Build a cushion over our relegation rivals urges Saints manager Tommy

TOMMY Wright admits St Johnstone will need a bigger cushion over their relegation rivals before he can rest easy.

The Perth boss has seen his side recover from a shaky start to climb their way up to ninth place in the Premiership table.

B u t S a i n t s st i l l s i t perilously close – just two points – to the relegation pl ay- of f s l ot as they prepare for tonight’s trip to Livingston.

Victory at t he Tony Macaroni Arena could see Wright’s men eat into the lead of the teams above them and offer hope of a possible top-six finish.

But putting daylight between his team and the other sides scrapping it out at t h e b o t t o m wo u l d certainly help the Northern Irishman sleep easier in the meantime.

He said: “We’re in that ninth position but there is only five points up to Livi in fifth, so there is a couple of teams we can look to close on over games.

“But I think the important thing for us is to get away from the teams below us.

“Reaching the top six is our hope but I keep saying that ‘with a 12-team league you can never relax’.

“Three or four losses puts you at the wrong end of the table while three or four wins puts you at the right end.

“You can ever relax until the season is over.”

Livingston are again punching above t heir weight but Wright has sympathy for Gary Holt’s team, who he feels have an unfair image problem.

He said: “Livi are a physical side but they also play good football.

“The way people speak about them is a bit like us when we were finishing fourth in the league three years in a row.

“They can do both facets of the game. They can play a bit and mix it up as well.”

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St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright.