Simo Valakari knows St Johnstone are at the foot of a mountain.
But the Perth boss is delighted that the club finally got the chance to celebrate a win together as they seek to turn their season around.
A deserved 1-0 victory over Motherwell was their first in two months.
It ended a nine-game winless run and sent Saints into the last-16 of the Scottish Cup.
Makenzie Kirk’s early goal was enough for the hosts and, with Victor Griffith and Sam Curtis making impressive debuts, Valakari couldn’t have asked for much more.
“We got the result and the performance,” he said.
“It was a cup tie so obviously the most important thing was getting into the next round. We did that.
“But it was good to get the performance as well.
“First half we were good on the ball and second half we did what we needed to do and defended well.
“Even if we’d lost, that would still have been a good performance.
“It was a big result for the players, the clubs and the fans. Everyone.
“It has not been easy over the last few weeks.
“It was great to have the chance to celebrate a win in front of our supporters. We’ve not had enough of them.
“Does this change anything? No. You have to understand what I mean by that.
“Yes, we won but our problem has been that we’ve been too up and down.
“Now we need to try and keep this level.
“If we perform like this, with full heart and urgency, we will get more wins.”
The debutants
On Griffith and Curtis, who played important roles in the triumph, Valakari said: “The new guys were very good.
“Sam? I love this kid. I love his character, how he wants to win for his team-mates. His eyes are sparkling and he’s ready for a football war.
“Victor? You saw he’s a very intelligent player. Most of the time he was in the right positions and won his duels.
“We couldn’t find him enough but in time he will gel even more with our team.
“But it wasn’t just about the new players.
“The players already here have been working hard and I’m happy that the new players have helped them with the energy they have brought. It has not been easy over the last few weeks.
“I’m very happy for the players because I know exactly how much they’ve gone through.
“They’ve taken a lot of heat and have been hurting.
“We enjoy tonight and tomorrow we’ll be back in training.”
Fans understand
Time will tell if this win proves to be a spark for a Premiership revival.
“Since the first day I’ve been explaining what we are doing,” Valakari added.
“When you don’t get the results, nobody is believing you.
“But our supporters are very passionate and intelligent.
“All this time they have seen what we are trying to do here.
“Yes, of course, it’s easier to speak about your process when you get a win but we know how much work we have ahead of us.”
Saints’ set-piece threat has left a lot to be desired this season but they have now scored goals from corners in successive games.
On this occasion, Graham Carey’s in-swinger was headed on by Griffith and, after Archie Mair saved, Kirk was quickest to react to the loose ball.
Valakari’s men should have had a more comprehensive half-time lead, with Kirk dragging another golden chance wide, Curtis seeing a penalty shout turned down and Carey blasting over.
But, despite the fact that Motherwell dominated possession in the second half, Andy Fisher didn’t have a save to make and Saints secured their place in the draw for the fifth round.
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