Craig hails Saints' team spirit
Liam Craig has discovered the spirit among the St Johnstone squad is just as strong following his return to McDiarmid Park - but he wants to ensure a less desirable trait disappears.
Craig believes team spirit has been crucial to the club's recent success before and after he left for Hibernian in the summer of 2013.
That resolve has been evident this season as Saints have fought back well from losing early openers in each of their four Ladbrokes Premiership games, gaining points against Inverness and Ross County at home and losing a seven-goal thriller at Hearts after coming back from two down.
Craig also saw a goal controversially disallowed in last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Dundee, after Steven MacLean was judged to have pushed a defender in the build-up.
And Craig believes all that is evidence that they will overcome their traditionally slow start to the season.
The 28-year-old, whose team host Motherwell on Saturday, said: "I definitely think the success the club has had has been built on (team spirit) and the whole squad has played its part. It's not been down to 11 or 12 players it's been down to the whole squad along with that spirit.
"I think we have shown that to come back in all the games. Even in the Dundee game, I didn't think there was a lot wrong with my goal and that could have got us a draw.
"We have shown that spirit in the games and now we want to get that first goal and let other teams chase the game.
"It's such a tight league and the first goal is always going to be important."
St Johnstone hope to have David Wotherspoon back for the visit of Ladbrokes Premiership rivals Motherwell. The midfielder missed the defeat at Dundee with an ankle knock but returned to training on Thursday.
Steven Anderson (broken eye socket) remains out until after the international break.
Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough has no fresh injuries. Striker Wes Fletcher is hoping to shake off an ankle problem after missing two games but midfielder Stephen Pearson is definitely out after undergoing knee surgery.
Louis Moult admits he underestimated the standard of Scottish football ahead of his summer move to Motherwell.
The forward likened the Ladbrokes Premiership to the middle reaches of English football following his first four games.
Moult arrived from Wrexham after spending most of his career in the Conference, although he started off with Premier League Stoke and had a loan spell at Bradford in League Two.
Motherwell have had a difficult start to the season with one win against William Hill Scottish Cup holders Inverness followed by defeats against Dundee United, Hearts and Aberdeen before they take on another side which finished in the top six last season, St Johnstone.
Moult said: "I've been really, really surprised if I'm honest. The standard has been fantastic.
"It reminds me of League One or the Championship, that kind of football, especially the teams we have been playing against lately.
"We have had tough games and I think we have done really well. Especially against Aberdeen, I thought at times we looked really, really good, going forward especially, although I'm going to say that as a striker.
"But I have been really impressed by the standard."
Source: PAR
