Temple Of Saints - 2006 Archive News From The Oracle
December
December 29th- Tomorrow's game
at Partick is now officially in doubt with the Maryhill side having
requested a postponement due to plague at Firhill - and it's not even yer
typical Wegie diseases of scabies / cholera / black death / chavitis
that's causing the problem but the flu. Hopefully the game will get the
go-ahead (and based on precedent with Forfar that should happen)
especially since the Saints support can get a chance to say farewell to
Darren Sheridan
Meanwhile Saints are acting as though the game will go ahead and the
Cat wants to keep his place in goal.
He told the Courier, "My last league game for the club was
Stranraer on January 20, so it’s been a long wait to play again. The
situation was doing my head in, to be honest. Sitting watching the games
was a nightmare. It was bad enough at the start of the season when I was
on the bench and we were doing well. But it was even worse when I was out
injured and we were losing games. Now my opportunity has come around again
I am determined to seize it. I’ve had to wait 11 months. Hopefully I’ll
have an even longer time now in goal. But it’s up to me to ensure
that happens and that I don’t end up back where I don’t want to
be. Now I am back playing I have to make it as difficult to get me out of
the team as it was for me to get back in there ". And as for his
return performance, he's picked up a scar as well. "I collided
with a Clyde player and I don’t know if I’ve bitten my lip when
his knee has caught me, but I’ve got this swollen lower face—a
good wee memento! I was a bit rusty on Tuesday and made a couple of errors
through that, but I’d only trained four to five days in the past six
to eight weeks so there were always going to be timing issues. I’m
not going to say I was magnificent but I wouldn’t say I was poor
either. "
Owen is expecting to switch tactics more
this season as well and said, "There’s no doubt about it, we
are going to have to show a boldness about how we approach things. We had
a horrendous couple of weeks there when we let ourselves down in terms of
the results. And I had to find a way of getting us back to winning games
and performing well. We went out and won the derby against Dundee but then
went to Hamilton and gave a great performance without achieving the
result. Having looked at that and chatted to my staff I decided to make
changes, and if I have to do that again then I will. If I have to change
personnel or systems to win games for St Johnstone FC then I won’t
hesitate."
5.15pm - One piece of loan news ahead of the transfer window
opening at the start of next week and Saints have revealed that
Kevin Moon's loan deal at Forfar has been
extended until the end of the season.
It's depression time all round as with the sort of demonstration of west
coast bias that will have Forfar fans spitting out their bridies, the SFL
caved into the Partick luvvies and have agreed to postpone tomorrow's
clash with Saints meaning another Saturday with no football and the
prospect of Gretna extending their lead and Livi / Accies closing the gap
while we no doubt will now face a midweek January trip in dodgy conditions
to play Partick. Even worse is that the call-off has meant that the Saints
support have missed out on a chance to say a proper farewell to
Darren Sheridan and
Paul Lawson who were due to play their
final games for the club before leaving in the transfer window. Anyway
best of luck to the pair of them in their future careers.
Meanwhile to whet your appetite for the transfer window - apparently Derek
McInnes was training with Saints down the North Inch today. I bet the
excitement is just doing your heads in eh?
December 27th- Mixed emotions
from the manager after yesterday's win. Owen
told the Courier, "There’s no doubt that it was an important
win for us. We had to keep believing and, even though we’ve played a
lot better this season, it says a lot for the players’ character and
spirit that they kept going to the end. "
December 26th- After overdosing
on turkey and other festive grub (and drink), it's back to reality for
Saints fans today with the visit of Clyde. Savo
reckons it's time we began to kill off the opposition a bit more (and you
can't really argue with him given the number of points we've thrown away
in draws this season). The striker told the Courier, "Too often
we are dominating games and not winning them. We seem to play teams off
the park yet more often than not finish up drawing. We never seem to pick
up scrappy wins. Gretna can maybe not play well but still pick up a 1-0
whereas we don’t seem to grind out victories. With us it’s
either comfortable wins or no win at all. There are times when scraping
through is no bad thing. We need to start winning regardless of our
performance. "
He's not had his injury problems to seek either and went on, "I’ve
been on the bench for the last few games because that was as much as I
could manage. The specialist I saw seems to think I don’t need to
have surgery at the moment. The suspicion is there’s something
floating about in the joint. Hopefully it’s just a tidy up job that’s
required."
For the rest of the squad, Simon Mensing
is the big doubt with an ankle injury although the real debate will be
over who gets the nod for the number one jersey with
Cat now fit and ready to compete
against an off-form Bryn Halliwell.
5.30pm - Savo and
Peaso were on target as Saints
scored twice in the last ten minutes to come from behind and
beat Clyde 2-1 although the overall
performance wasn't that great. Elsewhere and Partick's defeat at Dens mean
we've gone to 2nd place on goal difference.
December
22nd- The transfer speculation is hotting up ahead of the window
opening at the end of the month. Derek McInnes is the only
confirmed target but Owen has admitted
there are three other names being targetted to join Saints, while
Stephen Dobbie(right) will be returning
from his loan stint at Dumbarton. Speaking to the Courier, he said, "We
were very close to getting Derek in the summer and I am hoping we can
entice him to come to St Johnstone now. There are other clubs interested
but we are giving it our best shot. As far as Stephen is concerned,
Dumbarton are desperate to keep him but as he is over 21 you cannot extend
a loan. If he does come back it’ll be up to him to push for a place
in the team. But to be fair he has been working harder and is in better
physical shape than he was previously. There is no doubting his natural
ability but he needed to get himself in better condition for that to shine
through." As for the other speculation it looks like we can
forget about James Grady as the manager went on, "As I
understand it James wants an 18-month contract and we wouldn’t be
prepared to commit ourselves to that length of term"
On the departure side, Paul Lawson
looks like returning to Sellik while Ryan
Stevenson is set to sign for Ayr. Darren
Sheridan will also be off to Barrow.
Looking to the Boxing Day visit of Clyde, Savo
and Simon Mensing will both be fit
despite carrying knocks. Owen said, "Simon
hasn’t trained since the Hamilton game because of an ankle problem,
but given the game is on Tuesday rather than Saturday I would expect him
to have had sufficient rest and treatment to be in contention. We had
feared losing Stephen for a number of months but after visiting the
specialist he has been cleared to continue for the present. The way his
left knee has been swelling up was a cause for concern, but we’re
told the situation is manageable and the plan is for him to get a bit of
training in before Clyde. A lot of teams have switched to the 23rd
allowing their players to have Christmas with the family. But the Saturday
before Christmas is traditionally when clubs draw their poorest gates and
a difference of maybe 300 fans turning up represents a lot of money. "
Another who will be available is the Cat
although the finger injury means he'll have to play with a splint on it
for the rest of his career. The goalie said, "It’s not ideal
but not a major hindrance either, and better this than the finger locking
as it was doing"
December 20th- Last night's game
was postponed due to a frozen pitch so the Cat's
comeback is on hold. Elsewhere and the Retard has reported that
Savo may have to undergo an op to fix
his troublesome knee injury.
8pm - Apparently Saints managed a bounce match against Brechin on
the all-weather pitch with the Cat
coming through the game with no ill-effects. Owen
told the Official Site, "It suited both clubs to have the game
and it allowed me to give Willie McLaren, Willie Dyer, Andy Jackson,
Steven Anderson and Paul Lawson a game and they all came through it well.
Coupled with Kevin Cuthbert coming through successfully it has given me
plenty to think about for the Clyde game." There was more good
news for Savowith Owen saying, "Savo's
specialist feels that an exploratory operation will need to be done at
some point but sees no reason why the player cannot train and play on in
the meantime so that is good news. We'll get through the festive programme
of matches and make a decision on what we need to do from there."
December 19th- Saints are due to
play Brechin in a Forfarshire cup tie tonight and the game will mark the
return from injury of the Cat. He did
make an appearance on the bench at the weekend at Michael McGovern
appears to have ended his briefer-than-brief loan spell and returned
to Parkhead. The game kicks off at McDiarmid at 7.45pm
December 18th- Not too much in
the papers today with Saints obviously keeping their heads down after a
disappointing result at the weekend (even Jason
Scotland isn't having a rant). The only snippet isn't the most
cheering either with the Retard linking Saints with a move for another "veteran"
player with James Grady apparently set to move to McDiarmid after
being told he's surplus to requirements at Gretna. Between him, Derek
McInnes and Steve Tosh, it's good to see
Owen planning for the future.
December 16th- In a change from
yesterday, the Courier reports that Kevin
James might now miss out. Savo is
the other major doubt so Peaso is in
line for a second start in a row. Peaso
told the Courier, "Having had a problem with the knee means I do
not exactly look forward to playing on plastic pitches. But I will take
the pain on Saturday night or the next morning if it means getting a game
and a win for the club. We have had a few bad results in recent weeks but
we got back on course by beating Dundee last weekend. I got my first start
in a wee while and it was nice to get my chance. I think I did quite well
and if I can work my socks off then hopefully I can stay in the team. In
fact, it would be great to have both a run in the side and for the boys to
go on a run of victories over the Christmas/New Year period. That would
really set us up nicely. The Hamilton game will be a real test but we have
a good squad with a positive attitude so hopefully we can come home with
the points "
7pm - Goals from Martin Hardie
and Peaso were counter-balanced by
some crap defending leading to a 2-2 draw
with Accies and Saints now 8 points off the pace. Not a good
afternoon overall....
December 15th-
Goran Stanic has publicly thanked
Saints and the fans for helping him after the recent death of his father.
The defender, who has been unable to travel back to Macedonia because of
red tape, told the Courier, "It has been so difficult for me but
I want to thank the gaffer, the other players and everyone else at the
club for helping me through this. Everyone has been really nice and you
appreciate that when you are so far from your own country. I am happy at
St Johnstone and there are good people here. I can’t change what has
happened so I am just trying to be professional. Playing football is a big
part of my life and sometimes doing my job can help me stop thinking about
the bad things. I have not been able to get back for the funeral but I
still want to go to Skopje soon to see my family, especially my mother. "
He's set to play tomorrow and said, "Now we are back on course
and we know we have the capacity to win this league. We know we have
quality players and have never lost our confidence. But we also know it
will be a tough game at Hamilton. They are a really good team and I
remember that last season they finished third in the table, just behind
us. I would include Hamilton in the group along with ourselves, Gretna,
Partick and Livingston as promotion contenders. You also have the
artificial pitch to cope with but maybe with all this bad weather it will
be better than grass! ".
For his part, Owen said, "It is
heart-wrenching for Goran and his situation puts things like football into
perspective. I think everyone at the club has tried to give him every
possible support. I stressed to him that if he needed time off then so be
it, but he wants to play and has done really well for us. He is held in
such high regard here and the way he has gone about his business during
this difficult time speaks volumes for him."
The Saints manager has also confessed an interest in possibly signing
former Arabs and TFOD midfielder 35-yr old Derek McInnes, who has been
released after 6 months at Millwall (after turning down Saints last summer
to go there).
Looking ahead to tomorrow and Savo is
doubtful but Kevin James and
Darren Sheridan should play although
the latter is likely to have some protection on his bruised arm.
December 14th- There are still
48 hours to go before the last game before Xmas but Saints have doubts
over three players for the trip to play Hamilton.
Darren Sheridan and
Savo were already doubts and they've
been joined by Kevin James. The skipper
only returned to the side last Saturday but apparently has a mouth
abscess. Owen told the Courier, "Kevin
has already been out for 12 weeks so it would be a blow to lose him again.
And Darren has a degree of pain on his bruised arm so we won’t know
until Saturday if he is ready to play. And we will need to wait and see
how Steven gets on this week, so we don’t have our problems to seek ".
The gaffer also refused to speculate on any possible move for Gretna
midfielder Steven Tosh with the 33yr old
ex-Saintee a surprise victim of apparent cutbacks at the medias favourite
fairytale club.
December 12th- Having
rediscovered some form at the weekend of course now
Jason Scotland is dictating his
future and the Saints striker reckons if we get promotion he'll stay at
McDiarmid which is so magnanimous of him really. Speaking to the Courier,
he said, "There have been suggestions of interest in me from
Germany but I know nothing about that and don’t think I’d want
to go there or anywhere else. This is my fourth season in Britain and I am
relaxed and comfortable here. My friends and family tell me to stay in
Scotland. Some of them also tell me that with my name I wouldn’t go
down too well in England! I think it would be best to take their advice.
There’s been no talks about contracts with St Johnstone as yet. But
the club know I want to get up to the Premier League. If Saints went up
that would be an enticement for me to stay here."
Not one to understate his abilities, he went on, "I think I am
better than first-division level. But that’s just my opinion. Other
people made a different decision when it came to my work permit. If I get
back to the SPL next season though I’d be confident of performing in
a way which shows I am up to that. I’ve seen a couple of games
involving Dundee United this year and believe the Premier League when I
played in it with them two years ago was a better standard than it is
currently. It would be easier to play in now."
"Not scoring wasn’t something which was getting to me. I had
a similar run last year and all strikers go through spells like that. What
was playing on my mind though was the fact we weren’t getting
results. As a striker, if you aren’t scoring and your team is winning
then you are still okay. Out of the four games we played before Dundee we’d
have expected to win maybe two. And after the performance against Gretna
we were desperate to go out on Saturday and prove that we were still
contenders for the championship. To score twice was good but I thought
when I was brought down by Bobby Mann in the second-half I was in the box
and I was surprised the referee ruled the foul happened outside the area.
I was also surprised that there was no booking for him and a sending off
as I was going in on goal. After two good finishes earlier I’d have
been confident of scoring if I’d got past him. And had we got the
penalty then I’d have been looking for the ball."
Meanwhile Owen reckons Saturday's win
combined with results elsewhere was very important. He said, "We’d
had a horrible, horrible couple of weeks. But how quickly things change.
We might have fallen 12 points behind the leaders but all of a sudden
Airdrie have won at home to Gretna, we’ve beaten Dundee and we are
right back in the mix again. However, we have to take that on. There’s
no point winning the derby and giving the fans something to shout about
then letting ourselves down the next week. We need to get ready now for
Hamilton.". The gaffer also admitted that Saints are planning to
bring one or two players in on the transfer window with 20yr old
midfielder David Weatherston at Queen's Park a possible target.
December 11th-
Bryn Halliwell is hopeful we've
turned the corner after the weekend win. The Saints keeper told the
Courier, "Hopefully it’s onwards and upwards from now on.
This is a massive result for us. Six points is still a margin but we’ll
get our heads down now and try and claw that deficit back. Mistakes have
been costing us over the last few weeks and I’ll hold my hands up, as
will people all over the park. We’ve not been at our best recently
but we battled really hard for these points and the boys are ecstatic with
this result. Big Jamesie being back does
help us. After we beat Rangers we’ve gone through a sticky patch and
it’s good to have the big man involved again. People say that after
winning at Ibrox we shouldn’t have gone to Airdrie and lost as we
did. But these things happen and look at what Airdrie have now done to
Gretna. When they beat us it seemed a fluke because everyone had written
them off but they’ve demonstrated once again how all the teams in
this division are capable of beating each other. "
As for his own form he went on, "Since
Cat’s been out injured our
results haven’t gone well and my form had perhaps dipped a little
bit. The manager made a decision which he knew I wasn’t happy about,
but he is there to make decisions and I’ve just got my head down and
it’s all turned around. The gaffer pulled me aside just before the
team talk today and told me I was back in. Hopefully, as long as I
continue to work hard, he’ll stick with me. "
Darren Sheridan was subbed at
half-time at the weekend amid fears he'd broken his arm after Alex Rae did
his usual thuggery - luckily a trip to PRI has diagnosed only severe
bruising.
December
9th- Simon Mensing(right)
reckons a win today will go a long way to getting the season back on
track. The Saints midfielder told the Courier, "Any win at the
moment would be good, but because this is a derby game it would mean even
more to the fans. It’s a great match for us to get back on track. I
didn’t know how big the games against Dundee were until I joined the
club. It’s a massive rivalry as far as our supporters are concerned.
There should be a great atmosphere and this is definitely one of the games
of the season. Hopefully, we can get the victory for the fans and
ourselves. They’ve got a few boys who are capable of causing us
problems, so we’ll have to be on the top of our form for this one. We
should have beaten them at Dens Park earlier in the season but we let
ourselves down in only getting a draw. We don’t want that to happen
again. We have to think about what we’ve done wrong because there
have been a few mistakes, but equally you have to say that we’ve been
unlucky on a few occasions. But that won’t shape our season. It’s
two bad weeks that are gone and now we’re looking to cut into that
gap."
Surprise, surprise and Savo and
Martin Hardie are likely to play.
Owen told the paper, "Which-ever
players make it I know how we want to go about this match. Hopefully
Dundee will come to attack, because if they do that will suit us. There’s
no getting away from the fact that we’ve had a disappointing couple
of weeks and we’re all hurting because we’re used to winning
games. The bottom line is we’ve lost games because of horrendous
individual errors but, apart from that, there hasn’t been a lick of
paint between the teams in the games we’ve lost. So you have to put
things into perspective. This is a great opportunity to get going again
and to bounce back. As a player, derby matches are the ones you really
want to be involved in. There’s 20 games to go. We don’t want
anyone having a lead on us, but we can definitely eat into it "
7pm - Jason Scotland played
his part in getting the season back on track with both goals in a
2-1 win over Scumdee, the win made all
the sweeter by results elsewhere seeing us move up to 3rd.
Finally we actually had a kind draw in the cup as well with a home tie
against Ayr United, game to be played on Saturday January 6th.
December 8th- Some good news for
a change and Savo managed a light
training session yesterday so is in with a chance of playing against his
old club tomorrow but as usual don't expect Owen
to make his mind up until the last minute. The Saints manager told the
Courier, “I’m hopeful that Savo could play but it will be a
last-minute decision. He’s probably only had about two or three
sessions in the last three weeks so I think we all know that he’s not
100%. “But we also know how important he is to the team and he’s
shown his willingness to help the team when he’s not been fully fit.”
Martin Hardie and
Goran Stanic should play but
Kevin James is unlikely to be risked.
Owen went on, “It will be a
terrific atmosphere in the ground. Dundee have hit a bit of form and I
think it’s got the makings of a great game.”
Owen's not mincing words about
tomorrow's game though and it's importance to the fans. He told the
Official Site, "It is the perfect game to have after recent
disappointments. We know it has been a disappointing couple of weeks and
we are determined to give something back to the supporters tomorrow. The
hurt I have felt over recent results has been incredible - the fans will
know what I mean - and it is much more difficult to take it as a manager
than as a player. It will be late decisions again on team selection but
whoever is picked will be ready."
December 6th - We won't be
signing the Ghanaian trialist - he did ok in a closed doors game against
TFOD (which we lost 4-2 despite leading 2-0) but his fitness is apparently
short of what is required - with Owen on
record as wanting someone who can go into the team straight away. Better
news from the game saw Peaso score
again (possibly leading to a starting jersey at the weekend) and
Bryn Halliwell putting in a good
show in goal.
December 5th- At least there's
signs of activity ahead of the transfer window at McDiarmid. The Courier
reports that Saints have a Ghanian midfielder on trial. The player had
been on trial at Tannadump but wasn't taken any further and Saints will
have a look at him in a closed-doors game. Owen
meanwhile is looking for some "mental toughness" ahead
of the weekend visit by Scumdee. He told the paper, "It’s
certainly been a disappointing couple of weeks, there’s no getting
away from that. There’s a danger of over analysing things, but at the
moment we seem to be getting punished for every mistake we make, while not
taking our chances at the other end. You get spells like this in football
and now it’s all about how we bounce back. The players need to show
mental strength and you definitely can’t feel sorry for yourselves ".
And things aren't helped by the news that Kevin
James is unable to train at the moment after going over on his ankle
last Friday.
December 4th-
Owen popped his head over the parapet
today after the weekend's defeat and told the Official Site. "To
say I am disappointed is an understatement. As with the previous three
matches it was individual errors that were our undoing and we have got to
eliminate those. We are gifting goals to the opposition at the moment and
that has to stop. However, I am not going to say that our failure to
collect more points is down to those errors alone. This is a team game and
at the moment we are not taking the chances that present themselves at the
other end of the park so with the combination of those two things it’s
not difficult to work out why we are failing to win games. Jim Weir and I
spoke with the players this morning and we are looking at having a good
week of training and getting back on the rails on Saturday."
As for the controversy over dropping Halliwell, the manager went on, "Bryn
Halliwell had been having a sticky spell and so I gave Michael his
chance and he is disappointed about the goals he lost but he is highly
rated and will bounce back from that. We had a great support down at
Gretna and it was very much appreciated. It has been a hard couple of
weeks for everyone but I would ask the fans to stay with us in the weeks
ahead and I know we will bounce back and give them more good days."
Paul Lawson has been confirmed as
suspended this weekend and Goran Stanic's
personal circumstances mean that it's as yet unclear whether he'll be
available.
December 2nd-
Paul Lawson is looking to leave Saints
with some points in the bag before he returns to Parkhead. Back from
suspension for a one-off appearance at Gretna today (before sitting out
the Scum match next weekend), the midfielder said in the Courier, "I
only found out for definite last weekend that I couldn’t stay on past
the new year and it was disappointing. I had hoped to be here for the rest
of season and be involved in what we hope and believe will be a challenge
for the title—but it’s not to be. Between now and the end of
December, though, my aim is to help Saints as much as I can. Winning at
Gretna would be a great start to my plan. The time here has gone in so
quickly and it has certainly been eventful. I have been injured, sent off
and played when we knocked Rangers out of the CIS Cup. I have really
enjoyed it and when I do go back to Celtic I will have benefited greatly
from being at St Johnstone. I have learned lot of things in that short
time so I want to pay the club back by giving my very best between now and
then."
"The Rangers game was a great achievement and a phenomenal
result. That may be, but victory at Gretna could be more valuable to the
club in the long term because the league is the priority without a doubt.
The gap will go to nine points if we lose but the way we are looking at it
is that we could close it to three with a victory. I guess a draw would
not be a bad result but we really would like to cut Gretna’s lead.
The two clubs have a wealth of experience in their ranks so it will be a
fascinating match-up. A lot of the guys in both line-ups have played in
the SPL and will be keen to get back. The quality is there in either side
to achieve promotion, but hopefully we can do it."
Kevin James is in the squad but
Martin Hardie and
Savo are still doubts.
5pm - Loan keeper Michael McGovern started in place of
Bryn Halliwell but was apparently at
fault for the first goal as Saints lost
2-0 at Gretna with Saints now 9 points off the lead and the PA
dusting down the crisis headlines. More to follow no doubt.
December
1st- Owen moved last night to get
cover in for off-form keeper Bryn
Halliwell with 22yr old Michael McGovern joining on a
month's loan from Sellik - he'll be on the bench at least at Raydale Park
tomorrow.
We've got plenty of worries ahead of the game.
Goran Stanic may still play - the
left-back is awaiting paperwork before he can return to his father's
funeral in Macedonia and if that means a departure after the weekend, he
might be available for the trip. There are major doubts over
Martin Hardie and
Savo(right) while a reaction in training
means that Kevin James will also be a
late decision.
The skipper told the Courier he won't risk playing if he's not ready. He
said, "Of course I want to play in such a big match for the club.
However, we don’t want to risk it for one game if that means there
could be a setback and I would be out for longer. We have spoken about it,
the manager and I, and there is no point in rushing back if I’m not
right. We won’t be stupid about it. So it could be that Saturday
could be just too soon but we will step up my training over the next day
or so and monitor the situation. I have trained only sporadically for the
last couple of weeks due to bad weather and underfoot conditions, etc, so
it was good to get the game against the (United) under-19s. I felt tired
afterwards but maybe it was a blessing that they were all younger players
because they ran about non-stop and that really tested me. "
As fo the current bad patch, he went on, "Things have gone a bit
pear-shaped over the last wee while. We have only got ourselves to blame
for that. What we must do is dust ourselves down and get on with it. I
have no doubt we have the players capable of winning at Gretna and that is
our aim—to win. Previously, when big games have come around like the
Ibrox one, we have managed to deliver the goods. Beating both them and
Dundee United in the cup was great but we have had a jolt of realism over
the last wee while. So we are fully focused on the league and what would
be great is if the fans could get right behind us. I believe there could
be about 500 going down there—which is terrific—and hopefully we
can give them something to cheer about "
Paul Sheerin will play - his wife has
just given birth to a baby daughter and congratulations to the Saints
midfielder.
Tickets for tomorrow's game are still available with around 450 of the 700
allocation sold already.
Top Of News
November
November 29th - It's been
confirmed that Goran Stanic will miss
out this weekend as he travels back to his homeland.
Owen said, "We all want to win
football matches but at times other things take priority". The
club have also confirmed in today's Courier the imminent departure of
veteran midfielder Darren Sheridan
who will join Barrow in the transfer window. The manager went on, "Darren
has a young family and it’s been a difficult situation for all
concerned. We want to be as helpful as we can and have agreed with him
that he’ll knuckle down until January when he can go with our
blessing. Darren was on the bench last Saturday and there’s every
chance he’ll continue to be involved between now and when he leaves. "
- something he may do a week on Saturday as it was also confirmed that
Paul Lawson will be suspended for the
Scumdee game after crossing the red line with his disciplinary points at
Dingwall.
November 28th- Saints beat the
Arabs U-19 side 4-0 in a closed doors game yesterday as some of the fringe
players got a run out. But that was as far as the good news went with
Savo already a major doubt for the
weekend trip to Gretna. Owen paid a
visit to Clicheville and told the Courier, "We need to cut out
the individual errors which have dogged us over the last few weeks and to
take the chances we’ve been creating. It’s also time for us to
show our character and mental strength. There’s no point dwelling on
the recent results. We require to focus on the positive which is that if
we win on Saturday the gap between ourselves and Gretna will be back to
just three points. Savo nearly missed
the Livi game and did well to last as long as he did. He wasn’t at
his sharpest but gave every ounce of effort he had which I applaud him
for. However, he is now a major doubt for this weekend. "
4.30pm - The latest doubt is Goran
Stanic. The Saints left-back has had to return to Macedonia after
the death of his father and understandably there is a doubt whether or not
he can make it back for the Gretna game. At least it puts a lot of things
into perspective after the weekend and our thoughts and sympathies are
with him.
November 27th- Saturday's
goalscorer Martin Hardie seems to think
the last week's results which have seen us take one out of a possible nine
points are just a blip. The midfielder told the Courier, "We knew
the kind of game we were going to get against Airdrie and it was just a
battle in which they won all the second balls. During the week against
Ross County if we had come in at half time 5-1 up, no one could have
questioned that. Today Livingston scored first but if Jason Scotland had
taken a first-half chance it might have been different. We have had a
reasonable record at home for over a year so we are bitterly disappointed
to lose this game. But it’s a competitive league and we will keep
battling away and performances will soon turn again. We have Gretna next
and, while it’s not going to decide the title, it’s going to be
some game "
November 26th - Another morning
after and another moan from Owen. The
Saints manager gave his reaction to yesterday's pish on the Official Site.
He said, "Our passing was poor in the first half and Livvy
certainly shaded it and to say that I am disappointed with that is an
understatement. I spoke to the players at half-time and thought we were
much better at the start of the second half. Our passing was better and we
were getting crosses into the box and to me it looked like a matter of
time until we scored – perhaps a criticism would be that at times we
wanted to walk the ball into the net – but then we switched off and
left ourselves with a mountain to climb. We’ve got caught with a
sucker punch. It looked like a foul on the keeper from where I was
standing but the referee didn’t give it and we have lost yet another
soft goal. To drop the three points is disappointing and to lose our proud
15 month unbeaten league record at home makes it doubly so. We now come in
and work even harder to sort it out"
November
25th - Allan McManus(right) is
out to make up for the midweek disappointment at Dingwall. The stand-in
skipper told the Courier, "It was a tough one to take, especially
for me personally, because I was the one who let their player get a header
in at the death. We’d totally controlled the whole match up until
that point. In fact, the first half was probably the best we’ve
played all season in terms of possession, passing football and the chances
we created. Any neutral couldn’t have complained if we’d won by
five or six. The good thing is that we’ve got a chance to put things
right. We’ll have to be on the top of our game for this one. Lapses
of concentration have cost us recently and we need to be consistent. We
know we can beat anyone on our day. We’re only one win away from the
top of the table and Saturday’s fixtures mean that something has to
give. We want to get back to a situation where our fate is in our own
hands and we don’t have to concern ourselves with other results. ".
In terms of injuries, all Owen would say
was a few players, "won’t be 100% but will be prepared to do
their bit"
6.45pm - Saints title hopes took a pounding today along with our
home record thanks to a 2-1 defeat to Livi.
Martin Hardie got our goal but again
slack goalkeeping cost us a goal and too many players just weren't willing
to work. We've slipped to 4th as well and are now seven points off the
pace after Gretna gubbed Partick 4-0.
November 24th - Confirmation
today that Paul Lawson is suspended for
tomorrow's home match against Meadowbank. To add to
Owen's worries,
Savo, Simon
Mensing and Martin Hardie are all
still carrying knocks from midweek. The Saints manager wasn't too unhappy
after the ddraw on Wendesday and told the Courier, "How it
finished 2-2, I don’t know. I was looking for a reaction from the
players after a poor performance against Airdrie last Saturday and I got
that. There were a couple of individual errors which cost us the goals,
but I couldn’t fault the effort of the players. If we perform like
that for the rest of the season we’ll get a lot of victories. "
Despite an appearance on the bench on Wednesday,
Kevin James is still lacking match
practice so apparently won't take part tomorrow. Speaking on the Official
Site, Owen said, "As I said
yesterday, after the disappointment of the Airdrie performance I was very
happy with the reaction of the players at Dingwall in terms of the
football they played for most of the game. It was just a travesty that we
didn’t get the three points. But I brought the players in yesterday
and we had a talk about it and worked on a few things and we are all
geared up for the game against Livingston. I know we are heading into
games against teams higher up the league but I think that more than ever
this season there is nothing to choose between any of the ten sides so we
just take each week as it comes." Darren
Sheridan (who looks set to move to Barrow in the transfer window) is
available after missing out midweek looking after his sick wife. The
manager reckoned Savo should be fit
despite having to limp off with a knock at Dingwall.
November 23rd - With the
depression still hanging about after the players threw away 2 points at
Dingwall last night, there is a chance to look forward to the semi-final.
The preliminary arrangements for the sale of tickets for the semi-final
have been announced. The club are likely to have around 3,300 tickets and
these will go on sale first to season ticket holders and then to holders
of a voucher which will be dished out at this weekend's home match against
Meadowbank. No info on prices yet or when the tickets will go on sale.
November 22nd -
Savo says he's not bothered about
scoring against County at Dingwall tonight as long as we come back down
the A9 with all three points. Despite getting a goal at the weekend the
result was a disappointment and the Saints striker told the Courier, "The
most important thing is winning games, and although I got on the
scoresheet again that wasn’t any consolation—I would rather have
three points than a goal. Everybody at the club was disappointed with the
result and the performance. At least we have a chance to get it right
against Ross County. I feel any team that can string a few wins together
can make real progress and I want that team to be us. We still possess the
confidence in ourselves that was evident when we went to Ibrox and beat
Rangers in the CIS Cup. Now we have to show that we can bounce back from
what was a bad result at Airdrie. "
Savo, Simon
Mensing and Martin Hardie all
trained yesterday after picking up knocks and should be fit.
Steven Anderson still has a chance of
making it as well but is only expected to do light training before the
game. Owen said, "I am looking
for a positive reaction. We will have fans going up there who have worked
hard in order to spend good money to see us. (apart from those of us
that can't get away from our work!!!!) The players need to show them
that they want to make amends. "
There is a pitch inspection at Dingwall today after heavy rain recently
has meant some doubt according to the Retard.
9.45pm - Goals came from Paul
Sheerin and Martin Hardie but a
last-minute penalty (with Paul Lawson
sent off for handball in the box) meant a
2-2 draw against Ross Co and only one point. Elsewhere Partick and
Clyde shared the points in a 1-1 draw.
Finally the tickets for Gretna go on sale at the club to season ticket
holders tomorrow, Friday and Saturday with a general sale starting next
Monday.
November 20th - Surprise,
surprise, Owen wasn't too happy after
Saturday's defeat in Buckfastania. The Saints manager told the Official
site, "We were really poor. Having said that, we lost a very soft
first goal, and goals change games. Airdrie hadn't particularly threatened
until that point. We went into a wee lull and lost another poor goal to a
set play - were weren't quick enough to the second ball and the striker
was very alert to it. We were 2-0 down and huffed and puffed a bit after
that. We got the equaliser and tried to push on, but it wasn't to be. I
thought we should have had a stonewall penalty at the end which might have
rescued us, but sometimes these decisions don't go your way. We were well
below the level we needed today and that sums it up."
With only 2 wins away from home all season, it's not exactly
championship-winning form so hopefully we'll get back to winning ways this
Wednesday with the rearranged trip to Dingwall.
Meanwhile midfielder Ryan Stevenson
looks set to have his loan deal to Ayr extended until the end of the year
- both clubs are happy but it still has to be ratified by the SFL.
6pm - Steven Anderson is
still a doubt for the trip north after limping off at Airdrie. If he
doesn't make it, the game will come too soon for
Kevin James so expect to see
Simon Mensing drop back from midfield
to partner Allan McManus
November 18th - A bad day at the
office today saw Saints drop to fourth after a
2-1 defeat at Airdrie with
Savo getting a consolation for us after
Bryn Halliwell was lucky to stay on
the park in the first half when he brought down Prunty in the box. A total
mess on the park today and hopefully it'll act as a bit of a wake-up call
for the players.
November
17th - We face Airdrie tomorrow who are currently without a manager
following the sacking of Sandy Stewart at the start of the week.
Owen Coyle(right) told the Courier,"It’s
a horrible situation. Sandy is one of my best mates and it will be surreal
not having him taking their team. I speak to him every day and he phoned
me early on Monday morning straight after he got the bad news. If I’m
being honest, there was total disbelief on my part. I am not being biased
because he’s my friend and because I’ve known and worked with
him for years. Airdrie United have had nothing but success under Sandy. In
his first year (2002) they came within a minute of promotion from the
second division; then, when I was on loan from Dundee United, it was a
breath of fresh air to play for the team and we tore that league apart and
won the title by 11 points. The following season they finished fifth in
the first division—not bad for a promoted team. I then joined St
Johnstone, but even last year Airdrie consolidated their position while on
a reduced budget and having lost many players. They may be sitting at the
bottom of the table but I watched them at Hamilton last Saturday and only
bad luck beat them. They were a side still full of spirit and looked
capable of climbing the league. So I have no doubt Sandy was the right man
to address their problems and, regardless of who they now get, they will
be doing well to get a better manager than him."...plenty of
objectivity there then.
As for the game the gaffer is expecting a tougher encounter now. "The
Airdrie boys will probably feel they let their manager down by not
achieving the results they have been striving for. They will be keen to
show something against us. They were always going to be tough opponents
anyway and Broomfield is a notoriously difficult ground to visit. So we
have to go there and impose ourselves on the game. It is up to us to
perform and if we play to our maximum we can win. Beating Rangers has
given everyone a lift and the players should have a great sense of belief
because of what happened at Ibrox. But that game was over a week ago now
and the semi-final against Hibs is more than a couple of months away. Our
aim for this season has always been the title and we have an opportunity
to make more progress by winning this game."
Jason is due back from international
duty today while Andy Lawrie and
Martin Hardie have only just returned
to training after suffering from the flu.
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
November 16th - Saints have
announced that the Gretna game in a fortnight will be an all-ticket affair
with Saints getting around 700 briefs. They're not on sale yet though but
prices are £12/6 for the terracing or £14/7 for the stand behind
the goal (which apparently has pillars to block the view).
And they've finally decided on the venue for the semi with Saints taking
on Hibs at Tynecastle on Wednesday January 31st at 7.45pm. No surprise
that the game is all-ticket but we're also going to be live on the BBC.
Ticket details to be announced in that grand old traditional way of "due
course".
November 15th - Good news for
Paul Sheerin yesterday with the Saints
midfielder picking up the SFL Division One Player of the Month award for
October. He told the Courier, "I’m absolutely delighted—this
is the first league award I’ve received. It’s been a great month
for the club and for myself and I’ve weighed in with a few goals—four
in three games, which is the kind of return I would aim for. But it’s
all about how the team plays overall and it’s good that the team has
been playing well, with just the one blip against Clyde last month, and it
always helps as a player if those around you are performing well too. The
win against Rangers was a nice bonus and showed the self-belief in the
team that we thought we could go to Ibrox and catch them out when they
were struggling a bit. It would be great to continue in the same vein and
gain promotion, which is what the main aim is this season. "
Elsewhere and the Saints youth side went down 4-1 at home to Gretna to
exit the Youth Cup last night.
Still no decision on the cup venue either or whether or not the game will
be acceptable for the BBC (who must be very confused with no OF side in
the semis)
November
14th- After a wee break it's bad news to return to with the
revelation that a operation on a finger has ruled
Kevin Cuthbert out for the next 8
weeks. Bryn Halliwell is still first
choice but it means a chance for U-19 keeper Gordon
O'Brien(right) to step up. Owen Coyle
told the Courier, "It’s a blow losing
Kevin because he has been pushing
Bryn Halliwell really hard for the
first-team jersey and the form Bryn’s been showing has had a lot to
do with that. We’ll have Gordon
training with us and if he shapes up well then he’ll get the job. We
always have the option of trying to get someone else in if need be. "
Meanwhile the bulk of the Saints squad got their flu jabs apart from 3 or
4 who apparently turned chicken (and better not bloody get ill!!!). And
the SFL are going finalise the date and venue for our semi-final against
Hibs today with Tynecastle or Hampden the apparent alternatives.
Finally we'll be up against an unknown factor this weekend when we head
through to Airdrie with the Diamonds punting their manager Sandy Stewart
yesterday.
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
November 11th- It's a nice
weekend off due to the Challenge Cup final involving Ross County - which
gives us all the more opportunity to enjoy the comments on Wednesday
night's historic win. Savo has spoken of
his goals on the Official Site and said, "I’ve had a few
good moments in my career that I cherish but in terms of the result for
the team combined with my contribution to that result then it would have
to be the highlight. I’ve actually won at Ibrox before – when I
was with Dundee back in 2001 I was one of the scorers in a 2-0 win but
Wednesday was more special. I didn’t have much time to think about
the first one, it just came to me and I had a split second to get it
right. The second one was obviously a bit different as I had a few moments
more to think about it but your instincts just take over and I was quite
focussed as I ran through on goal"
He also praised the fans and said, "It was the biggest
travelling Saints support I have played in front of and to see the
reaction at the end was very special. It has let all the players here see
what the potential is if we can get it right in the long term and we are
determined to have other days like that!"
November 10th- With the Saints
fans still on a high, Owen Coyle gave
his reaction to the cup draw. He told the Courier, "It is not
going to get any easier for us in this competition as Hibernian are an
extremely good side. In fact they are probably the best team left in the
competition and will no doubt be glad to have drawn us. We will obviously
go into the tie as underdogs but, having beaten Dundee United and now
Rangers, that suits us just fine. I do not think Hibs will underestimate
us. They will be favourites but we have a good team and they will know
that."
As for Wednesday night, the manager went on, "It was a great
result—it was a terrific performance and we could maybe even have
scored more goals. Having said that if you had offered us 2-0 before the
game we certainly would have taken it! I would classify it as my best
result as a manager. The performance against United in the last round was
tremendous but to go to Ibrox and beat Rangers, regardless of their
current form, is a massive achievement. To my mind Rangers are a massive
football club and Ibrox is one of the finest stadiums in Europe—to
win there was very special. I am loath to select any individuals but
Steven's two finishes were absolutely
top class. Having said that it was a great team effort and everybody
played their part superbly. "
Meanwhile Geoff Brown said in the
same paper, "It was a massively satisfying night and I must admit
it was one result I really enjoyed. It is certainly not the case that we
were hanging on at any point either. It was 2-0 but it could have actually
been more. While Bryn had a relatively quiet night the Rangers keeper was
kept busy throughout. We stopped at a hotel for a few drinks and it was
just great. Owen had urged me to stop even though he does not drink. I
think everyone was just on such a high and it seemed like the right thing
to do. In my time here St Johnstone have achieved much, but never having
seen us win at Ibrox made the evening extremely special for me personally.
I am sure it was a night all the fans will savour as well. We are
sometimes knocked for the quantity of our support but 1000 turned up in
Glasgow and gave the team great backing. I would like to think this could
be a platform for the team and fans alike to build on. "
And Steven Anderson paid tribute to
the 1000 Saints supporters that made the journey saying, "The
fans were absolutely brilliant on Wednesday. Playing in front of a big
crowd in a big stadium could be a bit intimidating but they made loads of
noise and their backing definitely helped "
November 9th- It's the morning
after and no doubt there are a lot of hangovers in Sainteeland.
Owen Coyle has spoken of the hoodoo
being broken last night. He told the BBC, "I don't think ayone
could argue about the result and we could have had a few more goals. This
is one of the stadiums where we aspire to be next season and I told the
players to go out with self-belief and give it their best shot. It is a
terrific result and all credit to the players. I said beforehand that I
wanted to represent the first division by playing some decent football and
we did that. I stressed to the players at half-time that if we had
self-belief then we could do something and we scored two goals and could
have added more. We merited our place in the last eight having beaten
Dundee United 3-0 in the last round and we merit our place in the last
four now. We needed two things to happen tonight—us to be at our
maximum and Rangers not to be at their best, and to come to Ibrox and win
is a terrific result. "
Savo was just as confident about the
semi-finals and told the Courier, "We’ll take anybody in the
draw for the semi-finals because as a first division team you don’t
expect to be in semis of national tournaments. I guess I am being picky
but it’s a pity I didn’t get three! I have not scored an
overhead kick before so that has to be one of my best and the second one
was a ball over the top and I kept my composure. We all knew we could come
here and not get beaten and it is a great feeling. "
6pm - The cup draw was made at 2pm today and Saints arguably got
the hardest tie against Hibs with Killie v Falkirk the other semi pairing.
The match is set for either Tuesday 30th or Wed 31st January 2007 at an
undecided neutral venue.
November
8th- With Sellik falling victim at home to Falkirk last night,
Savo(right) believes we can go out and
win at the Death Star tonight. The Saints striker said in the Courier,"I’ve
good memories of that game because going to Ibrox and winning isn’t
something a team like Dundee does very often. “But Lee Wilkie and Lee
Mair had money on 1-0 and they were telling me my car was going to be
vandalised when we got back to Dundee, although thankfully it wasn’t
. It goes without saying that we are massive underdogs—but we have a
good team here. We’ve got the ability to cause them problems and we’ve
also shown we have a decent defence. It’ll be interesting to see how
things go. The first division is a good league. I’ve also played in
the Premier League and find it easier to play in because you tend to get
more time on the ball and teams are generally less defensive. We played
well against Dundee United in the last round and we’ll lift it again
on Wednesday and I think we will get a result. No-one is going to Ibrox in
a defeatist frame of mind. We aren’t expecting to be beaten and
looking just to enjoy the occasion. We are capable of getting into the
next round and that’s the aim "
Paul Lawson will play after getting
permisssion from Owen Coyle who said,
"I spoke to Kenny McDowell, who spoke to Gordon Strachan, and we’ve
been given permission to play Paul. The
issue of involving him in cup ties was never discussed at the time he
signed for us but it would have been wrong not to check whether Celtic
were happy for us to do that.". As for the other injury worries,
the manager went on, "Bryn
Halliwell, Allan McManus and
Simon Mensing all managed to do the
warm-up this morning and I’ve said to the three of them that if they
can play at Ibrox I’ll give them a week’s rest after that. I
think they’ll make it."
For TFOD it looks like Barry Ferguson will sit out. There's also a
minute's applause before the game tonight in honour of ex-Gers player
Bobby Shearer who died at the weekend.
Finally, Paul Sturrock was yesterday
named manager of Swindon.
Midnight - Bloody hell - where do you begin. Simply one of the
best nights to be a Saintee as we went and
gubbed the Huns 2-0 thanks to 2
fantastic goals from Savo(right) to put
our name in the hat alongside Falkirk, Hibs and Killie in the semi-finals.
1000 Saints fans saw a late kick-off and plenty of excitement (as well as
winding up the home fans) and one of the best performances from a Saints
side in recent years with everyone giving their all. Expect the usual
media post-mortem for the OF this week but hopefully we'll get a wee bit
of credit for showing that the "diddy" clubs can still take on
the best of them! Bring on the rest!!
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
November
7th- Owen Coyle says we're not
changing our style of play just because we're off to the Death Star to
take on the Evil Empire. With The Forces of Darkness looking shaky after
losing at Tannadump, the Saints manager told the Courier, "This
is a brilliant opportunity for us and appropriate reward for the players
for the way in which they performed against Dundee United in the last
round. We’ll look to be just as positive on Wednesday although
whether we’ll be allowed to do that is another thing. I’ve gone
to Ibrox before as a player with teams who’ve sat in and hoped for a
0-0. From a spectator’s point of view that can’t have been great
to watch and equally it wasn’t great to play in. I want my players to
go there this week and try and show what they can do. We sold out our
allocation of 1000 tickets within a day and we owe it to the fans to be as
positive as we can be. These people have paid good money to follow us and
we have an obligation to give them something to shout about. This approach
could backfire on us but we’d be wrong not to have a go. "
"People will look at the fact Rangers lost to Dundee United on
Sunday and say that shows we’ve got a decent chance. But that match
was away from home and the last couple of home games they’ve played
in Europe have seen Rangers turn in terrific performances. We are under no
illusions—this is a big ask. There is no doubt that if both teams
play to their maximum Rangers will win. For us to win three things are
going to have to happen. We’ll need to play out of our skins, Rangers
will have to be slightly off the boil and we’ll have to carry a wee
bit luck. "
Meanwhile we've got a few injury problems with
Bryn Halliwell,
Allan McManus and
Simon Mensing(right) all nursing
knocks, the latter a back strain which has meant he's hardly trained in
the last week and only just passed a fitness test for the Partick game.
Owen said, "On Friday, Mensing,
Halliwell and McManus couldn’t take part in training which was a bit
of a concern. But it sums up the spirit we have in the squad that they not
only came in on Saturday prepared to go out and play but were terrific in
the game. The three of them still aren’t right but given we’ve
no match next weekend and they’ll be able to recover, then I’m
hopeful they’ll be fit for Wednesday. "
Jason and
Paul Lawson are free from suspension
but Saints are still waiting to see if Lawson
has clearance to play. Willie McLaren
is still cup-tied though.
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
November 6th-
Bryn Halliwell spoke out after
Saturday's win about the ongoing speculation concerning
Owen Coyle and the Pars job. The Saints
keeper said, "It’s natural that there should be speculation
linking Owen Coyle with other clubs and
I think it is only a matter of time before he works his way up. It would
be a massive loss if he went. He is a good coach and hopefully we can hold
on to him for a while yet. Good luck to him if he gets the chance, though,
because he has told the players that if any of us have an opportunity to
move on to a higher level he won’t stand in our way "
As for the win, the manager himself told the Courier, "Our
all-round performance was exactly what I am looking for. The spirit and
sense of togetherness was brilliant. We’ve been working for 18 months
to bring that on and things are going in the right direction here. I am
flattered if people outwith this club think I am doing a reasonable job.
But I haven’t heard anything, nor have St Johnstone ".
Elsewhere, the paper reports that Owen
is apparently no longer a "favourable option" possibly
because they've suddenly realised how much cash they'll have to splash.
November
4th - Steven Milne is expecting a
tougher game than the last time we met, sorry gubbed Partick. The Saints
striker told the Courier, "You wouldn’t have thought they
would be top after we’d beaten them 5-1 but they deserve to be there
and the table doesn’t lie. We’ve had too many draws since that
win and Partick Thistle have shown the difference winning rather than
drawing games makes by going top, despite two big defeats against
ourselves and Gretna (6-0). The lads are treating this as a big game and
we know we can go above them and maybe go back to the top of the league if
we win. We’d like to open up a gap after that but the most important
thing is being top after the last day of the season. Since the Dundee
United game I’ve only been able to train once or twice a week and
played on a Saturday, which is not ideal because you lose some of your
sharpness. My knee was swelling up after a match and would only go down by
a Wednesday. I could only manage light training on a Thursday and a
Friday. Obviously that catches up with you. This is the first full week’s
training I’ve had since then and I’m feeling a lot better for
it. It certainly makes a difference to your game. "
Owen Coyle has still to decide between
Peaso and
Willie McLaren to start up front and
he said, "Peaso has been
training well and has given me food for thought, and
Willie McLaren has been looking a lot
better after the problems he had a couple of weeks ago. “Willie made
his debut against Thistle and was terrific, so he might get the chance
again. We’ve also got Darren
Sheridan ready to come in. It’s got the makings of a great
game. We’re doing well at home, Partick are top and there should be a
good crowd to watch two teams going for the win. The last time we played
Thistle we were behind them because they had made a great start. People
have looked at their two heavy defeats but they have won a lot of other
games and it doesn’t surprise me they’re at the top at this
stage. All credit to them for getting there but we know that if we win we’ll
go above them. "
7.30pm - In the end it was a so comfortable, we had our pipes and
slippers out sort of cruising 2-0 win
over Partick which saw us return to the top of the table with the
goals coming courtesy of Sheerinho(right)
and Peaso.
The bigger news though is that Radio Scotland today followed up the
Dunfermline Free Press (one of the bigger circulation papers so it must be
a big story) report that the Pars have targeted
Owen Coyle to fill the vacancy as
Lieshmans mouthpiece. There's been no official word from Saints
but expect a strong report denying any approach has been made and
criticising any club that would try and test the water by leaking stories
to a wee paper. Given that the Pars have already balked at paying a
rumoured 50 grand compensation to get John Robertson from Livi, it's
interesting how much they honestly think they'd be let off with paying for
a similarly rated manager who's under contract until 2009. Of course the
real conspiracy theorists might say that it's interesting this sort of
story surfaces the day we're due to play some West Coast media darlings
and only a few days before we head to the Death Star to take on The Forces
of Darkness.
8pm - OK the Official Statement is out at the club and quotes
Geoff Brown saying, “Owen
is under contract here as a manager and as a registered player and we have
received no approach from anyone for his services. “If this is
someone ‘flying a kite’ with the notion of him moving then it is
very naughty, particularly before a very important game for the Club and
it is certainly not the way that this club would conduct it’s
business.” . The manager himself said after the game, "I’m
flattered if someone at another club thinks I am doing a reasonable job
here but I haven’t heard anything and I don’t know how these
stories start. Having signed an extension not that long ago I’ve got
a contract here until 2009 and I’m enjoying being here – it’s
a lovely football club. We are all striving to get back into the SPL and
our aim is to do what St Mirren have done and get up a division and
establish ourselves as a top division side. I’m now 100%
concentrating on the CIS Cup game with Rangers on Wednesday. Ibrox will be
a great stage to play on and we want to be playing those sides every week
and that is our aim"
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
November
3rd - Some good news for Saints with Kevin
James(right) on the mend and set to begin training next week with a
view to being available for a return to the first team in another three
weeks.
For tomorrow's visit by Partick, it looks like
Peaso and
Willie McLaren are set to start in
place of the banned Jason and
Paul Lawson
Peaso has spoken to the Official
Site of his chance tomorrow to finally start. The striker said, "There
is never a good time for someone to be suspended as we are all in this
together but obviously from a personal point of view I would relish being
able to get a game from the start tomorrow in place of Jason. I need games
now - that is the only way I am going to get match fit and hopefully
tomorrow will be the start of something for me. I would love to get back
among the goals against Thistle but as long as somebody scores them and we
get a win that is main thing. Of course I would love to get a game at
Ibrox next Wednesday but at the moment I’m focussing on doing what I
can against Thistle if selected." Elsewhere and the forgotten man
at Saints in Neil Janczyk is back at
the club after completing his 3 month loan spell at Raith Rovers.
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
November 1st - No more word on
team news for the weekend, but it looks like
Peaso will start in place of the
suspended Jason, while
Darren Sheridan and
Willie McLaren are both in with a
chance of replacing bad-boy Paul Lawson.
Saints are expecting a tough game with Partick unbeaten away from home
this season.
Top Of News
October
October 31st- Expect some
shake-ups to the side this weekend with Paul
Lawson and Jason suspended. The
former won't be punished by the club for his red card and
Owen Coyle told the Courier, "We
have spoken to Paul and while there may not have been a lot of contact he
should not have lifted his hands to an opponent. Having said that we feel
we really should not have lost the game to Clyde. What has happened has
happened and we are just looking forward to what is a massive game against
Partick Thistle this weekend. Against Clyde we had the two best chances—really
excellent opportunities which we should have taken. We lost what I
consider to be a cheap goal and will just have to bounce back as best we
can. Results meant Partick Thistle went top at the weekend and we are
looking forward to testing ourselves against them on Saturday."
October 30th-
Owen Coyle was staying fairly neutral
about Saturday's red card. He told the Courier, "The linesman
must have seen something to give it, he’s not going to raise his flag
for nothing."....not that it stopped Clyde boss Joe Miller saying
how he saw the whole thing. The Saints gaffer tried to put a positive
slant on things though, saying, "I’m disappointed to lose
our unbeaten league record. I thought we had the best chance of the first
half with Hardie but Paul Lawson's
sending off gave Clyde the initiative in the second half in terms of
numerical advantage. In the second half we also had the two best chances
of the game. It was a great goal by the lad Imrie but we could have
defended the pass inside the full back better. "
October
29th - Saints head for Cumbernauld today to take on Clyde and
Simon Mensing(right) is another
looking to establish our position at the top of the table. He told the
Courier, "It’s great to be top of the league and our goal
now is to stay there. It is better to be out in front than, as was the
case for us last term, chasing the leaders. There is still a long, long
way to go but the ideal thing would be to put space between us and the
likes of Partick Thistle and Gretna. There are a lot of teams in this
division who can beat any other on their day. You want the rest to take
points off each other while we keep on winning. We are now there to be
shot down but, to be honest, that is nothing new for us because even last
season teams seemed to raise their games against us because we were one of
the bigger names in the league. I guess we sent out a message with what
was a commanding performance against Queen of the South. We actually had a
couple of displays like that beforehand which weren’t reflected in
the scoreline. This time we managed to turn our chances into goals and
hopefully the good form can continue at Broadwood. The confidence is
certainly high and, although it is a hard place to visit, we are all
looking forward to the game."
7pm - A Pish afternoon all round saw Saints lose
1-0 at Broadwood to a bunch of cheats
with Paul Lawson shown a straight red
card in the first half for an alleged elbow. Results elsewhere mean we've
been pushed back to third in a crappy day all round.
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
October 27th -
Owen Coyle reckons
Peaso is finally back to his best
form. The Saints manager told the Courier, "I was really pleased
with Peter’s performance against Dundee and I have always said that
if fully fit he could be in any team in this division. He has been
desperate to get back among the goals and you saw that in the way he
celebrated scoring against Queen of the South. There is no better sight
for a striker than seeing the ball hit the back of the net and he was
obviously delighted. The boy has had so much bad luck on the injury front
over the seasons but, all credit to him, he comes in here every day with a
smile on his face. So it is great to have him as an option and the timing
is great ".
The last point is one to note since it's been confirmed that
Jason is suspended for the Partick
game a week on Saturday and Savo is
still apparently suffering from a knee injury although has managed to
train so merely faces the standard late fitness test ahead of tomorrow's
trip to Cumbernauld. Speaking of the game, the gaffer went on, "We
stepped things up last Saturday but it is one thing to get to the top of
the league and another to remain there. Last season we were playing
catch-up to St Mirren and couldn’t really afford to slip up in any
game after the new year. We were 13 points behind at one stage and it is
certainly nicer being the ones in front this time. Hopefully, the mental
strength we showed to hang on until near the end of the campaign will
stand us in good stead this time around. And, although Clyde will be tough
opposition, it is a game that we know we can win if every player does his
job "
October 24th - Some good news to
start the day with Saints progressing in the Forfarshire Cup last night
with a 1-0 win over the Scum courtesy of a goal from
Owen Coyle. The Saints side was a
mixture of fringe players and U-19s. Elsewhere and
Neil McCallum looks set to cut his
loan spell at Alloa short after picking up an injury requiring an
operation on his foot which rules him out until January.
October
23rd - Paul Lawson(right) was
pleased to get on the scoresheet at the weekend. He told the Courier, "I
have not really been known for my goalscoring I would like to think that
is something I can add to my game while I’m at St Johnstone. I am
here to help the boys get back to the Premierleague any way I can. Being
at Saints is benefiting me already as I am getting first-team games rather
than Tuesday afternoon reserve matches and I am enjoying every minute.
Looking at Charlie Adam you can see how it worked for him. He got the
experience of playing every Saturday for St Mirren before going back to
Rangers. And it is nice to be in a team that is now sitting at the top of
the league. Everyone is confident and the boys are flying just now."
Owen Coyle also praised the midfielder.
"I am a big admirer of his and he wants to make an impact here.
He had a broken foot at Celtic but is getting closer to full fitness and
we hope to take him on to the next level. You have seen his range of
passing, short and long, and I knew he would be a valuable addition to our
squad. He is on loan until the end of December and we will see what
happens after that."
6.30pm - It's not all good news today though -
Jason Scotland's booking from
Saturday mean he's going to have to sit out the Partick game in a couple
of weeks.
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
October 22nd -
Owen Coyle was a happy man after
yesterday's win. He's quoted in the
Sunday
Times saying, "I think we have been threatening to get a
result like that for some time now, but it was nice to get a clean sheet
too and some of our link-up play was great to watch today."
October 21st -
Owen Coyle is looking to open up a gap
over the rest of the sides at the top today by improving on the recent run
of draws with 3 points today. He told the Courier, "It’s
certainly very tight at the top and now is the time to go on a run. We are
unbeaten but I want to see the draws turned into wins. There’s a
sense of frustration at the moment because there’s no doubt that we
should have won a lot of the games that we drew in the first quarter.
Looking back I don’t feel there were any of the five draws where I
felt we were lucky to take a point. Against Hamilton and Clyde we had a
lot of chances, against Dundee we had the game won and threw it away as
far as I was concerned. The Livingston match was probably the most even of
them and last week, even though we scored a late equaliser, it would have
been an injustice if we had lost. I’d probably mark us at about seven
out of 10 for the first quarter. I certainly couldn’t have asked for
any more effort and commitment but I know we have more to come. The
players have now seen all the other teams and while they know there are
some good ones, they know they’re a match for them. So hopefully they’ll
look at the first quarter and take confidence from it. I want our unbeaten
run to continue with draws turned into wins. "
It's going to be a tough game today though and he went on, "They
went to Hamilton and should have won, and by all accounts they should have
won at Partick Thistle as well. We have to focus on our own performance,
make sure we’re on top of our game and not take anything for granted.
When things are going against you at the bottom of the table you’re a
very dangerous team "
6.30pm - A masterclass of dominating football today saw us romp
home as 5-0 winners over QoS with goals
courtesy of a brace from Paul Sheerin
and one each from Paul Lawson,
Peter MacDonald and
Savo. All of which leaves us nicely top
of the league tonight on goal difference ahead of Partick Thistle with
Accies and Gretna both dropping points today. Nice day overall really.
October 20th - Tickets are
almost gone for the CIS game and apparently TFOD are so scared they won't
give us any more so we'll have about 1000 Saintees to take on their hordes
of bighots.
Closer to home and Paul Lawson has
responded to treatment with some light training and looks set to make the
squad for tomorrow's game. Savo has also
managed a full week's training and Owen
Coyle used up his season's quota of cliches and told the Courier,
"Savo put in a tremendous shift during the Gretna game but
instead of taking it easy he has been flying this week"
Finally "commiserations" to ex-manager
Judas Sturrock with the large-eared
one the victim of a backstabbing exercise from the Sheff Wed board to find
himself punted from the manager's role yesterday. Bet it feels rotten to
get the ground pulled from under you like that doesn't it?
6.30pm - Tomorrow's game is an easy one on ppaer butBryn
Halliwell isn't taking things for granted. He told the Official
Site, "Anyone can beat anyone in this league and from what I have
heard Queen of the South have been relatively unlucky not to win at least
a couple of their games. Every game for Saints is massive because the
situation at the top of the league just now is incredible with four sides
all on the same points and others tucked right in behind. To be honest, we
are very disappointed that we are not two or four points clear of that
pack as we should have won a couple of the recent games but have had to
settle for draws. We are proud to be unbeaten in the league but cannot
afford to underestimate the challenge Queens will give to that record
tomorrow." As for his own game the keeper went on, "I
didn’t get any pre-season games with Dunfermline so I came to Perth
cold in respect of match practice and I have had to bed myself in.
However, I’m in the swing of things now and delighted to be playing
regularly. The boys in defence have been great for me so far - I'm
disappointed for Kevin James and Kevin Rutkiewicz but they are making
their own progress in recovering from their respective injuries now –
and I have to say that Allan McManus has been superb and Steven Anderson
has grabbed his chance with both hands. Allan has been round the blocks a
few times and knows what it is all about but I think Ando, who is
inexperienced in comparison, has done really well."
Paul Lawson is available tomorrow but
Ryan Stevenson won't be near the
ground - he's been allowed to go on a month's loan to Ayr United to get
some match experience.
Finally, if you've not got a ticket for the Death Star forget it - the
last of the Saints allocation was sold this morning.
October 19th - Not much to
report other than the good news that we're actually selling plenty of
tickets for the CIS quarter-final with a second batch ordered from the
Death Star after the first one of 850 briefs sold out. Tickets are
available to non-season ticket holders now priced at £18 for
adults and £8 for concessions.
October 16th - Ex-keeper
Alan Main currently playing for Gretna
reckons Saints are favourites for the title. Playing down the ambitions of
Mileson's millionaires, he told the Courier, "I think they are
favourites. They’ve been in this division for a number of years and
know how it is. They usually concede very few goals and I think the team
that has the best defensive record will win the division. "
Owen Coyle meanwhile reckons the defence
doesn't have its problems to seek after the three goals they conceded on
Saturday. "We spoke to the players in the dressing room and they
know that they should have done better. There were two or three individual
mistakes within the first goal and again in the build-up to Gretna’s
second. If the visitor’s second had Coyle looking around in
disbelief, the third was a hammer blow he believed his teamed showed
character to recover from. There was no excuse for
Simon Mensing having his hand in the
air, but from our vantage point in the dugout there was a little push in
his back that the referee didn’t see. It was an opportunity to go
three points clear and it’s passed us by, but we had the character to
preserve our undefeated record. I think it’s over a year now since we
lost at home in the league, though obviously I’m disappointed to lose
three goals. We’ve drawn a number of games and there’s no doubt
a few of them should have been turned into wins. "
Latest news on Paul Lawson is that he
has a sprained elbow and is already rated doubtful for Saturday's visit by
QoS.
October
14th- Well someone at least is confident enough going into today's
game. After last night's 1-0 defeat for Meadowbank at home to Accies, a
winner today would go 3 points clear at the top and
Allan McManus told the Courier, "Our
last game was the draw at Dundee and I felt we let ourselves down in the
second half. We didn’t turn up after the break and that wasn’t
good enough. We came away from that match and the draw at Livingston
really disappointed not to win them. Maybe that’s to do with the
standards the manager sets and the standards the players have set for
themselves, but whatever the reason, we are determined to win this one.
After a fortnight’s break the boys are champing at the bit for
kick-off. It’s the biggest game because it’s our next one but as
soon as that’s over the next match after it will be the biggest.
Gretna have been classed as favourites since the start of the season and I’m
not going to say any different. We’ll just go about our business
quietly. We’ve got a belief that we can do well this season. Talk is
cheap, though, and any experienced player will tell you that. You have to
have a quiet belief as an individual and as a team and that’s what we
have here. It’s important that we maintain the consistency we’ve
shown so far because the most consistent team will win the championship.
If we keep our good form going we’ve got a really good chance. We
know that Gretna are favourites for the league but if we play to the top
of our game we’re confident of beating anybody. "
Owen Coyle is still being realistic
about today's well-financed opposition. He said, "When you look
at the players that they have at their disposal and the finance they have
behind them I think they still have to be treated as favourites. Having
said that, we’re sitting joint top and this match gives us the
opportunity to go three points clear of one of our main rivals. We’re
unbeaten in the league and in the quarter final of the CIS Cup, which is a
terrific situation at this stage of the season. Now we’re looking to
build on that start. I was disappointed that we didn’t win our last
game against Dundee. Most people would say that a draw away from home
against one of our nearest challengers is a good result, but I know we’re
capable of winning these type of matches. "
Latest news is that both Savo and
Willie McLaren are rated as "very
doubtful", but Jason Scotland
arrived home safe and sound and will be in the starting line-up. He'll be
joined by Paul Lawson and the manager
said of the on-loan midfielder, "I think he is ready now. He’s
played a reserve game and a bounce game and has looked sharp in training.
He’s is in serious contention to start tomorrow."
7pm - A cracking second-half saw all six goals as the points were
shared in a 3-3 draw with Gretna
although Saints really threw it away through some sloppy defending. Goals
came from Paul Sheerin,
Martin Hardie and a late, late
deflection from Jason Scotland's
freekick. Added to that Paul Lawson
went off early on with an arm injury and it's disappointment all round
although we're still 2nd in the league with Gretna just ahead on goal
difference and Partick just behind us.
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
October 13th - Another name for
the list of doubts for tomorrow has appeared overnight with
Darren Sheridan now coming into that
category for tomorrow's game. Owen Coyle
still knows what's required and told the Courier, "We want to
finish the first quarter of the season on a high. This is a
top-of-the-table match with Gretna and I want to make sure that whoever
takes the field against them is at their best. It’s important that we
win as we will be three points ahead of them. We will remain focused and
are looking forward to meeting Gretna. They will be confident having won
here last season in the Scottish Cup, but I’m sure we can achieve the
level of performance required to get the necessary win. "
7pm - Latest news is that Darren
Sheridan is still a doubt for tomorrow having apparently been
looking after his ill wife. Owen Coyle
says that Savo and
Willie McLaren will face late fitness
tests and some other "unnamed" players are also doubtful due to
injury. Jason Scotland and
Andy Jackson were due back at
McDiarmid today from international duty while
Paul Lawson who's come off the bench
for the last couple of games looks set to start in midfield while
Peaso is another who could come into
contention.
Owen Coyle has said that tomorrow's game
is "massive for both teams" with any winner in with a chance of
breaking clear at the top. There's also an additional edge to the game as
we attempt to keep our impressive home record going - Gretna having been
the last team to beat us on our own patch in the Scottish Cup last
January.
October
12th - Saints don't have their troubles to seek ahead of Saturday's
big game at home to Gretna. As well as Kevin
James and Kevin Rutkiewicz, it looks
like there are real doubts over both Savo(right)
and Willie McLaren.
Owen Coyle told the Official Site, "Steven
still isn’t training fully and hasn’t done so since the Dundee
United game. Contrary to reports in some newspapers I’m far from
convinced that he will be available for Saturday – he needs to prove
to me that he can train and is capable of putting in a shift.
Willie McLaren had two teeth out
yesterday and it transpires that he been suffering from an abscess in his
mouth and it looks like the poison from that has been travelling around
his blood system for a couple of weeks which would explain why he has been
feeling a bit under the weather for the last three weeks. It is not ideal
preparation for the game on Saturday but we remain very focussed and are
looking forward to the game. Gretna will come to Perth fancying their
chances, particularly having won here last year in the cup, but we are up
at the top of the table along with them and Livingston on merit and I am
confident that we can turn in the performance needed to get the win."
Meanwhile Jason Scotland came off
the bench for the T&T 2-1 win over Panama last night and should be
back in time for the game
And if you want to add to the latest conspiracy theories, the latest ammo
comes in the form of the September Manager of the Month award. Despite our
good league form and dispatching and SPL side in the CIS cup for some
strange reason it's gone to Clyde's Joe Miller.
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
October 10th - Despite the
recent breaks from competitive action, Saints are still sweating over some
players ahead of Saturday's top of the table clash against Gretna.
Savo is the main worry. He's apparently
hardly trained in recent weeks and Owen
Coyle said in the Courier, "Savo has been getting a series
of injections on Mondays so we will have to wait until later in the week
to see if he’ll be ready. If he isn’t then we won’t take a
chance with him."
October 9th - With sod all
happening over the last week or so, Saints sprang back into life today.
The CIS Qtr Final tickets have gone on sale with season ticket holders
able to get their briefs this week prior to a public sale starting next
Monday. Prices are £18 for adults and £8 for
concessions.
And just to add to the list of purchases this week the Saints away kit is
out this Thursday at Asda's in Perth - I know, I know and it's still
2006!!!!
October 4th - Saints chalked up
a 3-1 closed doors win against Airdrie yesterday with
Peter MacDonald getting two and
Stephen Dobbie the other.
Owen Coyle said in the Courier, "It
was a good exercise and was important in that respect.
Peter scored two and was playing at
left-back, which was a culture shock to the team! We also had a couple of
youngsters playing due to Neil McCallum
(or does he actually mean Mark
Gallacher?)being away with Northern Ireland U19s and
Andy Jackson travelling with the
Republic of Ireland U19s. Overall I was very pleased with the game "
With a free weekend due to internationals training will be a bit lighter
this week and the manager went on, "We have played around 14
matches this season already so it’s important to give the squad a
chance to have a rest. So with that in mind we will be training tomorrow
but I will be giving the players the weekend off."
October 2nd -
Owen Coyle was a frustrated man after
the weekend's draw. In a token wee comment in the Dundee-biased Courier,
the Saints manager said, "It feels like a defeat. There was no
fluency to our game in the second-half and our passing was really poor.
You can play against 10 or seven men, but if you can’t pass the ball
from A to B your advantage is nullified. "
Top Of News
September
September
30th - Jason Scotland(right)
is set to head off on international duty after today's game and is looking
to leave on a high with a win over our local rivals. Speaking in the
Courier, he said, "I have played Dundee a few times now, both
with St Johnstone and Dundee United. I have yet to get a goal against them
and this would be a good time to put that right. My target will always be
to win the game and take the three points home but as a striker you also
want to get on the scoresheet. It is good being a St Johnstone player just
now because we are challenging at the top of the table and there is a good
mood about the place. We are looking forward to the rest of the season.
Dundee seem to have turned things around and have won a few games on the
trot so they will be dangerous opponents for us. However, we are playing
well, too, and feel we can go there and beat them "
He admits we'll miss Kevin James and
Kevin Rutkiewicz and said, "It is
not just that they are great players, they are also our captain and
vice-captain respectively. But we have a good squad and the likes of
Steven Anderson has shown that he is
more than capable of doing a great job at the heart of the defence. "
He's set to take part in 2 friendlies against Nicuragua and Panama on the
7th and 11th and went on, "These two friendlies will give our new
coach (Wim Rijsbergen) the chance to look at all his options and I hope to
do well."
Savo is still a major worry for Saints
and Owen told the paper, "Steven
is still struggling to be honest, and we will just have to see how he is
tomorrow. We also have one or two knocks to other players so the squad is
tight, but we are still confident going into this game. I personally
always enjoy visiting Dens Park for matches and I am sure there will be
good backing for both teams. "
7pm - Another disappointing afternoon as 10 Scummers came back to
scrape a 1-1 draw at Dense after
Paul Sheerin gave us the lead with a
cracking volley. On the plus side, Gretna's slip up at home to Airdrie and
Livi only drawing at Clyde mean we're tied with them on 16 points, but
third on goal difference.
Photo copyright PPA (www.ppapix.co.uk).
Used with permission.
September 29th - Skipper
Kevin James has been philosophical about
his enforced layoff. The Courier quotes him saying, "I have seen
the scan results and the ligaments are strained but at least I don’t
need surgery. I am determined to be as upbeat as possible because when I
think about what Kevin Rutkiewicz faces I
do realise the damage could have been a lot worse. What is bizarre about
the whole thing is that I had no idea I had hurt my knee because I was
unconscious at the time. I took a blow to the head and was out cold. I
only came to in the dressing room when the doctor was about to put
stitches in my head wound. The first thing I remembered was that I had
caused the goal we had lost and was more bothered about that than anything
else. Also, I have had plenty of stitches in my time and that wasn’t
a problem. What did concern me, though, was that I felt the knee throbbing
and when that finally registered in my brain I knew the cut was the least
of my worries. The ironic thing is that, according to the medical people,
the knee damage only happened because I was unconscious when I hit the
ground. Had I been aware I would have been able to stabilise myself and
would not have jolted the knee. But I am not going to let it get me down
because I have had worse injuries in the past. It is a relatively short
period to be out and I will work hard to be fit as soon as possible. "
As for tomorrow's game Owen said, "In
our division every game is a tough one and it’s the same story for
our trip to Dens. However, if my players play to their maximum then we can
go through there and win the game. We did it last season and I believe we
can do it again. "
7pm - Steven Anderson reckons
he's up for the trip to Dens tomorrow. Having come into some great form in
recent weeks he's certain to start in place of the injured Kevin James and
told the Official Site, "This is my chance to improve as a player
and show the Manager that I am worth having in the team. The centre of
defence is my preferred position although I've obviously been happy to
play at full back when required. However, I'm more comfortable in the
centre role and I'm hoping to make an impression in the next few weeks.
I'm gutted for the two Kevins but I have to look after myself and grab the
opportunity. Of course it is disappointing and frustrating when I lose my
place in the starting line up but there are no complaints from me. Like
any other player, it just makes me more determined to work hard and get
back into the side and make the manager see what I can bring to the team.
This is my chance to do that again. All the players are disappointed for
Kevin James and Kevin Rutkiewicz, especially 'Dinky' who looks like
missing the rest of the season. However, we are all determined to keep
focused and win tomorrow’s game."
Steven Milne managed some training this
morning but will face a late fitness test to see whether or not his knee
will be able to stand up to the risk of disease from being within the
vicinity of Bobby Mann.
Meanwhile the Ross County game scheduled for the 11th November will now
take place on Wednesday 22nd with a 7.45pm kick-off.
September 28th - Not much good
news all over today. Kevin James is set
to be out for 4-6 weeks with knee ligament damage while
Steven Milne is now very doubtful for
the weekend derby. Owen has already
stated that if the striker doesn't train tomorrow he won't be included in
the squad for Saturday.
Elsewhere and Ross County's progress to the Challenge Cup final means
that Saints will have a free weekend on the 11th November with the league
encounter at Dingwall set to be rescheduled.
Finally and 19-yr old defender Johnny Black
has left the club by mutual consent.
September 27th - It looks like
the injuries as biting ahead of this weekends trip to Dens.
Steven Milne is still suffering from the
swollen knee that kept him out of the Livi game and
Kevin James will miss out although the
scan results on his knee are still due. Owen
is quoted in the Courier saying, "We haven’t heard about the
result of the scan on Kevin James but it
looks like he will be out for a long period of time. It will be a big loss
for us, especially with him being the skipper. But regardless of what
happens we just have to get on with it. The players need to muck in. There’s
one thing I won’t have and that is players feeling sorry for
themselves. Steven Milne has been
struggling this week and if he doesn’t train over the next couple of
days then it isn’t looking good for him "
September 26th - First up the
CIS cup tie has been confirmed for Wednesday November 8th with a
7.45pm kick-off. No word on ticket sales yet.
Kevin James is due to get a scan on his
knee ligament today to see what damage has been done.
Finally Saints reserves beat their Partick version 1-0 in a league cup
tie though it took extra-time to wrap things up.
September 25th -
Bryn Halliwell was still suffering
after the disaster leading to Meadowbank's goal on Saturday. The keeper
told the Courier, "I called for the ball then
Jamesie went to clear it and the ball
bobbled over his foot. He’s taken a fresh air swipe at it and it was
just a calamity goal. It wasn’t good enough from either of us. We
both know that, and luckily Jason got
us level with his goal. We came away with a draw, but we’re
disappointed we didn’t get the three points. We’ve set our
standards higher than that. However, we’ve kept our unbeaten run
going, so we’ve got to put that behind us and look to the next game
now."
Meanwhile Owen say's Saints have
nothing to fear in the trip to Ibrox. "I think the managing
director will be pleased from a financial point of view, but ideally we
were looking for a home draw. We’ll have to go there and give
everything we’ve got but it’s a very big ask. Regardless of how
Rangers are playing they’re packed with quality players. It’ll
be a great experience for the players and if you’ve any aspirations
of getting to the SPL it will give players a taste of what’s on offer
if you’re good enough over the course and distance to win the first
division against some very good teams. We’ll go there with a positive
attitude, we won’t be going just to shut up shop—we don’t
know how to play that way. I have to say we would have to play out of our
skins and Rangers would have to have a poor ev