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Boyhood supporter Fraser Taylor is living the dream at St Mirren after making an impact off the bench in the defeat to SK Brann.
The 21-year-old midfielder was thrown on with 20 minutes left in Bergen and helped haul St Mirren back into contention with a pinpoint cross for Alex Iacovitti to head home.
While inevitable that the occasion is tinged with disappointment over the eventual exit from Europe this season – for academy graduate Taylor there is huge pride to be taken both personally and for the squad as a whole.
“We came here to get a result,” he said. “It wasn’t to be but just to get that goal and celebrate it was brilliant.
“It makes it that wee bit more special [as a St Mirren fan]. I’m delighted.
“It was a very hard game against very good opponents but I think the boys done us proud and done the fans proud. I hope the fans had a good time.”
Highly-rated Taylor – who spent last season on loan at Ballymena where he won a player of the year award – was right in front of the noisy 750-strong away support as he curled in the corner for a leveller that will live long in the memory having waited 37 years for a return to the European stage.
“It was amazing. I heard them shouting my name,” he said of the booming support ahead of the set-piece. “I just thought, ‘Put in a good delivery and we’ve got boys who can head the ball in’.
“Big Yak is one of them and it was excellent that he got on the end of it.”
“The celebrations were amazing.
“I thought the boys were going to see me but they all ran to the sub bench!
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“It was amazing. That’s why you play football, for moments and nights like this.
“We’re gutted that we are out of Europe but had been great with a lot of good experiences for all the younger boys and those who haven’t played in Europe before.”
Despite his Euro appearance being just his sixth outing as a first-team player for St Mirren, Taylor was confident he would leave a mark on the game having learned his trade watching club heroes and working closely with Ryan Flynn in recent seasons.
He said: “I always feel like I’m ready and doing it in training to show the manager I want more game time. To show that he trusts me to go on in a game like that meant a lot.
“It wasn’t a surprise. I was ready. I’m ready and I want to show the manager that I can play at this level. Hopefully, that showed him that I made an impact – that’s all I can really do.
“I looked up to players like Ryan Flynn and Stephen McGinn. Stevie Mallan was in my position as well so I looked at them.
“Flynny was in with us the last couple of years so he taught me a lot. He took me under his wing, that was brilliant.”
Such was Taylor’s desire to impress, and boldness to back his ability, that he sauntered out of the St Mirren box under pressure in the latter stages before being caught with a heavy challenge and requiring stitches.
“I know, I know,” he laughed when reflecting on the moment he dribbled inside his own box.
“The manager said to buy passes and not hoof the ball - rest on the ball.
“So I thought I’d take it on a wee run in my own box, you learn from those things!
“It was just when I played it out the boy has caught me late. I had a couple stitches in my ankle but it’s all good.” On whether he’ll be available against Dundee United, he added: “Hopefully fine!”
