Lomas brands appeal set-up a waste of time

ST JOHNSTONE manager Steve Lomas will not appeal against Rowan Vine’s red card against Ross County on Saturday but remains convinced referee Crawford Allan made a mistake.

The Saints striker was sent off following an incident involving Staggies skipper Richard Brittain during his side’s 2-1 win. With it being his second dismissal of the season, the former QPR player will miss the next three games.

“Rowan turned his back and was pushed and he turned and stuck his chest out and Richard Brittain went down like a sack of spuds,” said Lomas. “It was a very disappointing reaction.

“That’s him missing for three games. I said it was a poor decision by the referee and I stand by that. But we won’t be appealing. The appeals process makes appealing a waste of time.”

St Johnstone’s poor start to the season has been arrested with two wins and a draw in the last three matches. Lomas looks forward to taking on the Irn-Bru Third Division leaders, who won 4-0 at Elgin City at the weekend.

“The onus is on us,” he said. “Queen’s Park will get the respect they deserve, they are doing very well at the moment… but it is about our mentality.

Queen’s Park head coach, Gardner Speirs, has a selection headache of the right kind to solve before kick-off. The squad from Saturday’s 4-0 win has been bolstered by the return of Jamie Brough and Ian Watt from work commitments.

Speirs knows that he has to get the selection right to have any chance of progressing to the quarter-finals. “St Johnstone finished last season in sixth place in the top Division, played in Europe and have won their last two games by defeating Celtic and then ending Ross County’s long unbeaten record,” he said.