TFOD 3 Saints 0 League Table Here
Team:
Main,Dods,Bollan,Weir,McCluskey,Sylla,Tommy,Kane,O'Neill,Parker,Pope
Subs: Cuthbert,Dasovic,Paddy,McCulloch,Forsyth
Pre-match all the talk was about Saints carrying on from the performance on Saturday and making as many chances etc etc. Unfortunately overindulgence in the festive season appeared to remove any sort of match sharpness from the team and today it was back to the same old story against a TFOD side which was fired up to say the least. And if there's one thing that this game showed it's that if a side closes down MoMo and Kiegan then Saints have nothing to offer in way of attack.
St. Sandy went for a 4-5-1 formation with Kiegan on his own up front. Paddy and Dasovic dropped to the bench to allow Tommy and Michael O'Neill to come into the midfield, with the former taking the left wing-back role and Bollan dropping back.
We were actually reasonable for about the first 15-20 minutes with a corner in the first minute and then a free kick (after Kiegan got the first of many fouls), but there was no real threat. And unfortunately we were guilty of defending far, far too deeply with some of the so-called flair players like Tommy and O'Neill stuck playing a holding role and unable to get forward to support Kiegan. Instead we saw a continual stream of long balls which Craporuso picked up easily.
Despite being under some pressure from TFOD Main was in decent form making a series of good stops, whilst Dods, McCluskey and Weir were both having good games as they threw themselves at everything coming their way. Saints even had a chance to take the lead after 20 minutes when Tommy, making an all too rare run up the wing won a corner. Le Mo sent the ball over only for Dods' header to come back off the bar - I mean as if we're going to break our heading scoring duck at Castle Greyskull?
Main was called back into action just after that to tip aside a De Bore overhead kick and then a couple of minutes later he showed some cracking reflexes to recover from a clearance to save a powerful Reyna shot.
The half-hour mark saw TFOD take off Mols and put on Kenny "Handball" Miller. A minute later and the bigots took the lead. MoMo gave away a soft free kick, the ball was sent over, headed back across and that shite McCann sneaked in behind Dods to drive home. The bigots in the crowd woke up.
It could have been worse a few minutes later - first up Craporuso missed a sitter of a header (it took a deflection off his greasy mop), then Dods had to make a last-ditch tackle on McCann. Half-time saw the tiring Kane replaced by Dasovic.
Saints got off to a decent start and a good spell of possession ended in Bollan shooting weakly. At the other end a TFOD free kick was well blocked, whilst Kiegan on the right wing caused some problems with his runs (including the usual game of "Dodge the Leg-Breaking tackle").
Unfortunately it wasn't too last and with the half 10 minutes old a TFOD cross came to "Hic" Ricksen who sent a drive past Main with all the accuracy of someone used to hitting things over the festive period.
St. Sandy put on Marco for McCluskey just after with the defender limping up the tunnel as Saints tried to get back into it (for get back read snatch some sort of consolation). Tommy picked up a MoMo ball and got a good run behind the defence but his first touch let him down.
Kiegan was brought down on the left wing just outside the box and Le Mo's free kick cum cross saw Klos tip the ball over the bar. Then Nosey saw a good run on the right wing end up with Craporuso pulling him down. Saints free kick is awarded but Craporuso continues to protest his innocence (I'm surprised the Italian in him didn't just want to surrender instead), although he didn't get the deserved booking. Needless to say the free kick was wasted. Some justice was done just after that when Craporuso went on a run up the park and begged the ref for a penalty which McCurry turned down.
Saints put on Ross Forsyth for Tommy but to little effect. Weir picked up a yellow and the cheers of the travelling fans for chopping down Craporuso. TFOD then proceeded to snatch a 3rd two minutes from time when a Johnston cross was somehow let go by Main for Flo to header in from all of 6 inches.
No MoM award from me as Saints didn't really seem to put any real effort into trying to earn anything from it. The midfield in particular was generally poor overall and far too much is being expected of Kiegan to run an attack on his own.
Three defeats in a row has put us right back down near the bottom of the table. We know the team can beat anyone else on their day but these wins are becoming a bit too much of a rarity.
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| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Points |
| Celtic | 23 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 60 | 21 | 60 |
| Hibs | 23 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 40 | 15 | 48 |
| Rangers | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 47 | 23 | 48 |
| Kilmarnock | 23 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 30 | 26 | 39 |
| Hearts | 23 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 35 | 34 | 32 |
| Dundee | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 34 | 25 | 30 |
| Dunfermline | 23 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 30 | 29 |
| Motherwell | 23 | 8 | 4 | 11 | 30 | 36 | 28 |
| Saints | 23 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 23 | 33 | 28 |
| Aberdeen | 22 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 39 | 18 |
| St. Mirren | 23 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 14 | 45 | 12 |
| Dundee United | 22 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 45 | 7 |
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