One year ago Zander Clark was preparing himself for a moment he was certain would never be matched - never mind topped.
The St Johnstone goalkeeper was wrong. It would prove his only wrong call in a three-month spell which took him to the peak of footballing ecstasy.
Sunday marks the anniversary of Saints’ Betfred Cup Final triumph over Livingston which began a journey to cup double dreamland and rubbing shoulders with European giants before ending with the entire club being granted the freedom of Perth only this month.
It’s as close as Scottish football has got to a real-life fairytale and Clark is adamant nothing will ever match the elation of that party that followed the securing of the Scottish Cu p three months after the Bretfred trophy.
But while the euphoria might never be matched, the big keeper is well aware the value of the double success might well be topped just a year on from the Hampden high.
Not matched in silverware. But in the weight of importance.
Twelve months on from the start of a dream and Callum Davidson ’s side are in a dogfight. Scrapping to save their top flight status.
They’ll celebrate the anniversary of that League Cup winning weekend with a pressure pot Premiership survival clash away to third bottom Ross County.
Clark is adamant that emerging victorious from this battle in May will be every bit is big for the club as landing two Hampden blows last season.
He said: “Personally I don’t think anything will come close to the emotional high of last season. But for the club the next few months are every bit as important.
“It’s kind of hard to get your head round the last year since the Betfred Cup Final.
“After that day I remember thinking 'nothing will ever come close to this'.
“Then two months down the line we have that feeling multiplied by 10 as we win the Scottish Cup and complete the double of our dreams.
“They are two days that will live with me for life and won’t be topped.
“But I heard the manager saying survival this season would match the cup double and I understand what he means.
“Last season we were flying. But we are not at that stage now.
“We know we are in a dogfight and the form we were on last month - 10 straight defeats and 13 without a win - if you can turn that around to save your top flight status then it really would be some achievement.
“The next few months are absolutely massive.”
The signs are that the form is indeed turning. After ending that woeful run with a goalless draw against relegation rivals Dundee it’s been just one defeat in the last six culminating in Saturday’s massive 2-1 win over third-placed Hearts.
Clark sat out that one with a calf injury but is confident he should be ok to face County in Dingwall.
And he reckons the catalyst for Saints’ shift in form was the uncomfortable scenes which greeted their meek cup exit at Kelty where irate supporters lined the makeshift tunnel back to a temporary changing facility.
Ironically it was a low-key Betfred Cup group stage victory at Kelty’s New Central Park which provided the spark for the mesmerising double last season.
But this visit was in stark contrast.
Clark said: “Kelty was a dark day for us - players, staff, fans. We simply never showed up as a team.
“To be holders and fall at the first hurdle of our defence was disappointing. The fans made that clear to us.
“It wasn’t the best set-up at Kelty. If we’d won the game it would have been fine and dandy but it was nowhere near a good enough performance and games leading up to that hadn’t been good enough either.
“We felt the wrath of it from supporters and that might have been the spark to get them back onside.
“Since that moment the fans have been brilliant with us. They’ve turned up in numbers and got behind us and the boys feed off that. We bounce off each other.
“On Saturday against Hearts they kept the positive energy going through the team and when the full-time whistle went it was up there with the loudest I’ve heard McDiarmid.”
Clark’s 14-year association with the Saintees is almost certain to come to an end this summer. Davidson is resigned to losing the Scotland squad keeper and Aberdeen were keen on a pre-contract in January.
Whether Stephen Glass’ exit disrupts that interest remains to be seen. But Clark has also been linked with Dundee United and Rangers - with Gers hero Barry Ferguson name-checking him as a potential successor to Allan McGregor - while his form has won admiring glances from south of the border where his manager thinks he deserves a chance.
It’s a huge decision facing the 29-year-old. But he won’t allow it to distract him from a bigger priority.
He said: “If people like Barry Ferguson are talking about you it means you are doing well. That’s what I take from it.
“Every player wants to challenge themselves at the top level. I love it at St Johnstone. But if you want to go and give something a try and see how you fare at it then you have to back yourself at it.
“If something comes about then we will sit and discuss that.
“But on that front I’m no further forward. At the minute the full focus is on getting results on the pitch. We have far more important things than my future to think about.
“When I step over the white line I will give everything for St Johnstone. I’ll continue to do that.”
Which, thankfully, should include this weekend in Dingwall as Clark continues his recovery from the calf injury that forced him off in last midweek’s draw with Aberdeen.
He said: “I’m on the mend. Saturday came just a bit too soon for me. I’m taking it day by day and keep on that path and hope that every day it gets progressively better.
“It’s a massive game. We know where we are in the league but if you look at the squad we’ve got we know there’s enough quality in there that we should be doing well.
“There’s been decisions that haven’t gone our way in recent weeks that have cost us points but as players we need to put that to the back of our minds and score more goals than our opponents.
"That’s the simple facts of the matter.
“Saturday was a massive result. It was a good performance in terms of everything being left on the park. Hopefully that can kickstart us and give momentum going into the weekend.
“A win there takes us closer to them and we just need to put a couple of wins together to climb the league.”
