The partnership Stevie May formed with Steven MacLean has been the best-fitting and, by some distance, the most celebrated one of the St Johnstone forward’s career.
Some would say it was the most significant in the history of the Perth club.
The three-time cup winner has seen early signs that he and Nicky Clark could strike-up another hand-in-glove McDiarmid Park double act.
May provided the headed assist for the recent recruit’s debut goal against St Mirren last weekend and the footballing styles of the two experienced forwards seemed to complement each other very well in general.
If that’s what they can showcase after a couple of training sessions, the possibilities of even better to come should whet the appetite of Saints fans.
Morning @nickyclark91 🤩 pic.twitter.com/WpIwELO6NO
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) September 4, 2022
On the Clark-MacLean comparison, May said: “You could definitely say that in terms of his hold-up play.
“He won a few headers and brought others into the game.
“It won’t just be me – or whoever plays up front – who will benefit from that. It will be the midfielders as well.”
May has scored goals as a lone striker down the years but he’s been at his best as one half of an attacking two.
“Although we didn’t actually play as many games together as people might think (it was only 21), Macca would be the one at the top of the list,” he said.
“That one season together, it wasn’t just the work he did for myself and the team it was the talking and the help he gave me.
“It certainly worked well.
“Hopefully this one will be something similar.
“At Hamilton it was Louis Longridge or big John McShane.
“Alloa would have been Kev Cawley – he was a good partner. A hard worker who was really busy and dragged markers away.
On this day in 2012 Alloa clinched the Third Division title with an emphatic 8-1 win!
⚽⚽⚽⚽ Stevie May
⚽ OG, Winters, McCord & CampbellA truly wonderful day, incredible team & unforgettable season, cumulating in just Alloa's 3rd league title since joining the SFL in 1921🐝 pic.twitter.com/s4fN2ofUqQ
— Alloa Stats (@AlloaStats) April 7, 2020
“Atdhe Nuhiu at Sheffield Wednesday was about 6ft8 but he was more about step-overs than being a target man.
“Macca is definitely the one who stands out as the one who was the best fit for a partner for me.”
Poacher’s instinct
May added: “If you get in the team you want to make sure you stay there.
“I enjoyed having a link-man up with me. We combined well.
“Nicky’s poacher’s instinct helped get us the opening goal.
“When you’ve got someone up with you, you do get more options.
“You can drag defenders about the pitch.
“Hopefully this is the start of a good partnership.”
MOTM either @Stevie__may or @nickyclark91. Both put in a great shift to set the tempo and it payed off. Drey Wright also doing wonders up the right wing.
— R.K. (@Ryan_K177) September 4, 2022
In good times or bad, May’s work-rate is always beyond reproach.
It’s something Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes will remember well, as the academy product used to leave first team stars trailing in bleep tests when he was boss at McDiarmid over a decade ago.
“We used to do it out on the main pitch,” May recalled.
“There weren’t many who could beat me!
“I used to get stick off the older boys. They didn’t like it!
“It was always the goalies dropping out first. I can remember Euan McLean standing there shaking his head at me!
“Back then I just wanted to work as hard as I could to get a chance.
“I’d probably have been better at bleep tests then than I am now.
“They’ve kind of gone out of football a bit. It’s more about sprints and acceleration than non-stop running.
“I can’t actually remember the last one I did.
“Showing a manager that you’re going to give absolutely everything definitely would have helped me catch the eye of the manager at the time (McInnes).
“It’s something that has stayed with me. Hard work is a given.”
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