Saints are on the right track
St Johnstone Women manager Kevin Candy has hailed the growing discipline his players have shown in recent weeks.
He was speaking after the Perth side recorded their first draw of the season on Sunday in a goalless encounter with Edinburgh side Boroughmuir Thistle.
Saints have had two clean sheets in their last three SWPL2 encounters.
And Candy is “very pleased” with what he is seeing.
“In previous times we could be guilty of trying to force our attacking play, so much that it compromised our defensive posture, leading to us losing silly goals.,” he explained.
“It would be a disservice to Boroughmuir to say that they didn’t have chances at all, but I was quite pleased with how we dealt with their pressure and their goal opportunities.
“The mental aspect of being disciplined is something that can only be tested in a competitive game environment.
“We simply continue to reinforce some positive mindsets onto the players and leave them to it to find the best way to embrace that mindset whilst they are playing on the field.
“To a point, Boroughmuir blocked our play very well, and whilst we did have some positive play going forward, we do need to be brave and quick to generate more chances, and lead that into goal conversions.”
Candy has inisted there will be no complacency as his team prepare to face Stirling University at the Riverside on Sunday in what is the solo SWPL2 fixture of the weekend.
Stirling drew at home to Glasgow Women on Sunday but sit bottom of the table, with Saints nine points ahead in fifth place.
“There will never been complacency for any fixture with this team,” he added.
“Each contest is taken on its own merits with each opposition testing us in a different manner.
“Stirling picked up a good point on Sunday past there, and let us not forget that their bottom league position is only a recent development.
“We will approach the game in same manner as we do all of our games and play in a manner that maximizes our chances of picking up three points.”
Saints midfielder Ellie Maciver was named in the SWPL Team of the Week for her impressive performance against Boroughmuir Thistle.
The 21-year-old won 14 duels, matching her 14 recoveries, as Saints kept pace with Thistle in the league standings.