St Johnstone midfielder Liam Craig hopes to keep the crowds coming back to McDiarmid Park after a big Euro turnout on Thursday night.

The 8,845 Saints fans created a wonderful atmosphere inside the Perth ground at the Europa Conference League play-off second leg tie against LASK.

And despite the 2-1 defeat by the Austrian side to go out 3-1 on aggregate, the home support gave their side great backing and showed their gratitude at the end for the efforts of the domestic double cup winners, who finished the game with nine men after substitute David Wotherspoon and defender Shaun Rooney were sent off.

Ahead of the cinch Premiership game against St Mirren in Paisley on Sunday, Craig said: "To be fair to the supporters they are a loyal group.

"They have backed us even in difficult times. But as players if you come out and three or four stands are full it does give you extra energy to go and do well.

"Hopefully they can see what the team is about and what we are trying to do and they want to be involved in the success as well.

"They missed out on a lot last year and it's up to us as players now to put performances on the park to make sure they keep coming back."

After losing out to Turkish giants Galatasaray in the Europa League – after again drawing away from home in the first leg before losing in Perth – St Johnstone lost out on another chance to get through to the group stages of a European competition.

However, Craig is confident that the next step in Europe will happen one day.

The former Falkirk and Hibernian player said: "What we've shown over the last couple of weeks is we can go and compete.

"We've had that experience and with a bit of know-how moving forward then why can't we get to the group stages one day?

"That was the aim, we came up short, but if someone said in December we were going to win a cup double and then draw with Galatasaray out there, people would have laughed at you."