To say St Johnstone and St Mirren had contrasting experiences against Kelty Hearts in the Scottish Cup would be quite the understatement.
The Perth Saints suffered one of the worst results in the club’s history and their fans let them know it.
A round later the Paisley Saints put four past the now League Two champions for their sixth victory in seven fixtures and everything in the garden was rosy.
What has happened post-Kelty, though, has been a different story.
St Johnstone have sorted themselves out, winning four of their subsequent 11 matches, drawing the same amount and losing only three.
St Mirren, meanwhile, have won just the one, drawn just the one and lost six.
That lone triumph was a last-gasp affair at Dens Park.
They’ve seen their manager move on and replaced him with one who is now using words like “pathetic” to describe his inherited team’s defending.
An even more significant theme from Stephen Robinson’s comments after the Buddies’ loss at Fir Park was the picture he painted of players whose “heads are elsewhere”.
He spoke about putting “his own stamp” on the squad in the summer and giving it an “upgrade”.
High-risk approach
It’s high-risk stuff to be that open mid-season about present deficiencies and future plans.
Robinson may yet get enough of a reaction out of the players who haven’t been telling their agents to find them a new employer and stop the bleeding.
Or it could continue along a Terry Butcher at Hibs type path.
They’re on the same points total as Aberdeen and are just one behind Livingston and Ross County but St Mirren are the most realistic prey for a St Johnstone team that is building momentum.
📽️Livingston were furious St Johnstone were awarded a match-winning penalty before being denied one of their own. What do you think?👇 pic.twitter.com/ISyRTMV74k
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 2, 2022
You wouldn’t go so far as to describe it as great form in terms of the quality of the football being produced by Saints.
But it’s great form for the task in front of them – churning out results however they may come.
Three centre-halves defending their six-yard box with utter conviction, a goalkeeper taking care of anything that gets past them on the odd occasion, a central midfielder who is rolling back the years with combative simplicity and a striker who you’d back to tuck away any chance that comes his way.
Perth Saints mentally stronger
If it does turn out to be a St Johnstone v St Mirren head to head to avoid the play-off place there will be a a psychological aspect to it.
Last season will still be fresh in the memory of players and supporters.
In the Scottish Cup semi-final and on top six D-day, Callum Davidson’s side were mentally stronger.
With both teams facing one half of the Old Firm on the final weekend before the split, you’d imagine six points will still be the difference going into the bottom half of the table fixtures.
Saints have strong finishes in their DNA.
European places have been secured on the back of them.
Even though the gap to County was smaller a few weeks ago and there were more games to be played, reeling in St Mirren feels like a far more realistic prospect.
