Roland Idowu revealed he was determined to silence St Johnstone after their spot-kick mind games.
The on-loan Shrewsbury Town midfielder sent keeper Josh Rae the wrong way in the ninth minute of time added-on to seal a dramatic 3-2 Premiership win for St Mirren at McDiarmid Park.
Skipper Mark O’Hara had just missed a penalty, suffering a thigh strain in the process, but VAR ordered a re-take after Rae had wandered off his line. Idowu was instructed by boss Stephen Robinson to assume responsibility and made no mistake.
The 22-year-old netted his second goal of the season on Saturday and he lifted the lid on what was said by the Perth Saints in the moments before his crucial strike.
“It was a good game for the boys and we were happy to get the result in the end,” he told the Paisley Daily Express. “I wanted to step up for another team-mate and thankfully got the goal.
“I think I stayed calm. There were a couple of shouts behind me from the opposition team.
“They were saying, ‘you look nervous’ etc so I just thought I would take the calmest penalty in the world and give it back to them a little bit. I’m quite confident when it comes to penalties. I just tried to help the team.”
Supersubs Evan Mooney and Idowu both scored as the Buddies turned a late 2-1 deficit into a stunning win.
“It’s one of those nights that you will remember throughout the season,” Idowu reflected. “St Johnstone are a good team and it wasn’t easy at all.
“The manager asks the subs to go on and make an impact and when you do come on as a sub, you have to affect the game. Big congratulations to Evan – he was super when he came on.”
Idowu is still getting to grips with the game north of the border – but is confident he can shine in the second half of the campaign.
“I think it has been positive,” he added. “I’m learning how to play Scottish Football. I wouldn’t say it has been a big adjustment for me but it is definitely a different style of play.
“I feel like there is a lot more to come and I want to have more nights like St Johnstone and score more goals for the team.
“The manager has always instilled confidence and reassured me that there is a plan for me. I have a good relationship with him. It’s a great learning experience for me.”
The Buddies are back in the top six and Idowu insists staying there is the objective for the season. He said: “For us, top six is a non-negotiable. It’s where we want to be as a club.”
Meanwhile, boss Robbo insists James Scott needs to be ready to take his next first-team chance as he looks for more from the forward. The 24-year-old was not in the matchday squad for Saints’ games against Aberdeen, Dundee United and Motherwell but returned to the bench for the victory at St Johnstone.
The gaffer said: “People have an opportunity here every single day in training. So, we just felt James needed to improve – and he has done. He’s trained well. Every time someone is left out it’s not a crisis.
“We rightly need more invention but James has had opportunities and hasn’t done that so far. So, it’s up to him to improve with all the other strikers we are speaking about.”
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