St Mirren: Total football costing us, says Gus

Published on Tuesday 14 April 2009 09:37

ST MIRREN manager Gus MacPherson insists his side's desire to play football from the back cost his side two valuable points against Hibs last night.

The Paisley side took a deserved lead at St Mirren Park in the 28th minute with Andy Dorman's tenth goal of the season, a wonderful volley from the edge of the box.

The home fans believed their side were on their way to their first Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League win at their new stadium but were stunned right on half-time when Steven Fletcher equalised.

Keeper Mark Howard put defender Jack Ross under pressure and after the ball was lost, Derek Riordan played in the Scotland striker who steered a left-footed shot into the corner of the net. The point took the Buddies four clear of bottom side Falkirk and level with tenth-placed Inverness but MacPherson insists they paid the price for trying to keep the ball on the floor.

He said: "I don't think we should have conceded the goal that we did. I don't think Mark realised it was so close to half-time.

"We encourage him to throw it out at every opportunity because we don't have the physical presence that other teams have so there is no point in just kicking it long.

"We try to build from the back. But we have to continue to play, we can't change. We have players like Jack Ross, Stephen McGinn, Steven Thomson and Craig Dargo, so there is no point going longer and playing off second balls."