DAVE MACKAY, the St Johnstone captain, insists that last term's Scottish Cup winners can rediscover the form led to that historic victory.

Mackay hoisted the club's first silverware after a 2-0 win over local rivals Dundee United on a magical May afternoon. Those memories, though, have faded fast, with his side suffering five defeats on the spin and falling off the pace for another top-six finish. But Mackay insists he would be more worried if they were playing well and losing.

He admits they have fallen well short of standards set last term and it is time to get their act together.

"You don't just become a terrible team overnight, although at times it has looked like that on the park," said Mackay. "We've not put a 90 minutes together, even in the European games. I don't think we've played anywhere near what we produced at times last season.

"If we'd been playing well and still losing games then it would be different, but we've not played yet this season. Too many of us have been off form at the wrong time.

"You can get away with one or two lads not being at it but we've had a lot more than that."