He was a long-time mentor and role model to Scottish Cup hero Zander Clark.
But former St Johnstone keeper Alan Mannus isn’t claiming any credit for his successor’s role in carving out Sunday’s extraordinary Scottish Cup triumph against a title winning Rangers side which had viewed Ibrox as an impregnable fortress.
Mannus (38), who is enjoying life at Shamrock Rovers, is now hoping Callum Davidson’s squad demands space in the McDiarmid trophy cabinet for the Scottish Cup, seven years on from the date inscribed on his own winner’s medal.
“People keep doubting St Johnstone but it just goes to show they can never be written off,” he said, mindful that Saints upset the odds time and time again under Tommy Wright on the domestic front and in Europe against clubs like Rosenborg and Luzern.
ST JOHNSTONE EQUALISE IN THE 120TH MINUTE! 😱😱
Goalkeeper Zander Clark flicks it on and Chris Kane slots it home! 🔵⚪
Madness at Ibrox! 🤪#ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/4AF77kmlVd
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) April 25, 2021
“When will people ever learn? It’s typical of St Johnstone.
“The competition is wide open now.
“Callum will have them focusing on the semi-final and not getting ahead of themselves.
“I keep an eye on how Saints are doing and he seems to be doing a great job in getting the team organised and ready.
“Why can’t Saints repeat our win of 2014?
“Obviously they weren’t favourites going into the Rangers game and having already won the Betfred Cup they will be full of belief going into the semi-final with St Mirren.
The kick-off dates and times for the Semi-Finals of the 2020-21 Scottish Cup have been confirmed.@DundeeUnitedFC v @HibernianFC
Saturday, 8 May – 4pm@PremierSportsTV@SaintMirrenFC v @StJohnstone
Sunday, 9 May – 2.15pm@PremierSportsTV & @BBCOne Scotland#ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/1LCBRVP2Vr— Scottish Cup (@ScottishCup) April 27, 2021
“I would love to see the current team go on to win the trophy.
“We all remember how great a day it was for the club, the players and above all the supporters seven years ago.
“I’m sure the club wanted it to be more than a one-off.
“It was always nice to prove people wrong when I was at St Johnstone and it’s good to see they are still punching above their weight.”
Mannus faced nerve-jangling penalty shoot-outs, with contrasting outcomes, against Luzern and FC Minsk at McDiarmid, and he helped Shamrock Rovers claim the FAI Cup in a 2019 shootout with Dundalk.
He is full of admiration for Clark’s all-round performance at Ibrox.
And the Northern Ireland international chuckled at his old colleague’s bid to claim Chris Kane’s last-gasp goal which levelled the quarter final tie at 1-1 and set-up the 4-2 shootout victory from the penalty spot.
“Zander will just be delighted that they got the goal, regardless of Kano getting the final touch,” Mannus said.
“As a keeper myself, the last thing you want when a team sends their goalkeeper up for a corner in the final moments of a game is to see him score.
“You don’t want the ball to go anywhere near him.
“It causes confusion because there’s an extra man in the box, so who picks him up?
“Managers go over set-pieces and who picks-up-who at them. But they probably never think about a situation like this.
“And given the sheer size of Zander that’s obviously an added threat when Liam Craig’s corner came in.
“Even if he goes in there and just stands still he is causing a distraction.
“We all know Zander is capable of unbelievable saves so the ones during the game and even in the penalty shootout shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone.
“But you don’t coach getting a header away in a massive cup tie.
No one deserves the positivity and credit he’s getting more than him.”
“It’s certainly something he will always remember and so will Saints fans.
“I have watched Zander develop over the years and no one deserves the positivity and credit he’s getting more than him.
“He has put in the hard work since he was 18 and this is his reward.
“It couldn’t happen to a better person. I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Mannus can lay claim to getting his name on the scoresheet for Linfield against Omagh Town in his younger days with the Northern Ireland side.
“That was a long kick up the park which bounced over the keeper’s head,” he recalled.
“I have gone up in the last minute any number of times but never scored.
“I have only got my head to it once and that went past the post.
“So Zander is one up on me – at least he got his header on target!”
Buoyed by his performance in keeping Rangers at bay well into extra-time, Clark produced vital saves to frustrate James Tavernier and Kemar Roofe as four Saints players – Craig, Callum Booth, Jason Kerr and Ali McCann – calmly converted their efforts.
“I’m not surprised Zander saved two Rangers penalties. He is an imposing presence,” observed Mannus, who has won cups in Northern Ireland, the Republic and Scotland.
“I don’t know if he researched them or played it by ear.
“I have done both myself at different times and it was much the same outcome.
“After the performance he turned in and with his character and mentality, Zander deserved any luck that was going in the shootout.”
