Accies clash is now vital

Dec 11 2007

DEREK McInnes, pictured, has thrown down the gauntlet to his quick on the draw squad.

The Perth club are counting down to a make or break clash with joint leaders Hamilton this weekend.

And the recently appointed manager views it as the ideal opportunity to breathe fresh life into a faltering challenge for the championship.

He said: “I know Accies will probably see this as a chance to put St Johnstone to bed. But for me, and hopefully the players, it is a chance to make inroads into the current deficit.

“We have to realise what is at stake.”

The gap is 13 points, although fourth-placed Saints – the last team to win in Hamilton – have a game in hand. Ironically, Accies have lost four games to St Johnstone’s two. But nine draws have hampered Perth progress.

Saints will have to do without defender Kevin Rutkiewicz, who was red carded in the draw with Morton.

But while McInnes wasn’t impressed with the petulance which warranted the initial caution, he has defended his skipper after viewing video evidence.

“I wasn’t happy about the first booking and Kevin has been told. But the referee made a huge mistake with the second. It had a bearing on the game.

“There was no contact and I’m even more bemused now having watched the tape. Obviously Kevin now misses the Hamilton game.

“It was a poor point for us on Saturday and we’ve had too many like that this season.

“We’ve not had that ruthless winning streak we showed during the run-in last season. And we have to stop gifting goals. The first against Morton was just ridiculous.”

On the bright side, McInnes was impressed with the form of Steven Milne, who started for the first time in 11 months and scored his first goal for a year.

He replaced departed loan striker Kenny Deuchar, who earned the Irn-Bru player of the month award for his exploits at Perth.

“I was delighted for Savo. His workrate was great and he surprised me lasting so long.

“It’s a credit to the work he has put in to get over his injury.”

Meanwhile, Rocco Quinn remains firmly on the St Johnstone radar.

Yesterday, McInnes was involved in further talks with Celtic in an attempt to progress his bid to tie-up the on-loan midfielder on a permanent contract.

The Perth manager said: “It is ongoing. We are trying to get things resolved. Rocco wants to stay and we want him here.”

Quinn told PA Sport: “I have spoken to the manager but haven’t given much thought to my future yet.

“The focus has been on playing games which have come thick and fast.

“Obviously Owen Coyle is away now and he brought me here. But that won’t make any difference. I didn’t realise the gaffer was in the running for the job but we couldn’t have asked for a better appointment.

“As I say, I haven’t really thought about my future but I wouldn’t mind seeing it through to see what we can do at the end of the season.

“We know ourselves we have had too many draws.

“There is extra inventive this weekend going to Hamilton and we are desperate for the game to come around.

“It will be tough but we won’t fear them. They were top when they came to Perth and we took four off them. We had a missed opportunity against Morton and now we have the added incentive of becoming the first team to win on their patch this season.”

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SAINTS face Montrose away tonight at 7.45pm in the Reserve League Cup. The youths went down 2-1 to Aberdeen at the weekend, with Darren Flynn getting the Perth goal.