Saints defender Richard Foster wary of Killie’s Souleymane Coulibaly

St Johnstone defender Richard Foster would usually be happy to allow an opponent to pull the trigger from 40 yards.

But he admits he will not be able to take the same chance when he takes on Kilmarnock starlet Souleymane Coulibaly on Friday night.

Foster has been left awe-struck by the Ivorian youngster and his haul of incredible strikes for the Rugby Park side.

The former Tottenham striker has blasted 11 goals for his new side, with a long-range stunner against Celtic and an audacious overhead kick away to Dundee the pick of a sparkling bunch.

But the Saints full-back claims it is the 22-year-old's ability to lull defences into a false sense of security which will make him such a threat to Tommy Wright's team when they head to Ayrshire.

"He's done really well and some of the goals he's scored are just incredible,'' said Foster.

"His goal against Celtic at Parkhead was a stunner but for me as a defender, I'm letting him shoot from there all day. You'd be thinking, 'What are you doing that far out mate?'

"But he is on a rich vein of form. He is a player you have to keep your eye on. "He plays wide but drifts into good areas. He's very athletic so he's a tough guy to play against.

"The unpredictability he has is a key weapon. Even look at the overhead kick he scored. As a defender when the ball comes into the box and it's 10 feet in the air, you think 'there's no danger here'. The next thing you know, though, it's in your net.

"So he has an attribute that is very difficult to defend against - unless you want to get kicked in the face. He can do the unthinkable at times, so it makes him a lot more dangerous. "He might not be involved in the game a lot but that's a mark of a good player that when he does get on the ball, he makes something happen.''

St Johnstone were tipped as dark horses to challenge Rangers, Aberdeen and Hearts for second spot in the Premiership.

But they now find themselves 11 points off Mark Warburton's rejuvenated Gers.

However, Foster reckons his side are still on course to clinch their primary objective of a top-six slot but believes victory over Killie will help put them back on course for a challenge higher up the table.

He said: "We're a few points behind Rangers now but we're never going to put the pressure on ourselves by saying we're aiming for second.

"Top six is our first aim, after that it will be about finishing as high up as possible. "We could have won at Tynecastle, Pittodrie and even Ibrox so we're doing well against the teams around about us. We just need to pick up a few more points further down the league.''

• Local News