Saints want to cement a top four place

Saints play their first game of 2018 this weekend when they make a difficult trip to meet rivals to go up Haddington Athletic.

The hosts sit in third place in the East Premier League, above Saints only on goal difference but having played three games less.

A win would set down a marker for Craig Morrison’s side going into the second half of the campaign after an impressive enough opening few months.

The club standing in fourth and well within the mix for the promotion spots is a far cry from last season when they only avoided relegation to the North League due to league reconstruction.

Vice chairman Blair Smith said he hoped the side could now cement its place at the top end of the division while working to ensure the club has a bright future.

He said: “We find ourselves in fourth place in the league which is the target we agreed at the start of the season.

“We’re looking forward to consolidating this in 2018, building the strength and depth for our longer-term future.”

United had expected to go into the weekend with a game under their belts, but a scheduled friendly against local club Newburgh Juniors was postponed.

Kick off at Haddington on Saturday is 1.45 p.m.