St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright did not attend the post-match interviews following a 4-0 Betfred Cup win over Brechin.
After defeats from Montrose and Ross County, the Perth side cruised to their first win of the season with first-half strikes from Scott Tanser, from the penalty spot, and Chris Kane, with substitute Callum Hendry and Matty Kennedy extending their lead after the interval.
It was a one-sided affair against the part-time League Two side, but those earlier defeats had scuppered Saints prospects of advancing from the group stages.
Perth boss Wright would have been grilled on mounting speculation that his move to bring back former striker Stevie May from Aberdeen was in jeopardy.
City boss Barry Smith was not reading too much into the one-way traffic.
“I don’t want to be too harsh on the players because they gave me everything,” said Smith.
“St Johnstone were excellent. We’ve got to give the players credit because we are still finding our feet, given the number that have come in.
“We aren’t up to the levels of fitness that we want yet but that will come.”
