St Johnstone defender Frazer Wright has revealed his goal against Livingston in the last round of the Scottish Communities League Cup may be a sign the Perth side are Hampden-bound.
Saints will battle St Mirren at McDiarmid Park on Tuesday night for a place in the quarter-finals, and the centre-back hopes history will repeat itself for him in the competition.
Fran Sandaza and Murray Davidson haven’t abandoned their claim on the second-round goal credited to Wright, but he isn’t about to give it up.
He said: “The last time I scored against Livi in the cup for Killie I went all the way to the final, so if I keep the goal maybe it will prove a good omen for St Johnstone.
“The ball bounced just as I was about to hit it. Fran came in and he actually injured me and I had to go off because he caught the ball and then smashed into the side of my knee.
“I think we both hit it but it clipped Murray, who was standing near the line. It touched him on the chest and went in.
“Everyone was saying I was looking for the goal but I didn’t claim it. But I will take it now that it’s down in black and white.
“I know Murray and Fran are both claiming the goal but I’m happy to have it on my record. That’s probably my lot for the season,” he joked.Hat-trickStriker Sandaza says he should have been credited with a hat-trick against the First Division club.
The Spaniard said: “The most important thing is that the team won the game but for strikers it is all about scoring goals and I believe I should have six instead of five for the season so far.
“I have a video of the match at home and I have watched it many times.
“At the time I didn’t claim strongly because the ball did touch Murray’s chest as it went in. But when the referee said it was Frazer’s goal I couldn’t believe it.”
Making his case, Davidson said: “I went to see the referee and he thought it was my goal but it was credited everywhere to Frazer.
“I would have pushed it further but for having to deal with the injury and having a scan the next day.”
Meanwhile, confidence is high in the Saints camp thanks to a 3-0 win at Motherwell at the weekend, and Wright is determined they’ll bring that form back to Perth.
He said: “It was brilliant to get our fourth away clean sheet of the season at Motherwell.
“It was probably our best performance so far.
“We are working hard from front to back for each other.
“That should be the least the manager gets from us. I believe it is in the nature of the guys he has brought in here.
“We haven’t lost a goal away from McDiarmid so far this season and now we have to tighten up at home.
“At the start of the season the manager stressed how much he wanted good cup runs.
“We got a 0-0 at Paisley in the league but we were short of our best.
“There are definitely goals in this team, as we showed again at the weekend.”
Kevin Moon is a doubt tonight but there are no other fresh injury worries. David McCracken is available.
Manager Derek McInnes said: “We’re five games undefeated and we want to ask more questions of St Mirren than we did at Paisley recently.”
The St Mirren squad is unchanged from their weekend defeat to Hearts.