Goodwin admits Saints face big task to repeat heroics against Rangers

Jim Goodwin will ask his fatigued St Mirren players for another huge effort against Rangers on Boxing Day following their unlikely draw against Celtic.

The Buddies boss had 11 players missing through Covid-19 for the visit of the Hoops on Wednesday night which meant a debut for 17-year-old Kieran Offord and starts for 16-year-old Dylan Reid and 19-year-old Jay Henderson.

Ange Postecoglou’s side dominated the cinch Premiership game almost from start to finish but the home side held out in a tenacious defensive display for a morale-boosting point.

From his Covid casualties Goodwin hopes to have number one goalkeeper Jak Alnwick available for the match against the champions in what will be the last fixture before the rearranged winter break kicks in.

The St Mirren boss said: “I was hoping that they would bring the break forward to last night.

“That would have been the real icing on the cake and I could have enjoyed my Christmas dinner the way I would like to.

“But look, it is going to be a helluva task again to ask the players to go and do the same.

“It is going to be the same squad pretty much.

“We are going to have some serious issues with some players. We seen young Kieran Offord cramping up.

“Dylan Reid hasn’t played a lot recently, Jay Henderson for five months, Greg Kiltie is just back from injury.

“The recommendation from the sports scientist against Celtic was 60 minutes, we had to ask him to get through 90.

“So a few of the boys in there won’t be able to walk for the next couple of days so we are going to have to be very careful with them.”