Toyosi Olusanya on the costly St Mirren crossbar challenge for Stephen Robinson
Toyosi Olusanya lifted the lid on the St Mirren crossbar challenge which has cost Stephen Robinson a small fortune.
The 27-year-old was Mcloving it after pal Mikael Mandron hit the framework at the end of training on Friday. The French forward was voted to pay for the first-team squad and staff’s coffees.
However, gaffer Robinson said he would pick up the tab — and buy McDonald’s breakfasts for the group — if he struck the crossbar from the edge of the box.
READ MORE:Fury over ward closure plans at Paisley hospital
READ MORE:Woman left with fractured jaw and missing tooth after ex's Paisley night out attack
Big Mika duly did the honours, sparking scenes of wild celebration at the club’s Ralston training ground, while the Saints manager slunk off to check his bank balance.
A video clip of the magic moment was posted on Saints’ Twitter to raise a smile after a difficult few days for the club following the sheriff court cases involving Jaden Brown and Kevin Van Veen.
After Saturday’s 0-0 Premiership draw with Ross County, Olusanya reflected on the players’ bonding moment which he believes shows they remain a tight-knit group.
“It was big Mika who hit the bar,” he said. “He was voted as the one to get the coffees. But the gaffer put it on the line and said if he hit the crossbar with one shot, he would get everyone breakfast.
“He took his time and everyone was buzzing when he hit it. Probably more often than not he wouldn’t have hit it but he had one chance and he hit it.
“I was practicing my goal celebrations. I was running around, pointing to the sky and doing a knee slide!
“It just shows the team spirit and what we've got going on here at St Mirren. We just try to stay positive and all keep supporting each other. I’m going to have a double egg McMuffin with cheese, you know? I’ll be getting the gaffer to spend some of his money, man!”
The key moment at the weekend against the Staggies arrived in the first half when Greg Kiltie’s penalty was saved by keeper Ross Laidlaw after Marcus Fraser had been pulled down in the box by Elijah Campbell.
Olusanya insists Kiltie has nothing to feel bad about and feels the point and clean sheet is a solid foundation ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Easter Road to face struggling Hibernian.
The Londoner said: “As players, we fancy ourselves. Credit to Kilts as he has stepped up and scored a lot of penalties for us last season. He’s missed one and that happens. Players are going to score penalties and miss penalties. All you can do is move on.
“We wanted three points from this game but sometimes a game can turn on its head and you can find yourself 1-0 down. I thought we were the better side and there are a lot of positives to take from the game. We will build on that for next week.”
Saints have returned to playing the 3-4-3 formation which helped them into Europe last season but top goalscorer Olusanya says it’s more about team-mates than tactics.
He explained: “Both systems — the 3-5-2 and the 3-4-3 — work well for me personally when I am playing through the middle. It’s about knowing your players.”
Don't miss the latest Renfrewshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here