Sandy gets a shot at cup glory

Nov 23 2007

WANTED man Sandy Stewart will lead St Johnstone into Sunday’s Challenge Cup final.

With departed manager Owen Coyle yesterday making it clear he wants his close friend beside him in Burnley, it is shaping up as a unique, one-off match in charge.

But yesterday the elevated assistant revealed he had made a pact with chairman Geoff Brown to put all thoughts of his personal future on the back burner, giving priority status to the cup clash with Dunfermline.

With Saints seeking their first ever national cup final win in a century-plus history, Stewart knows the importance of the Dens Park match to everyone connected with St Johnstone.

He said: “I will have mixed emotions. I would love Owen to have been there as he has been in every previous round but obviously circumstances prevent that. It will be strange – but Derek McInnes will assist in training and Atholl Henderson will be in the dug-out as usual.

“What has happened has happened. Now we have to knuckle down and prepare for a cup final. It’s a chance to make history.

“I know it is probably unique for any manager to have a final as his first game in charge. I certainly can’t recall anything similar in my time in football. But if you are going to be manager of a team, what better opportunity to make your mark than by winning a trophy? In years to come it might be a quiz question!

“I have spoken to the chairman and we both agree it would be best to concentrate on Sunday’s game. Then we can sit down next week and see what is going to happen. Owen wants me to join him at Burnley as his assistant manager and that’s flattering. But that’s not something I’m even thinking about right now.

“We don’t want anything detracting from this game. Anything else would be cheating our supporters. I might not be able to guarantee the result but I can certainly guarantee we will give it everything we’ve got to win this trophy.

“It’s not as if I don't have managerial experience. I’m not going in cold. I was in charge for four years at Airdrie and can bring that to the table.

“Most teams that lose a manager are on a downer. That isn’t the case here. There is no doom and gloom. Sure we have drawn more games than we’d have liked but we have only lost two games all season and we are now aiming to win a cup. We will go to Dens Park full of confidence, believing we can win it.

“Whether they want to do it for Owen, themselves, the club or the supporters doesn’t really matter. The priority is winning that first piece of silverware for St Johnstone.

“The boys will be disappointed Owen has left but they won't be thinking of that come Sunday. There is no room for sentiment. They have had a day off and will be totally focused on the final. It will be business as usual. Maybe Pars fans are snubbing the game but we know nearly 4000 fans will get right behind the team from the start at Dens, just as they did in the cup runs last season. And we will be doing our utmost to win them the cup.

“I know from personal experience the difference between winning and losing a cup final.

“Sure Owen has left the football club and while he was a big part of what has been going on everyone else is still here. So why change something when it isn’t broken? The build-up will be very similar to what would have happened if Owen had been here.”