CONNOR Ronan has thanked St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin for enabling him to score the best goal of his career to date and top his previous highest tally for an entire season by October.

Wolves loanee Ronan netted from 25 yards out in the fourth minute of the cinch Premiership match against Scottish champions Rangers at the SMISA Stadium on Sunday to give his side an early lead.

It was the third time the former Republic of Ireland Under-21 internationalist had been on target in the 2021/22 campaign; he bagged a double against St Mirren last month.

The 23-year-old, who has had spells at DAC Dunajska Streda, Blackpool and Grasshoppers in the past two years, has never scored more than two goals for club and country combined in a single season in the past.

The midfielder believes that his new-found success in the final third is down to Goodwin encouraging him to get forward and try his luck in front of goal more.  

Asked if he had ever scored a better goal than the one he netted against Rangers, he said: “Probably not. There was one at Blackpool that might be up there with it, but it was probably not in as big a game so I’d say that’s probably top so far.

“I wasn’t thinking there was a shot on as soon as I got the ball. When I got it I was looking up to play a pass, but there wasn’t much in front of me. Eamonn Brophy was there, but he was marked so I was just waiting for one of their centre-backs to step out.

“I was waiting and waiting and they didn’t come in the end so I took a hit. The wind was going that way as well and I stuck it in.”
Ronan added: “I didn’t want the two goals I got the other week to just be a one-off or one good game. I wanted to keep the performances high.

“I wanted to add the goals and assists and get those stats in there. I’m happy to add another goal and hopefully I can keep doing that. That was my third of the season and it’s maybe a little bit of pressure off me. It’s already the most I’ve scored in a season.

“Even if I’ve been playing well before I’ve not been getting those goals or contributed as much as I feel I can. So it’s maybe a little bit less pressure on me to contribute a little bit more.
“The manager has been really good since I came in. He does give Jamie (McGrath) and I freedom to roam about and go to where we want to get on the ball within reason.

“I think that helps. The confidence he gives you with letting you go where you want to go to get on it gives you a lot of belief that when you get it you can do something with it.”

St Mirren had been on a three match winning streak and a six game unbeaten run going into the Rangers encounter and Ronan admitted that he and his team mates are determined to put the narrow loss behind them when they travel to Motherwell tomorrow evening.

“We were obviously disappointed because you want to pick up points,” he said. “But the performance was a positive to take. We’ll be going into Wednesday looking to win that game.”