BY KYLE GUNN

Paul McGinn insists St Mirren need to become more ruthless at both ends of the park to arrest a run of three successive defeats. 

The Buddies have failed to pick anything up from games against Rangers, Livingston and Ross County. 

And he says Saints have been too nice to their opponents so far this campaign. 

He said: “The last two games against Livingston and Ross County were frustrating. They are matches we should never have lost. We were sloppy and we have to make sure we don’t keep talking about hard luck stories. We have to be more ruthless. 

"With a minute to go in Dingwall, which is a hard place to go, with tough conditions, we should have seen it out for the point and got back down the road. But we lost a bad goal and came away with nothing.

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”When the gaffer was playing I can guarantee he would have fouled the boy on the halfway line and we would have got a point. He doesn’t get us to take people out at training or anything, but he did say we should have got a point. It comes with experience I suppose. 

"You see young midfielders, they let the boy get past them and then the other team score. You just have to hope they learn from that experience and don’t let it happen again. You see the likes of Ryan Christie making cynical fouls, and it isn’t something you associate with his game. But he does it to help the team if he needs to. Sometimes you have to take the booking for the boys. You would rather be on a booking than a goal down.”

Elsewhere, McGinn felt like he had a good season last year as Saints avoided relegation by beating Dundee United on penalties in the Premiership play-off final - a run of form which the full back says has carried into the current campaign. 

But he’s well aware of the Paisley side’s need for a bit of momentum and sees today’s visit of Hamilton as a good chance to get the winning feeling back. 

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He continued: “I had a good season last year and when you are playing well you are happier. You don’t go home and think about things too much. I am content with how I have started this season. We were short of numbers in the summer and you were wondering if the same boys would be asked to get us over the line again. The new manager got some extra bodies and it lifted the place and gave it a freshness. Hopefully we can get the results we want now.

“We want to build some momentum. If you start losing games then you can go into a rut and we don’t want that. When you win though it keeps the positivy of the place up and we want to do that. There is more pressure on us, after losing the last two games, that we go and win this game. We have been good at home so far and long may that continue.”

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