Jim Goodwin has warned his team could end up kicking themselves again if they do not start finding the net.

Saints endured a promising but frustrating campaign last season as they just missed out on the top six on goal difference and lost in both major cup semi-finals.

The Buddies are hovering around mid-table again but a lack of goals is preventing them kicking on.

Saints have only scored one goal in their past five matches ahead of Saturday’s trip to Aberdeen.

A 2-0 defeat by Hearts last weekend was followed by a goalless draw at home to Ross County when Goodwin’s side had 27 efforts at goal.

“We missed out on top six last season – the difference between us and St Johnstone was two goals,” the Irishman said. “I really don’t want to be in that situation again come the split.

“I feel we are a decent team, we are playing good football. Even at the weekend against Hearts we were well on top in the first 45 minutes and at 0-0 we should have managed to take one of the opportunities we had there. We didn’t and that came back to bite us.

“Look, I think as a manager we would be far more concerned if we weren’t getting opportunities at all.

“But the bottom line is, the players need to be a bit more clinical and show a little bit more composure, and somebody needs to put the ball in the back of the net.

“I am not just pointing the finger at the centre-forwards here because we went with, I feel, a really attacking line-up on Wednesday night, very good creative players, very good attacking midfielders, and two strikers up top, and for one reason or another it didn’t come off for us.

“We are getting those opportunities, we are getting in good areas, we had 60-odd crosses into the box over the course of the evening including wide free-kicks and corners.

“So it’s a good thing we are getting in those areas but the bottom line is we need a bit more quality when we do get there.

“That’s the difference between us being an average team and a good team at the moment.”

Goodwin added: “It’s something I am confident will change, we have far too much quality within the group for it not to change.

“There’s goals in the team, there is lots of creativity in the team. I am very positive it will change and fingers-crossed it changes against Aberdeen.”