Gus thanks his 2,000 travelling Buddies

May 19 2009 by Paul Behan, Paisley Daily Express

BUDDIES boss Gus MacPherson last night praised the mighty Black and White Army for playing a vital role in helping St Mirren defeat Falkirk in Saturday’s relegation battle.

Around 2,000 Saints fans invaded the Falkirk Stadium to give MacPherson’s side a sensational show of support as they went head-to-head with the Bairns.

And the supporters were in fine voice as they roared their heroes to a stunning 2-0 victory that has all but secured SPL status for the Paisley club next season.

MacPherson reckons the Black and White Army foot soldiers were simply ‘fan-tastic’ and he said they can be proud of the part they played in the sensational win.

In a rare display of emotion, the Saints manager walked on to the pitch at full-time, punched the air in delight and gave his battling Buddies some ‘high-fives’ as they made their way to the tunnel.

MacPherson told Express Sports: “It was a show of appreciation to our supporters.

“We have said for some time the travelling support we get is quite incredible and they were tremendous again on Saturday.

“Over the past three years in the SPL, the travelling fans have seen some remarkable games of football and some tremendous performances as well.

“It’s fair to say the travelling fans played a significant part in what we achieved.”

MacPherson is now hoping Saints supporters will turn out in large numbers for the home game against Hamilton Accies this Saturday to help cheer his team over the SPL finish line.

The Buddies are still not mathematically safe from relegation as a defeat by three or more goals against the Accies, coupled with a single goal victory for Falkirk over Inverness Caley Thistle in the Highlands, would mean the Paisley side would suffer the dreaded drop.

But MacPherson is determined to make sure his players turn in the battling performance required from the final game of the season to guarantee top flight football at St Mirren Park again next season.

He said: “It’s business as usual this week. We have to be professional and we also have to be respectful to the opposition, who will make it a very difficult game for us.

“We set a standard of performance from the way we have played for the majority of this season but that had dipped in recent games.

“But we got that level back against Falkirk on Saturday and it’s all about having consistency of performance now because that’s what will be required this weekend.”