Buddies boss Danny Lennon last night insisted he was right to ring the changes for the midweek trip to Dens Park ... so he could protect his stars from burnout.
Lennon raised eyebrows with his team selection at Dundee, making five changes from the side that lined up against Celtic in the Scottish Cup last weekend.
Out went Steven Thompson, Esmael Goncalves, Paul Dummett, John McGinn and Gary Teale, with Dougie Imrie, Graham Carey, Kenny McLean, Sam Parkin and Lewis Guy coming into the team.
And St Mirren’s fringe players failed to prove they’re a cut above ... with the SPL’s bottom dogs fighting back to claim a 2-1 win.
However, Lennon reckons it would be disrespectful to suggest he fielded a weakened team on Tayside.
He told Express Sports: “We have quite a demanding schedule at the moment, so it’s important that we utilise our full squad.
“That’s exactly what we did and, unfortunately, we didn’t get a result.
“I’m the manager and I take full responsibility for that but for anyone to suggest that we played a weakened side would be disrespectful to the players who came in.
“I know there were a few raised eyebrows when I made the changes but it’s a long and tiring season. We need to freshen up the team now and again.
“We have good strength in depth and that’s why we have all these players.”
Lennon admits he is still hurting from Wednesday night’s Dens Park defeat, which all but ended St Mirren’s hopes of finishing in the SPL’s top six this season.
He said: “I still can’t believe we left Dens Park with nothing, especially after the way we went about our business in the first half, when we were terrific.
“That showed that the players who came in were up to the task but we seemed to collapse after the break and that was really worrying.
“It’s quite simple – when we are creating chances and well on top, we need to convert that dominance into goals.”
Lennon also revealed the Tayside trip was a reminder that football is a results-driven business.
He said: “I was walking off the pitch at half-time, when we were 1-0 up, and the supporters were singing ‘There’s only one Danny Lennon.’ Forty-five minutes later, the words had changed slightly!
“It’s part and parcel of football and I understand that. I can also understand the fans’ frustration.”
