Alex Gogic thought he’d become an instant Buddies hero after bagging what looked like being a late winning goal against Motherwell on Tuesday night.
Just 24 hours after sealing a move to the club, he scored in the opener despite having only met his new Saints teammates just an hour and a half before kick-off.
The super sub wishes his header had sealed all three points, with Ross Tierney’s dramatic late equaliser robbing the Hibs loanee of a dream start to his career in Paisley.
But the 27-year-old Cyprus international insists he’s seen enough already to believe St Mirren can finally break into the Premiership top six this season.
Gogic told Express Sport: “It’s been a while since I last scored. It would have been a perfect start if I’d been the match-winner, but that’s football and we dropped two points.
“It wasn’t the best of games for both teams but I was buzzing when I scored. With just ten minutes left I thought we were going to get the victory. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.
“I was surprised when I was brought on for Eamonn Brophy, but we’re struggling for strikers at the moment so I was happy to come on and I thought maybe I was going up to be the target man!
“To be honest, I was just happy to be able to get going again after not playing for six weeks.
“I believe 100 per cent that this club can finish in the top six.
“I’ve kept in touch with the manager for a long time and spoken about this and I know how much that means to him.
“We have hard games coming up but we can play much better football than we did against Motherwell.
“Reaching the top six is our target and I think we’re going to make it.”
Much like his new club, Gogic endured a whirlwind end to the winter transfer window as he turned down numerous other offers to make the switch along the M8 and join the Saints.
St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin has long been an admirer of the combative midfielder, having tried to seal his signature before he moved to Easter Road from Hamilton Accies back in July, 2020.
Gogic revealed that Goodwin’s praise had played a big part in convincing him linking up with the Buddies was the right move at the right time, with his contract with Hibs set to expire in the summer.
Gogic said: “The previous 24 hours had been hectic. I’d trained in the morning with Hibs, said my goodbyes and then it was a late deal to come here.
“I’m just happy it went through because I want to play football.
“Jim had been in touch and there were a few other offers, but they weren’t right for me in the way that this one was.
“We started talking about the move on Friday and I’m relieved that we got it done. Getting a goal was great, but I just wish it had been a win.
“I featured in most of the matches at Hibs in my first season, but last season I didn’t play as often so I wanted to leave just so I could get a game again.
“The manager here loves the type of player I am and that’s because he was like me during his career, so that’s a good sign for me.”
Despite making an instant impact in the stripes, Gogic will have to watch this weekend’s clash between his new club and his parent club from the stands.
He added: “It’s a weird situation, but I will have to watch the match. I’m a St Mirren player now and I’m committed to them.”
