Incoming Hearts star shows what he's about as Jambos watch first half struggles turn into attacking menace
The attacker is currently in the Scottish Championship but will join Hearts in the summer.
Incoming Hearts player Josh McPake has been praised after a star turn in St Johnstone’s draw with Queen’s Park at the weekend.
The Rangers youth academy product is enjoying a standout season in the Championship with Simo Valakari’s side who are aiming for an immediate return to the Premiership. McPake has already signed a pre-contract to become a Hearts player come the summer but his objective between now and May is to fire the Perthshire Saints to title joy.
After a poor first half for the team, McPake emerged after half-time and scored his 18th goal of the season, in a 1-1 affair against Queen’s in Perth. Next up for the second tier leaders is a tricky trip to third-placed Arbroath, and while Partick Thistle in second have cut the gap to just three points on Saints, boss Valakari reckons McPake proved the mentality that resides within his McDiarmid Park ranks.
How is Josh McPake getting on at St Johnstone
Valakari told club media: “Josh McPake was a good example. Giving a ball away in the first half, many, many times, but at the half time, it was history. You can't do anything about that anymore, so what do you do the next 45 minutes? He took the game, and a great goal, and he was a threat all the time there. The whole team did as well.
“They took the game and pushed until the end, but it was not a surprise for me, because I know my players. I know they will show the reaction after not the easiest first half, but as we said, it's a home match. Everyone was hoping for the three points.
“Hope is nothing, we need to do it. We only got one, not the result that we all wanted, but as always we respect the result. We take this point and we recover, train, and then we are ready for the next Saturday. There is no easy place in this league.
Simo Valakari on St Johnstone 1-1 Queen’s Park
“It's not an easy team to play even at home because of how the whole team come and set up. So we know every match is a big challenge, but it's a challenge. What we knew before the season will be in front of us, and how well our players have been doing, how well they try to do on a Saturday as well.
“Sometimes in football, it doesn't come out the way you want it. They put everything in, they are good boys, they are good players. Of course, as always, the fans were there. There is disappointment there but I think the fans saw as well that the boys tried, but as I said, no excuses, no nothing. We deserved this one point, maybe not more, with our performance. We take it and we move on.”
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