St Johnstone full-back Scott Tanser believes they can shoot up the Scottish Premiership table if they start taking more of their chances.

Saints are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions after ending a tendency to suffer narrow and often late defeats early in the campaign.

Stevie May has been crucial to their improvement in results with nine goals this season, including eight in his last seven games.

But fellow strikers Callum Hendry, Chris Kane and recent arrival Guy Melamed have yet to score in the league.

Tanser feels they can push on again if the team improve their strike rate.

Ahead of Tuesday’s trip to face Hibernian, where victory would move Saints into the top six, Tanser said: “Eight games unbeaten shows we are doing things right, defensively and attacking. Even if we are going behind we are still getting points.

“The more you go unbeaten, you gain confidence, and all the lads are confident in the way we are playing because we know we are playing well and it’s exciting.

“But we have to turn these draws into wins now and keep getting more points on the board because we could be higher than eighth.

“As a unit we just need to score more goals, that’s the main thing, take our chances, because we are creating a lot of them.

“I saw a stat that, other than the Old Firm, we have the most shots per game. If we have that many shots then I think we need to start taking our chances more.”

According to the Scottish Professional Football League website, Saints have had 178 shots – third behind Rangers and Celtic – but only 42 on target, which the sixth highest on the list.

Their profligacy cost them dear last time out against Hibs, who won 1-0 in Perth in August thanks to Stevie Mallan’s 90th-minute penalty.

“I thought we were by far the better team and found ourselves losing the game to a late penalty,” Tanser said.

“If we play the way we did and the way we have been doing, then I don’t think we have any worries about not coming away with anything. Even if it is a point it would be a great point away to a team like that.”

Tanser himself has been enjoying his role last season after manager Callum Davidson, a former Scotland left-back, opted to continue with a three-man central defence which has allowed the former Bury player licence to attack from his wing-back role.

“He was here when I first came up and he left during that season,” Tanser said of his manager. “We worked on things back then so when he came back in I was delighted.

“He has changed the shape which has really suited us. It has suited me anyway. I have a very good attacking side but I have also been working on my defensive side and I think that’s showing. We work on it every day.”