Cracks is latest proud Perth dad

Mar 16 2012 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

DAVID McCracken admits the weekend break was perfectly timed, writes PA Sport’s Gordon Bannerman.

The St Johnstone defender celebrated the arrival of baby Erin at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital and made the most of the free Saturday to spend quality time with wife Jennifer and nine-year-old daughter Rachel.

But his game head is back on to face St Mirren.

McCracken, who has formed a solid central defensive partnership with fellow new dad Frazer Wright in the absence of injured Steven Anderson, said: “I suppose the timing was ideal, although it still hurts that we had the free weekend because we lost out to Hearts in the cup with that last minute penalty. That was a bitter pill to swallow because we felt we should have gone through.”

Unlike Wright’s dash south straight from the Aberdeen game only to miss the birth of baby Chloe in Wishaw by a matter of minutes, this was drama free.

The one-time Dundee United defender, who was lured back to Scotland from Brentford by previous Saints manager Derek McInnes last summer, would love to secure a win in Paisley to firm-up the club’s top six and European prospects.

“We had to put the cup defeat behind us, pick ourselves up and move on.

“The gaffer, Steve Lomas, was looking for us to tighten up and we have done that in recent games. We are always going to create chances so we know we can win games if we do a job at the back.”

McCracken was confident he was coming into a club on the up when he returned to Scotland.

He said: “Few managers bump their gums about what they are going to do at the start of a season but I felt with the squad we had here there was scope to build on previous years. Derek said the plan was to kick on.

“Obviously there are no guarantees in football and we still need points. So a win in Paisley would help the cause.”