FOOTBALL: Tommy Wright targets top six finish for St Johnstone

Saints have finished fourth three seasons in a row in the Ladbrokes Premiership, but currently occupy sixth after a 3-1 win over Rangers last weekend.

It has been an inconsistent campaign for the Perth club, but the improved strength of the league means a place in the top six would be better than in previous years, according to the manager.

“We are massively overachieving each year,” Wright said. “If we can get top six this season it would probably eclipse the rest because the natural order seems to be coming back in, with Hearts, Hibs, Rangers, Aberdeen and Celtic in the top five and us on the coat tails, but with Kilmarnock and Motherwell on our coat tails.

“It’s a tougher league and for us still to be under what we spent last year and still sitting in a healthy position, we are achieving again.”

The St Johnstone boss admits it has been a frustrating period for the club having won their last three away games on the bounce, but without a victory at McDiarmid Park since September.

He said ahead of their clash with Hearts: “Frustration is a word we have used a lot this season, because apart from the start we had, we have not been on a consistent run of games undefeated which we have always done.

“The frustrating thing is out of the eight defeats, we’ve lost twice to Aberdeen, once to Celtic, once to Rangers and once to Hearts and you could argue they are teams that should be beating us but we always feel we can take points off the bigger clubs.

“It has been frustrating but in what is a tougher league, we have still done okay but I am still looking for improvements.”