Caolan Boyd-Munce reckons the international break has come at the right time for St Mirren.
In their last outing, the Buddies slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Dundee United at the SMiSA Stadium and go into the Premiership shutdown on a run of one win in four games.
Saturday’s tussle was a slog for much of the afternoon with ex-Buddie Jim Goodwin correctly predicting it would be the last set of highlights shown on Sportscene as he pocketed another three points as Tangerines gaffer.
Boyd-Munce was gutted to follow up a 2-1 loss at Motherwell with another setback – but he insists everyone in the black-and-white stripes is emptying the tanks in the push for points.
He said: “I think the international break is coming at a good time for us 100 per cent. We’re feeling sore. That’s the only way to describe it, especially after what happened last week.
“We felt so much in control which is different since when I first came here and we were playing; trying to regain a bit of control and hoping something happened.
“We’re creating a bit more, half-chances, and we need that bit more quality to get the ball on target and make the keeper work. We were just slashing at balls and they were going over. It felt like one of those days again.
“Last season, we kind of went through the same thing around December time when things are going against you. It’s hard in our changing room because sometimes you would look at the person next to you and ask, ‘are you doing enough and trying hard enough?’
“But we can’t look at any of our players and say they’re not trying. That’s probably the hardest part for us. Everyone is giving their best. We have to come out of it and find a way through it.”
Boyd-Munce is among a handful of Saints stars now on international duty and he flew home to Northern Ireland with partner Joanne and baby son Roux on Saturday evening.
However, the midfielder was heading across the North Channel with mixed emotions as he thinks of his team-mates working away at Ralston in a bid to crack the results code. The 24-year-old said: “I am looking forward to it but going away after this run…sometimes you want to be around the building.
“You want to make sure everyone is good and everyone is feeling together. I don’t want anyone to feel separated and isolated so that’s hard. The gaffer will give everybody a couple of days off and let them reset and get their heads together.”
Boyd-Munce will be reunited with former Buddies No 2 Diarmuid O’Carroll for the first time since his move to become Under-21s coach at Newcastle United. Northern Ireland have two big Nations League matches scheduled in this window.
First up is a trip to Zalaegerszeg in Hungary to face Belarus next Saturday before a clash with Bulgaria at Windsor Park, Belfast on Tuesday, October 15.
The green-and-white army are third in their group and Boyd-Munce believes they have a chance to shine. He added: “Collectively, we have to get the wins. We’re in a good group now where we have to progress.
“I think we can really achieve something as a young team as people will have seen over here against Scotland in March if anyone was at the game [1-0 win for Northern Ireland]! I would also like to get more caps under my belt.”
Don’t miss the latestRenfrewshire headlines –sign up to our free daily newsletter here