The long haul to the Highlands is probably the least favourite journey of many Scottish footballers but as far as St Johnstone striker Collin Samuel is concerned it’s at the top of his list.
The Trinidad and Tobago international has scored regularly against Saturday’s opponents Inverness Caledonian Thistle and their Dingwall neighbours Ross County, so it’s a match he has good reason to look forward to.
Samuel said, “Maybe Inverness are my lucky club.
“I have scored in both the previous games and hopefully I can keep my record going.
“I seem to like going to the north of Scotland because I have a good record against Ross County. The road trip doesn’t seem to bother me.”
He added, “I can’t wait to get a game after having a day off last Saturday. That was disappointing but now we have two games in four days.
“When we played Inverness up there earlier in the season we produced some of our best football.
“We had opportunities to score and extend our lead. We should have been two or three up so it was disappointing only to get a draw.”Partnership with MayThe former Dundee United man has struck up a promising partnership with teenager Stevie May.
Samuel said, “Stevie is young and full of energy. He also strikes the ball very well. Our styles seem to complement each other.
“If I go long he drops short, and the other way round. We have created an understanding pretty quickly.”
A win in Inverness could take Saints into the top six, but manager Derek McInnes is adamant that the priority is still to achieve the in-house pre-season points total that was set to avoid relegation.
Another rival for a place in the upper half after the mid-season cut, Dundee United, will be next up on Tuesday night and McInnes said, “Let’s see where the next two games take us.
“I don’t make any apology for saying we are still short of the points target we set for the players with SPL safety in mind at the start of the season.
“We still have some work to do before getting there.”
He added, “That has always been crucial for us and we want to reach that target as quickly as possible.
“Only then can we start looking at other objectives. The next 10 games will dictate our season.”‘Drive and determination’McInnes said, “We’re just looking forward to a game after the disappointment of the Aberdeen match being postponed.
“It has been frustrating but we have concentrated on our preparation for Inverness. We are looking forward and there is plenty to be positive about.”
He added, “We can’t wait to get started. I have huge respect for Caley Thistle and watched them draw away to St Mirren on Saturday.
“But we have a job to do and want to do it well, especially with the prospect of taking a big crowd north.
“There is a lot to be positive about. I’m very pleased with the players.
“I see real drive and determination about them to pick up points. Long may that continue.”
On-loan Hearts winger Arvydas Novikovas (20) returns to the squad after being cup-tied against Partick Thistle and midfielder Kevin Moon will travel north, although he isn’t likely to feature on the bench just yet.
A bounce game was cancelled in midweek but he came through 80 minutes in a practice match featuring the Perth first-team squad and youngsters.