Saints moinitor QPR kid

Jan 22 2013 by Maurice Coyne, Perthshire Advertiser

While Peter Pawlett’s loan from Aberdeen is hanging in the balance, Steve Lomas is hoping to get the green light to bring QPR Welsh Under-21 star Michael Doughty to McDiarmid Park until the end of the season.

PA Sport can also reveal that skipper Dave Mackay will sign a two-year contract extension this week, with all parties happy with the terms and conditions.

That will delight the Perth boss, who has also been busy leafing through his contacts book. Loftus Road boss Harry Redknapp and youth chief Marc Bircham are prepared to send 20-year-old midfielder Doughty north for experience. He was training with the squad last week after loan spells at Crawley Town and Aldershot.

Lomas, who was relieved yesterday to hear that defender Gary Miller had suffered only ligament damage in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat at Motherwell — rather than the suspected broken ankle which would have ended his season — is waiting to hear if Aberdeen will extend Pawlett’s loan, or if they want him back after selling Ryan Fraser to Bournemouth.

Jamie Adams and David Robertson are out for the season and Lomas feared Miller had joined them. Kevin Moon has also missed out on training and Murray Davidson missed Sunday’s game with an ankle injury.

He said: “Gary seems to have tweaked his ankle rather than broken it. It is a massive plus. Now we will see how he reacts during the week.

“Michael was up to have a look around last week and we had a close look at him. Obviously, I know Harry well from our West Ham days and I know Marc from my time at QPR. I think Michael would be a good asset to have but a decision will have to be made in the next few days.”

Lomas was still sore at referee Willie Collum’s failure to award a last-gasp spot-kick for a foul on Nigel Hasselbaink, noting: “If a player has both arms around someone’s waist, it’s a penalty.

“We could have defended better, we made plenty of chances but again we paid the price for our conversion rate.

‘It has been our downfall so far. We are getting into unbelievable situations but scoring is the name of the game and, right now, that is why we are not sitting second.”