Dundee Utd 0 Saints 0 League Table Here
Team: Cuthbert, McClune, Tommy, Murray, Dods,
McCluskey, Marco, Russell, Paddy, Hartley, Panther
Subs Devlin, Peaso, Forsyth, Kiegan, Jones
Ninety minutes to go - that's all that's left. All that's left of a nightmare season culminating in a run of games which have seen us fail to score since the first half at Fir Park at the start of the month and the last 3 games serve up some of the most boring football of the season. Still at least we have a fortnight to prepare giving Saints ample time to practice their skills - remember passing to a player in a blue shirt, taking 2 touches in a row on the ball, getting the ball (that's the wee round thing) into the net etc. If ever there was a time we needed to get back to basics it's now.
No surprises that Stark swapped things round again with Saints reverting to a more traditional 4-4-2. Well traditional in the formation although rumour suggests that the proven tactic is to play players in their best position. Still Saints work in mysterious ways these days so we had a left-winger (Tommy) at left-back, a left-back (Marco) on the left wing, a right winger (Hartley) in the centre of midfield and a midfielder (Panther) on the right wing. At least some things don't change with the strikeforce made up of a couple of slow guys who couldn't hit a bloody barn door, never mind a goal.
As for the game - what do you expect, entertainment? It took 5 minutes before Tommy managed to cross the ball to Russell in the middle who sclaffed his shot-cum-pass and saw it spin out for a corner. Not that we did anything from it - set pieces no longer a threat when Saints take them. Panther managed a shot over the bar whilst Lilley did the same at the other end.
The main action was in the stand when Tayside's finest took exception to the Saints support's tribute to Charlie Miller and deflated our beach ball. Berti's least favourite tubby chap was the main threat from the Arabs. Not for his scintillating skills (spot the sarcasm) but more from his attempts to murder the players in blue with Murray and Hartley taking knocks. Still the ref was obviously a homer - the 1979 mullet hairstyle (still all the rage in Whitfield) gave that away.
We were making the odd chance though. Panther set Hartley up for a neat run to the byeline and cutback which was missed, and then Paddy went on a run only to try a shot which was easily blocked rather than pass to Russell or Hartley. Apart from that Panther saw a header go wide and Russell missed an even easier chance, whilst the Arabs saw Venetis go on a good run (as the Saints defence stood back and watched) which ended in a cracking save from Cuthbert.
Second-half saw the home side almost take the lead from the kick-off when Cuthbert tipped a Tubby shot over the bar, then 5 minutes later he made a great block from Paterson's run. But as a spectacle the game was just dire with no one able to get a shot on target - McCluskey saw a header go well over,Lilley and Tubby shot over the bar and Panther saw an effort blocked. Kiegan replaced Russell in 63 minutes.
But Tubby was still the centre of attention and gave us the biggest laugh when his dive on the edge of the Saints box saw us get a free kick and Cuthbert trip over the too-fat-to-get-up-quickly kebab lover as he took the kick. Aye well you had to be there - we're easily amused these days.
Marco made a good clearance in the 6-yard box before our best change came with 18 minutes left. Panther set up Hartley who passed to Marco who went on a run before sending a good ball to Kiegan in the box. Parker broke through but his narrow-angled drive was well saved with Paddy too slow to make the rebound. Peaso replaced Panther with 5 minutes to go but to no effect. Murray picked up the only booking for a 2-footed challenge late on. Sure we put some pressure on towards the end but in all honesty never looked like scoring.
MoM wasn't easy to pick but Cuthbert was the only Saints player who didn't put a foot wrong all day. He's improved in leaps and bounds and right now would be my first choice keeper for the new season. The rest tried and there was more effort than the last couple of games but the lack of skill and ability on show was more worrying than anything. - sorry the most worrying thing was actually the threat of deep vein thrombosis for those of us taller than a midget forced to sit in that decrepit cramped main stand at Tannadump. Gayfield looks a lot more enticing all of a sudden.
Only one more game to go. Thank God.
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| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Points |
| Celtic | 36 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 89 | 17 | 97 |
| Rangers | 37 | 25 | 9 | 3 | 81 | 27 | 83 |
| Aberdeen | 37 | 16 | 7 | 14 | 50 | 48 | 55 |
| Livingston | 36 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 43 | 44 | 52 |
| Hearts | 36 | 15 | 6 | 16 | 49 | 50 | 48 |
| Dunfermline | 36 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 39 | 58 | 44 |
| Kilmarnock | 37 | 13 | 9 | 15 | 42 | 52 | 48 |
| Dundee United | 37 | 12 | 9 | 16 | 36 | 56 | 45 |
| Dundee | 37 | 12 | 8 | 17 | 40 | 53 | 44 |
| Hibs | 37 | 9 | 11 | 17 | 50 | 56 | 38 |
| Motherwell | 37 | 10 | 7 | 20 | 46 | 67 | 37 |
| Saints | 37 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 24 | 61 | 21 |
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