St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright insists the furore over Richie Brittain will just be a sideshow as his players focus on securing a second home win of the season.
Much of the pre-match talk will inevitably be about the County midfielder’s return to McDiarmid Park following the tug-of-war between the clubs over the player in the close season.
Neither looked like they would budge but the matter was eventually resolved when County paid the Perth outfit a fee of around £40,000.
Some ill-feeling is likely to have lingered as a result of that saga, but Wright says that shouldn’t detract from Saints’ task in hand.
“We’ll not be distracted by Richie Brittain,” he stressed.
“We will have a job to do, we want to win the game and we want to continue on this good run.
“Richie Brittain is a Ross County player, he’s made a decision and the clubs have come to an agree-ment.
“All I know is that there’s a lot that hasn’t come out in the press and we’re comfortable how we sat with it and dealt with it.”
“I think the majority of people in football know what happened and would fully support what the chairman and St Johnstone FC did.
“It’s just another game and I don’t want it dragging into another Richie Brittain saga again. He’s said all he wanted to say and I think we’ve been vindicated in our stance.”
Asked if the fans were likely to give Brittain, who is available for selection following suspension in his first two games, a hostile reception, Wright added: “If they do that’s their perogative.
“I’m sure there will be some banter and I believe some fans sent him postcards from Norway and stuff like that.
“He didn’t exactly help the situation the way he celebrated in the last game against us. I can’t control the supporters but I’m hoping that they don’t let the club down and that they just give him a bit of friendly banter which I’ve no doubt they’ll do.”
Talks between Saints and Peterborough over striker Stevie May are understood to be on-going, but so far the English club’s bids have not been up to scratch.
Wright added: “At this moment in time he’s still our player and he’ll be used accordingly. It’s out of my hands and the chairman keeps me informed if any further bids have been made. I know there were conversations late Tuesday but I haven’t spoken to the chairman in the last 24 hours because he’s been away.”
Meanwhile, Saints took former England youth international Nicky Ajose on trial.
Ironically, the 21-year-old forward plays for Peterborough, although Wright stressed there was no connection between that and the discussions surrounding May’s future with the Perth club.
Ajose, who has played for his country at U16 and U17 level, has spent the last few seasons on loan at Scunthorpe, Chesterfield, Crawley and Bury.