MX23RW : Tuesday, April 23 09:54:21| >> :600:958374:958374:

Striker search central to Saints' summer

Striker search central to Saints' summer
© Reuters
Manager Tommy Wright is out to solve St Johnstone's goalscoring struggles.

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright admits finding a 15-goal-a-season striker is his main summer quest.

Tony Watt was St Johnstone's top goalscorer last season with eight goals, but only scored twice after August and only three times in the league.

Winger Matty Kennedy (six) and midfielder Blair Alston (four) out-scored strikers David McMillan (two), Chris Kane (three) and Callum Hendry (two) in the league.

Saints managed exactly one goal a game on average in the Ladbrokes Premiership – scoring less than Motherwell and Livingston, who finished below them in the league.

And Wright knows a prolific marksman could make all the difference next season.

Wright told Press Association Sport: "The main priority for me is to find a striker. That's not just this club, it's every club. But we are probably looking at a lot of the same players.

"In the last 10 years there has probably been three or four occasions at the most that we have had strikers who have scored more than 15 goals. (Stevie) May's season of 27 was incredible, (Steven) MacLean hit 15 goals one season and before that (Fran) Sandaza was the only one.

"Historically that has been the problem for our club, is getting a striker who can score 15-plus goals in a season, and I'm talking league goals.

"So that is my main priority and I'm prepared to wait for it."

Watt has now moved on to CSKA Sofia while McMillan is free to find a new club after returning from a loan spell at Hamilton.

Wright said: "McMillan will come back but his situation hasn't changed, he is available. I imagine he is wanting to come back and prove a point.

"We have Kane and Hendry, who has got a big future. I have (Michael) O'Halloran who can play up front. So unless we feel we have the right one, the striker is probably one where we wait and see what options we have."

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Gavin McCafferty, Press Association Sport');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '3e9a6820-ffe2-49d0-8f60-72a864ae288d');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Striker search central to Saints\u2019 summer'});

ID:360927: cacheID:360927:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4296:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Brian Rice pictured at Hibs in 2009
Read Next:
Brian Rice hails Hamilton survival as greatest achievement
>
Read more about Tommy Wright Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
1Celtic000080265478
2RangersRangers000072234975
3Hearts000046341262
4Kilmarnock00004334951
5St Mirren00003843-543
6Dundee00004454-1041
Relegation Group
1Hibernian00004451-739
2Motherwell00004651-537
3Aberdeen00003549-1435
4St Johnstone00002446-2231
5Ross County00003256-2430
6Livingston00002259-3718
 
First Phase
1Celtic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
12Livingston3339212259-3718


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!