St Mirren start strongly using relegation scare as 'fuel'

Getting back to basics seems key for last seasons’ League Cup winners, according to manager Craig McLeish. That and using the negative feeling that play-off last season brought as motivation.

“I’m still using that as fuel,” he told BBC Scotland. “I don’t want to be involved in that.

“We’ve got a massive journey ahead of us and we have to keep building. Six points out of six is a great start.

“It helps with the belief in each other. I’ve said to the boys I have confidence in them.

“Last season, we had two horrendous play-off games – even the emotion about it, there were so much nerves when we stepped on the pitch.

“We have to be horrible to play against. Two clean sheets sets us up well for that.

“We want to be really good at the basics and not get bored of that.

“The running, energy and desire. We want to be fit and strong and relentless this season against whoever we play. We have to keep those standards really high. We did it last week and lived up to it again.”

It is a sentiment shared by new goalkeeping recruit Jacob Chapman, whose penalty save early in the second half laid the platform before Killian Phillips converted from the spot.

“Defenders throwing their bodies on the line; [Alex] Gogic throwing his head here and everywhere,” he told BBC Scotland.

“Even the attackers coming back and helping defend.

“It sets the tempo for the season. It doesn’t mean you’re going to win every game or even have a great season, but it definitely helps.

“And it’s what a great season looks like at the start. We’ve started well.

“A bit scrappy in some areas and we need to clean that out, but there was still some really nice football getting played in certain areas.”