GORDON STRACHAN has hailed James Beattie's ability to produce his best when the pressure is at its most intense.

Saints had gone 467 minutes without scoring and were looking for their first win in six when Beattie fired home a 25-yard free-kick to break the deadlock against Blackburn in what had been a game of limited chances.

It was Beattie's seventh of the season - but first for six games - and he then provided the pass for debutant Leandre Griffit to seal the 2-0 victory.

Strachan said: "When there is a crisis point in a game or in this club's history James Beattie is always there - he always seems to score goals.

"Whatever you are, you can't really hide on the football pitch. You can talk a good game and say what you are going to do. Beatts always handles pressure. He's not the best footballer in the world, but he can handle pressure.

"There were more gifted footballers on the playing field, but he has a big heart."

Both teams looked short of confidence prior to Beattie's free-kick, which seemed to surprise Blackburn goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

Strachan said: "It's a great free-kick, it takes nerve when you are at 0-0. But Beatts is brave enough to score.

"He's used his intelligence by out-thinking the goalkeeper. When you are in a crisis you revert to what you are, whether you're a coward or something else. It's easy to back off and ask someone else to take the free-kick, but you have to take the responsibility."

Strachan admitted the first-half had been extremely poor, but felt Saints benefited from feeling more relaxed when Beattie finally ended the goal drought.

He joked: "Someone said the first-half was forgettable, but you canna forget it. If you saw that it will stay with you for the rest of your life!

"It was two teams with some good players and for players of that standard to produce a game like that was just poor."

He added: "There were two frustrated sides out there who needed a win.

"After we scored you saw the tension leaving the players, leaving the stadium and the play got better."