.
He said: “Banksy did well the last time so I don’t have any worries about him. He kept two clean sheets in three games the last time so I expect him to go into the team and deal with it no bother.
“He trains away every day and showed before that he’s still a top goalkeeper.”
Losing two late goals, and with them two points, meant Saturday’s match ended on a sour note but Wright is keen to ensure the frantic finish doesn’t detract from an excellent performance.
He said: “In all the mayhem, it’s been forgotten that a team with 10 men scored three goals and could have got a couple more.
“Our performance was good and we need to take that into the Partick game. I was pleased with Lee Croft. Really pleased. He got behind them a few times and looked sharp.”
Saints fans with their glass half-full will look at Thistle’s failure to win at home all season, while those with a half-empty one will point to the Perth men’s away record of just one victory.
Wright said: “Sometimes when you get in a run like that, it becomes more of a mental thing than anything else. You have to keep giving them belief and get them to do the right things at the right time.
“In a lot of our games away from home it has been fine margins, we haven’t taken our chances when we have been on top and the opposition do. So overall our performances probably deserve more points than we have got.
“Thistle put you under a lot of pressure at home, they do play a lot of attacking football and we know we will have to defend properly for 90 minutes.”
Brian Easton won’t be risked but he will “definitely be fit for Dundee United”.