St Mirren hero Marcus Fraser reveals saving jobs makes his play-off goal as big as anything

St Mirren hero Marcus Fraser admits his play-off winner was bigger than just securing Premiership survival - because it saved JOBS at the Buddies too. The defender’s stunning volley after 64 minutes of Monday’s second leg cemented the Paisley side’s top fight status for a ninth successive season thanks to a nervy 2-1 aggregate win over Partick Thistle . Fraser has been a mainstay for six of those campaigns and capped a rollercoaster year that saw him score when Saints became League Cup winners in December with an even bigger goal to stave off relegation. The 31-year-old had heard former St Mirren ace John McGinn talking about the stress of leading Aston Villa to a European final earlier in the month.

But he reckons nothing matches the pressure of fighting relegation. Asked if it was about saving jobs behind the scenes as much as anything, Fraser said: "Definitely. “I was listening to John McGinn after the semi-final of the Europa League speaking about the pressure. That's a different kind of pressure. "But you feel it and it is all about how you handle it.

Can you get over the big moments? "I felt if we kept a clean sheet, I fancied ourselves to score. Thankfully we did and got out with a 1-0 win. "We wake up still in the Premiership and everyone is buzzing.

"I thought we were going to win - I didn't have myself down for scoring right enough! “But I said in the dressing room, 'let's just find a way to win'. "It didn't have to be the prettiest game, which it wasn't, but we found a way to win. "These pressure games are difficult, they are hard. “If we're on the wrong end of it, it is a big downfall for us. "A lot of different things go on at the club if we fail. “So, to overcome that hurdle, I'm probably most pleased about that and the character of the boys in the dressing room and the staff.

I'm delighted." Fraser and his Buddies team mates celebrated on the park with their families when the full time whistle blew on Monday night. But the former Ross County and Celtic defender knows it might be the last time he sees some of them with another summer of upheaval awaiting the club not least with interim boss Craig McLeish still to discover if he has got the job full-time. Fraser, who has another year left on his contract, said: “Everyone is absolutely delighted. “It's probably a strange time. Some people are here next season, some people are moving on.

"Some people are in limbo on whether they are staying or not. "It's more a handshake and a catch-up with you later. Some people are going on holiday, going to see family or away on international duty. "I'm just staying in Glasgow so if anyone wants to come and see me, I'm more than happy with that!" Fraser returned early from a broken collar bone to play his part in the last six games of the season as the Buddies’ survival went right down to the wire.

The relief poured out of the vice-captain at full-time as he made a beeline for his family in the Main Strand. And he said: “At the time scoring feels amazing but, in the back of your head, you know you've got 20-odd minutes to stay in control, keep the composure and defend well. "I think we did that in the main. We gave away a couple of cheap free-kicks which put us under pressure but everything they threw at us we handled well.

"The feeling when the final whistle goes is relief after the long, hard season we've had. "It’s in the morning when you wake up that you feel a lot happier."