After literally having to face the music at Aberdeen, St Johnstone have put their Betfred Cup disappointment behind them, according to striker Steven MacLean.
With the Dons and Rangers meeting at Pittodrie tomorrow, Saints have the opportunity at Hamilton to put a bit of daylight between themselves and one or both of those teams.
And, there’s also the possibility of moving into second on their own should Hearts slip up against Ross County today.
Reflecting on the quarter-final cup exit, and the post-match row in the Pittodrie tunnel, MacLean believes the Aberdeen players didn’t cover themselves in glory.
“I have been beaten enough times in my career,” he said. “Listen, there are ways to win and ways to lose and it is just a bit of respect.
“They were shouting and bawling and I don’t mind that but not when a dressing room door is open. I closed the door and they weren’t happy with that.
“We won 5-1 up here last season did you see us doing that? We beat them 3-0 at our bit.
“There are ways. We won a Scottish Cup final and never rubbed Dundee United’s noses in it.
“There are ways to win and lose.
“You know we will probably see some of the Aberdeen boys when we have our Christmas party. It is a laugh. I have played up here and there are no dramas.
“There are ways to do it and ways not to do it.”
Saints would have been the team looking forward to a semi-final against Morton had David Wotherspoon’s free-kick been a couple of inches further out of Joe Lewis’s reach, or the bounce off the post been kinder.
“That’s football,” the former Aberdeen man said. “There are thin dividing lines and if the ball had fallen the other side then I would have been there to tap it in.
“It is unfortunate but it happens and we move on and wish Aberdeen all the best. We just need to concentrate on the league now and then the Scottish Cup when that comes along.
“I thought it was a nothing game. They probably had more possession but they didn’t really have many chances. It was a bit like the first game of the season where we both cancelled each other out.
“If you ask big Zander (Clark) he never really had anything of note. They have changed the way they play us which shows a bit of respect.”
One man who deserves to reflect on a good night’s work in Aberdeen is young centre-back Liam Gordon, who was drafted into a re-shaped back-line, with Richard Foster cup-tied.
MacLean was certainly impressed.
“Liam was excellent,“ he said. “I thought the big man was different class and he has to kick on from here.
“Hopefully, he can. If he continues to play like that he will have a big future.”
Saints have never had a problem getting over cup disappointments in the past, and MacLean expects another positive reaction in Lanarkshire.
“Any game you lose late on is a sore one but we will be fine,” he said. “We have strong characters in our dressing room. I have no doubts we will bounce back.
“There is quick turnaround on Sunday and if we can beat Hamilton then it will be a good start for us. We have a chance, depending on Saturday’s results, to go second or consolidate third.
“We need to push on to see where we finish in the league. We will bounce back and hopefully we will have a good season. We have to be realistic.
“The club has overachieved and has so over the last three or four years. We know we have a good squad. We know we can bat at a good level. We have to be realistic but we will try to push on.”
