Manager Stevie Farrell has emphasised the need for patience and perspective as preparations continue for the upcoming season, following last night’s 4–3 pre-season defeat away to Irvine Meadow in Ayrshire.
Reflecting on the match, Farrell acknowledged the disruption caused by a depleted squad and a high number of trialists but remained measured in his assessment.
He said: “We know that we’re still three or four short but we’re still actively trying to bring in players.
“Against Meadow we were then missing four or five of the guys we’ve already signed, so we were seven or eight down.
“We brought in a lot of trialists, but it became disjointed, and the result is what it is.”
Despite the scoreline, there were positives to take, particularly in terms of individual performances.
He said: “There were good things in the game. Our trialist striker did very well and there are other things that I’m happy with moving forwards.
“But we’ve got millions of things to work on. And we know that. We’re working two or three weeks behind where we’d like to be.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do in the next two weeks before the Premier Sports Cup starts.
“Will it be completed by then? I’m not sure. But we’ll do as much as we can over the next fortnight because we know we’re still short.”
A number of players were unavailable for the trip, with Farrell confirming that Carrick McEvoy has joined Thomas Falconer in Spain with the St Mirren first team squad’s training camp, whilst Dom Docherty and Gordon Walker were not risked due to precautionary reasons.
Club captain Mark Durnan was also withdrawn during the match as a precautionary measure around the hour mark.
On potential additions to the side Stevie said: “We remain in talks with two strikers, including the one that played against Irvine Meadow, and we’re looking to bring in a midfield player as well.
“We’ll keep working away. We’re not going to rush bodies in for the sake of it. That would be the wrong thing to do.
“When you know you’re needing three or four then you can sometimes be desperate to get them in the building but I’m going to make sure that we get the right people who compliment what we’ve already got. It’s important that we do that.
“If that means things go on a week or two longer than I would like, then so be it.”
With the Premier Sports Cup fast approaching, Farrell and his staff remain focused on shaping a competitive squad for the challenges ahead.
While recruitment continues and fitness builds, the Sons boss is determined not to sacrifice quality for quantity, with a clear focus on assembling a team that fits the club’s needs and ambitions for the season back in William Hill League 2.