St Johnstone have always been a streaky side as far as Stevie May is concerned.
And now that the Perth men have found their rhythm again, the weekend goal hero is hoping that theme continues.
It’s going to take a sustained spell of good form to get Saints into the top six of the Premiership but two wins on the road in a row have given them a strong platform to attempt it.
May, who scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Dundee United on Saturday, said: “We are going to have to look up the way at some point but after what happened last season, the big games are against the teams in and around us.
“We had a scare last year which has not happened to us in the past, especially so late on.
“This season we wanted to get ourselves breathing room and make everyone more comfortable and then you can build on it.
Huge win for Saints. 10 points clear of United. Crazy winner for Stevie May and they were dropping too deep at points but the centre-backs won header after header. That's as animated Callum Davidson has been for a long time at full-time in front of 1,500 Saints fans.
— Eric Nicolson (@C_ENicolson) February 18, 2023
“As a club we seem to go on good runs and then little bad ones.
“It is always better to be on the good ones of course and put as many points on the board as you can.
“The difference last season was it was ourselves and one other team down there.
“We have a gap right now and we are in a stronger position than last year.
“We can’t get complacent – we have to keep putting performances together.
“The way we are playing, we have good quality and results will come.”
One in a million
May admitted that his winning goal, which came after he charged down United goalkeeper, Mark Birighitti, was a career first.
“I haven’t ever scored one before from pressing the goalie,” said Saints’ top scorer.
“I must have done it about a million times and it finally paid off.
“Usually it goes out of play if it deflects off you but for it to lead to a goal is great.
“We were so frustrated to lose a goal just before it, so it gave us a huge boost.
“Our backs had been against the wall just before they scored, so to get the winner was huge.
“It took some winds out of their sails and got us the win.
“The goalie’s touch stopped right in front of the goal. Usually they take a touch away from the goal.
“It was there to be won and I thought I had a chance to get there and the closer I got the more I thought I could get there before him.
“You don’t often get a chance like that.
“United probably thought after the equaliser about going for the win, so for us to score again straight away it was huge for both sides.”
There was nothing one in a million about May’s opener but it was memorable in a more conventional way.
“It was a great goal team goal and we put a few passes together,” he said.
“It had taken us ten or 15 minutes to get going and after that we got some joy.
“It was about beating the press and then we got Melker (Hallberg) got into a good position.
“He put in a great ball and I caught it well. It wasn’t right in the corner but it was enough.”
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