QUEEN’S PARK’s three-goal second-half against St Johnstone was a result of a change in shape, and a determination among the Spiders squad, says Carlo Pignatiello.
Trailing 3-0 at the interval Sean Crighton and Jim Duffy devised a new formation for the second-half as the players recovered from a bruising 45 minutes at the interval.
And they returned to McDiarmid Park pitch refreshed and resilient and led league leaders St Johnstone through a rollercoaster second half, before the home side eventually edged three points by the odd-goal in seven.
Pignatiello – who came close to opening his club account in injury time in the build-up to Rocco Friel’s strike – said there was a united front at half-time to make the necessary improvements and avoid a heavy defeat.
He said: “It was a very good performance in the second half but I don’t think you can start like that against league leaders. We were good for the first ten minute but losing three goals is a mountain to climb. We said at the break we didn’t want another Firhill and to capitulate but we didn’t do that and we made a real go of it.
“We wanted to make a go of it and we changed the shape a bit and we went more direct to Josh and Seb and that worked well – the two of them did well and caused St Johnstone problems in the second half, and got goals themselves.
“But I think we conceded poor goals especially in that first half, and that gave us a lot to do.
In the end were in the ascendency and I thought we could have taken something from the game.”
The Spiders were roared off by the away support – who were also treated to half-time pints in a pilot scheme for alcohol sales at the ground. They cheered on Sean Crighton’s side at 3-0 down too and they responded with a spirited display.
Pignatiello added: “We never give up and you see that in games. Even games where we have been beaten we have always kept going, but the goals we lost in Perth were poor. Our strength this season has been not giving up cheap goals but we did [against St Johnstone] and that was poor. We have been working on getting more goals at the other end but then in this game it was the opposite that happened.”
