GRAHAM CUMMINS HAS expressed his satisfaction after he finally broke his duck for the season in St Johnstone’s win over Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
In front of an attendance of just under 48,000 at Ibrox, the 29-year-old Corkman came off the bench and scored the third goal in a 3-1 victory for the Perth outfit.
The striker’s first goal of the season helped to push St Johnstone into the top half of the table, while Rangers stay in third, 5 points adrift of leaders Celtic.
The goal came at a particularly good time for Cummins, who admitted to feeling “beyond low” while enduring criticism from St Johnstone supporters during his recent barren spell.
It also arrived at the end of a week in which manager Tommy Wright increased the competition for places in his attacking department by signing David McMillan from Dundalk.
“This year has been the hardest time in my career,” Cummins told the Perthshire Advertiser. “As a striker, when you are not scoring it makes you question everything about football and everything about yourself. I haven’t enjoyed it at all this season so far.
“I’m not deaf, I can hear the shouts from the crowd and it does get you down. It has been horrible, if I’m deadly honest. It didn’t start well when I missed that chance against Trakai in Europe back in the summer and things just haven’t clicked for me at all.
“I don’t think my overall play has been bad but in my position you get judged on goals, that’s what everyone looks at. I am more harsh on myself than anyone else can be, it’s a confidence thing.
“I have been beyond low this season, it has been dreadful. You are only human and things affect you. I have been bringing it home, I’ve been miserable about the house and to the wife. I have been a very miserable man, I have been hard to live with.
“That’s why it meant so much to me at Ibrox, it was just relief to get a goal. Scoring once doesn’t mean it ends there but on Saturday I was certainly the happiest I have been for a long time.”
Cummins, whose contract with St Johnstone expires in the summer, joined the club from Exeter City in 2015. The Douglas native has been in the UK since Preston North End signed him from Cork City in January 2012, after he scored 42 goals in two seasons with his hometown club.
He added: “It [scoring against Rangers] meant a lot to me, especially as my whole family were there. My mum, dad, wife and brother Kevin were there – that’s the first time [Kevin] has seen me play. He’s been over before when I was at Preston but every time he came I was either on the bench or in the stand.
“So Saturday was the first time he’s come across and actually seen me on the pitch, which was really good for me. I think I might have to get him to come every week now! I tend to do well when my family come over, I seem to always play well.
“Scoring against Rangers meant a lot to them as my dad is in the Celtic supporters’ club back home so his phone was getting plenty of messages on Saturday night. They were delighted to see me score and to see the team win, so it was a great weekend.”
Cummins, who turns 30 later this month, also poured cold water on speculation linking him with a return to Cork City as a result of David McMillan’s arrival at St Johnstone in January.
“I got a few messages about it last week because it was a story in Ireland,” he said. “But I don’t know anything about it, it was news to me.”
Go on boy
Against the rangers and 48 thousand , hope this boosts his confidence further .
I’d say the ibrox faithful loved that. Fair play to him.
I don’t think Celtic are 15 points ahead of Rangers
@Gary O’Hanlon: You’re spot on, Gary, Typo there, should read 5. Duly amended. Thanks for flagging it.
Should maybe come back to Cork City, would be a step up, champs league football as well, St Johnstone hardly a football hotbed. Have they ever won anything?