Get Used To It

Teams at the bottom of the SPL don't want to lose so are less likely to play expansive football. Only 3,628 hardy souls turned up at St Mirren Park - 297 from Lanarkshire - to watch St Mirren draw with Hamilton Accies and home manager Gus MacPherson knows that there will be similar games to suffer before the season ends. The dull game provided plenty of evidence for those who are concerned about Scottish football. The real winners on the day were those fans who found something else to do on Saturday. Accies started brightly enough but the only real chance of the game was missed early by midfielder James McArthur who sent his shot wide with only Saints keeper Paul Gallacher to beat. The result did allow the sides to increase the gap between them and bottom club Falkirk who lost to Dundee United. Accies are now two points clear and the Buddies one more point better off. However, MacPherson, whose side have both Old Firm clubs and on-form Hearts and Motherwell to face before the split, predicted further drudgery between now and the end of the season. He said: "You can see the way the games are at the moment and it's not just St Mirren, it's at most of the games I go and watch. It is a physical challenge more than anything and it's maybe coming down to individual mistakes in the penalty box and missed chances. They missed two or three chances in the opening period when they went with that system. But there was a lot of physical stuff in the second half, a lot of balls into the box. However, we dealt with most of it and there were very few chances at either end. So that is what it's coming down to - a lot of it is about the physical aspect." MacPherson did not want to look to how Falkirk are doing to counterbalance the failures of his side to take three points. He said: "I am only looking at our results and it was a point gained. We can't influence games that are going on around us. The only thing we can concern ourselves with is our own performances and focus on what we are doing and we have always done that." Hamilton boss Billy Reid was understandably disappointed that McArthur missed his chance for a goal, saying: "at this level you don't get better chances than that", but remains positive for the rest of the season. He said: "We feel as if we are moving in the right direction and we are getting our players back. James Wesolowski picked up a hamstring injury but Mickael Antoine-Curier is due back, he has been a fantastic addition and the twins (Marco and Flavio Paixao) are playing well. So it's a strong squad and we will start winning games." Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)This is Scottish-Fitba Net

Source: FOOTYMAD