Irish eyes smiling over the Saints

Dec 30 2008 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

DEREK McINNES has seen off SPL rivals and interest from England and Scandinavia to lure highly-rated Irish defender Graham Gartland to McDiarmid Park.

It’s a major coup for the Perth league leaders, with English outfit Ipswich Town having a £250,000 offer knocked back during the summer by last year’s Irish champions Drogheda United.

But with the defending champions in disarray and immersed in a financial crisis, the 25-year-old enjoys free agent status.

He trained yesterday with the Perth club and will officially clinch a deal through to the end of the season when the transfer window opens on Thursday.

If Saints secure international clearance, Gartland will feature in the squad making for Dingwall and a weekend clash with Ross County.

It’s a signing which sends out a statement of intent to St Johnstone’s title rivals. A left-sided centre back who can cover at left-back, Gartland was being chased by Hamilton Accies and Inverness Caley Thistle.

Earlier this month, he was being linked in Ireland with a trial for Rangers.

Gartland, who was with Dundee United as a youngster after being signed from Barnsley by then boss Alex Smith, has been capped for Ireland at U20 level and for the Republic’s B team.

He comes in as on-loan Kilmarnock player Alan Morgan returns to Rugby Park.

Delighted Saints boss McInnes noted: “Graham is an accomplished defender and we have watched him a few times.

“Graham also carries a threat in the opposition penalty box, scoring twice in the Champions League earlier in the season.”

One of those strikes came in a memorable 2-2 draw with Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev, following hard on the heels of a 2-1 defeat in Drogheda. Gartland also scored against Levadia Tallinn in the previous qualifying round.

McInnes said: “There were other offers on the table for Graham. This is a deal through to the end of the season and we’ll see where we go from there.

“In an ideal world we’d have him tied-up longer but I’m just pleased to get Graham here. He will strengthen our options at the back. He is aggressive and can take the ball and use it.

“He won the league in Ireland with Drogheda and has other Irish medals to his name. He comes with a very good reputation.”

With Kevin James enduring injury woes, Saints have had restricted defensive options. The club captain is back running after visiting a specialist. His schedule will be stepped-up gradually over the next fortnight.

Steven Anderson stepped in for suspended Stuart McCaffrey in the weekend win over Clyde but was forced out early with an ankle injury. The news yesterday was that he should be available for Saturday.

“It’s a good time to strengthen the squad,” said McInnes, whose 14-game unbeaten run is the best since Paul Sturrock’s 16-match sequence en route to the title.

Season ticket holders enjoyed a “Meet the Manager” event yesterday at McDiarmid.

Saints are the division’s top scorers and McInnes said: “We haven’t been as fluent in recent weeks but the Clyde performance was enjoyable and no team goes through a season playing good football all the time.

“The pleasing thing is that we are difficult to beat. But for a last minute goal at Airdrie we’d have four clean sheets in a row. Alan Main didn’t have much to do against Clyde but he produced a brilliant save late on which showed what he is all about.”

McInnes was reluctant to be drawn on improving on past records but he stressed: “I take pride in our current run and so should the players. But the focus remains on one game at a time.

“We have shown consistency and that has taken us to the top of the league. We will need something similar to stay there and we have an important league game against Ross County coming up.”

SAINTS have a bounce game lined up against Rangers today at Murray Park. The idea is to give keeper Euan McLean his first run-out after injury. John Hillcoat’s emergency cover deal is finished and McLean will be on the bench at Ross County. He has recovered from a wrist injury over the last three months.