Source: FOOTYMAD
Let's Not Get That Sinking Feeling Again
St Mirren get an early chance to ease the memory of the last meeting with Hibs Danny Lennon has told his St Mirren players to remember how low they felt following their recent defeat by Hibs ahead of today's game in Paisley. The Buddies lost 2-0 at Easter Road earlier this month to allow their opponents to move above them in the table. The Paisley side have an early opportunity to regain the advantage over Colin Calderwood's men; a win would take them back into 10th place. And Lennon knows his side at least have to match the visitor's hunger and make sure they are not chasing the game again following a poor start at Easter Road. The St Mirren manager said: "We certainly know where we went wrong against Hibs. They were the hungrier side that day, they were well at us. I spoke to the players after the game about how they felt and not to feel that way again. I certainly got that response and I've got that response in the last two games. They know they have got to turn up week in week out from the start of every game and make sure we give ourselves every opportunity.'' St Mirren bounced back from the defeat with a cup win at Ayr before securing a 3-3 against Inverness in an entertaining SPL game. Saints dominated the second half of that encounter but lost a goal on the counter-attack after conceding two goals to crosses into the box before the interval. Lennon moved from a 4-4-2 formation to playing three central defenders after the break but he felt basic errors were to blame for the goals they lost, and does not feel he faces any dilemma over finding the balance between being threatening going forward and solid at the back. Lennon said: "That's two on the trot that they have certainly been well at it on the offensive side of things. It was very uncharacteristic of us last week in the mistakes we made defensively. But we've certainly worked hard on the training ground this week and got it right. Going to the three centre-backs in the second half, it strengthened us. Sometimes you have to counter whatever the opposition are doing. Systems are only there to guide and give them a platform. It wasn't a system that was the problem, we just didn't do basics right defensively. It wasn't rocket science where we went wrong. The way we played offensively, I was very, very confident, even at 3-2 down that we could go on and not just draw the game but win the game, if we kept the basics right at the back. That's the positives I want to take and build upon.'' Goalkeeper Graham Stack wants to play down his role in Hibs' resurgence and say the entire squad deserve credit for finally putting smiles back on the faces of their fans. The 'keeper's return to the starting line-up for the first time since August has coincided with morale-boosting back-to-back wins over St Mirren and Kilmarnock. Easter Road manager Colin Calderwood took the decision to rotate his four goalkeepers and Stack, finally fit after persistent back problems, appears to have taken his chance. Stack is pleased to have played a part in easing the club's relegation worries but feels the whole squad, boosted by six January arrivals, have helped turn the tide at the Edinburgh club. The former Arsenal custodian said: "The turnaround's nothing to do with me. We've won our last two but I'm not the only one who has come in and done okay. There's been a few good individual performances that have helped us kick on. Sitting up in the stand and looking down it looked like we were low on confidence but when I got out there for my first game it didn't feel like that at all - I felt part of a team that had a bit of bite. That could have been down to the new boys who came in and weren't aware of what had been going on. It was a fresh start, including for myself after being out for so long.'' Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)This is ScottishFitba Net
