Dan Cleary has the fighting qualities required to help St Johnstone battle out of a sticky situation, insists skipper Liam Gordon.The Irish centre-half made his club debut in the 2-0 midweek Scottish Premiership defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle.While Saints worryingly suffered a ninth successive loss and remain bottom of the pile, Gordon thought there were positives to take.One was Cleary’s first appearance and the captain said: “Dan had a solid debut.“He has made a really good first impression.
He is a good professional, works hard and wants to do well.“He is aggressive and wants to fight - that is exactly what we need right now.“And Nadir (Ciftci) is going to get better with the more games he plays.
He can be a really good player for us.”Scottish Cup success at Kelty Hearts can help kick-start a concerning season, Gordon reckons.The Perth side, understood to be closing in on a deal for Sligo Rovers defender John Mahon, make tracks for New Central Park tomorrow afternoon.Saints’ league campaign is currently derailed and further worries for Premiership safety returned on Tuesday night.But Gordon reckons recapturing that winning feeling in Fife, albeit in the cup, can spark a revival.“Kelty is massive,” Gordon said. “It’s going to be a tough fixture and they will make it difficult.“If we don’t have the right application, we could be in for a long afternoon.
We need to approach it in the right manner.“After our result on Tuesday, the first thing you want is another game and we’re lucky to have that.“A result can help turn the season.
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