Bulldozed Buddies Frustrate Craig

Photo by Jeff Holmes Tommy Craig admitted his St Mirren side were totally outplayed at Inverness as they meekly surrounded their place in the Scottish Cup. Goals from Gary Warren, Greg Tansey, Danny Williams and Graeme Shinnie condemned St Mirren to a 4-0 defeat in the fourth-round replay. The scoreline did not flatter John Hughes' home side who had several opportunities to add to their tally. St Mirren manager Craig has been under pressure with the form the Buddies have shown under him this season, after he replaced the departed Danny Lennon. But with such a poor display in front of few travelling fans, Craig made no excuses for his side's performance. "We were totally outplayed from the first goal to the last," he said. "We were second best in everything and it's going to take a fair bit of cajoling and work between now and Saturday to get them back on the ball. It's an important game against St Johnstone. "The performance (in the first cup game) on Saturday was okay and we held our own. But the second-half display Inverness put in on Saturday, they displayed here. They have a refreshing look about them and John has got them playing at a high level. We're nowhere near that." Inverness manager John Hughes was full of praise for in-form winger Marley Watkins, who contributed all across the park for the hosts. The Welshman has been another find for the club and Hughes admits he is one of the best players he has worked with. "Marley is a boy you have to keep at because he always has more to give," said Hughes. "The pace and running power he has is electric and he's a real force of nature. "I'm delighted to be able to work with him and there's more to come."