MURRAY DAVIDSON has urged his teammates to tighten up on their discipline after St Johnstone had two men sent off during their Premier Sports Cup opener against Annan Athletic.
Dan Cleary was shown a red card for appearing to punch Annan’s Tom Muir, before Cammy MacPherson was also dismissed for a studs showing 50/50 challenge on Aidan Smith.
Perth boss Callum Davidson vented his frustrations towards Cleary after Saints missed out on a bonus point via a penalty shootout, but he was more sympathetic towards MacPherson.
Murray Davidson has never shied out of a challenge during his career, but over the course of his time in football, he has managed to channel his tough tackling game in the right manner.
And now the 34-year-old has urged his teammates to do the same.
“We need to tighten up on our discipline,” he explained. “It is our first game, and we can’t be getting people sent off like that.
“I have not seen it back, but from speaking to referee Don Robertson and Dan, he has raised his hands. If you do that then you give the referee an option.
“He has made the decision it is a red card and like I say it makes it more difficult for us. Cammy MacPherson’s is slightly different. Anyone can get sent off for a challenge, but I think it is just two people going for the ball.
“The referees have to take into consideration that if you are half a second out you are going to catch people.
“I don’t think there was any malice in it, but again he makes the decision, and we are down to nine men for the last couple of minutes.
“I don’t think it is a red card. That is me but it is the referee who makes the decision.
“In Dan’s situation, that is where everyone needs to keep disciplined and not give the referee a decision.
“The decision has been made whether it is a foul or not, so like I say it is something we need to work on. That is the first game and we have had two red cards and ultimately it has cost us.
“We still had enough chances and we are disappointed not to win the game. We have three games to go and we need to try and win the group.”
Saints now have it all to do to ensure that they qualify out of Group F in the Premier Sports Cup, and they now face a tough trip to Queen of the South on Saturday.
Davidson admits it will be a tough test, but he issssss there were plenty of positives to take from the Annan opener.
He continued: “I thought we started the game ok, eleven vs eleven. We were comfortably the better team then we are down to ten men early on.
“Still eleven vs ten I thought we were the better team, we had chances. When it goes to penalties it is a lottery.
“Pressure is part and partial of football. It is not the ideal start but if we win our next three games, which will be difficult, but our aim is to win those games and end up with ten points.
“If we do that, we will be in with a chance of topping the group and progressing. That is the aim.
“A wee bit better delivery or finish and I am sure we will get there. A lot of the stuff was good on Tuesday up until the final third.”
After ensuring Scottish Premiership survival by the skin of their teeth last term Saints know that a positive opening to the 2022/23 campaign is vitally important.
Davidson added: “A good start is always important. I have said it for years now, you do not want to be going out of the cup early.
“You don’t want to be losing your first few games in the league. It is still early and I think we showed tonight that there were enough positives there.
“We played the best part of 60 minutes with ten men and we were in complete control of the game.
“It is going to be tough. There will be times when Queens will sit in on Saturday, and that is where it comes down to us as a team to be more creative and show that little more quality. We are confident that it will happen.”
