Simo Valakari is thrilled that his St Johnstone team were able to overcome adversity before the game and during it to secure a priceless victory over Kilmarnock.
Several inches of snow in Perth and traffic disruption across Scotland put the Premiership clash in doubt and forced kick-off to be put back by 15 minutes.
The Killie bus was delayed on its way to McDiarmid Park but Valakari revealed that it wasn’t until 2pm that half of his own team arrived.
That probably showed in Saints’ first half struggles.
But a moment of magic on 53 minutes decided the game, with Makenzie Kirk heading home a pinpoint Andre Raymond cross.
“We don’t use excuses,” said Valakari.
“But it has been a very demanding week for training.
“We’ve had to adapt because of the weather – we probably only had one football session all week.
“Some of our players arrived a little bit later than the Kilmarnock bus.
“It was about 2 o’clock – half of the starting line-up. They were sharing cars.
“That gives me even more satisfaction.
“After the first half we could have thought: ‘I’ve been sitting in my car for hours, not training all week, I can’t play better than this’.
“No, no. No excuses. We went and got the three points we needed.
“I said to the players: ‘I have missed this kind of football for 25 years!’
“This is proper Scottish football and I love it.
“What the players went through – it wasn’t easy. That’s why I’m so happy.”
Suffering Saints
Valakari added: “We really suffered in the first half. We knew that we were going to play against a team who were going to come and play man to man and we could not cope well enough.
“We were giving away sloppy passes, giving away lots of corners and throw-ins so the pressure was on us for almost 30 minutes of the first half.
“We suffered, but we all suffered together.
“There were big defensive displays, there were big clearances, there were big headers and blocks.
“Then in the second half we started passing and we scored an excellent goal but then in the moments when we could keep calm heads and keep the ball, we started to be nervous which is totally normal because we’ve not been winning games.
“Big credit to our groundsman, Chris, and his staff to get the conditions as it good as they were.
“And thanks to the fans because first half it was not easy but they were behind us. They were not booing us. They were supporting us. That’s what we needed so I’m so happy to win this match.”
Kirk gets his reward
Kirk was selected to start for the first time under Valakari.
“With Makenzie, I’ve seen he is a really good finisher,” said the Finn. “He can finish with his head and both feet.
“What I asked him to do today was to run as much as he can.
“When he’s mobile, on the move and putting players under pressure we as a team get chances.
“He did this today.
“He played very well in a practice match as well.
“Football works in a logical way – when you try to do the right things for the team, you will get your reward. Makenzie got it today.”
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