Temple Of Saints - Slaughter

Scottish Premier League - 23/03/2002

Jambos 1 Saints 3 League Table Here

Team: Cuthbert, Dods, Tommy, Murray, Weir, McCluskey, Lynch, Pope, Jones, Paddy, Panther
Subs Devlin, Maher, Ferry, Peaso, Forsyth

What can I say? One of our best performances of the season and no doubt we'll be left with a lot of "what ifs" tonight. What if the management had shown faith with some of the kids before now? What if we'd avoided some of the injuries? What if we'd shown this sort of fight on our last trip to the Capital?

As expected the sword was wielded by Stark the Sacker. No place for the veterans in the 3-5-2 formation with the exception of Weir, Jones and Paddy with youth given it's chance. Panther, Pope and Murray made up our central midfield with Lynch and Tommy on the flanks and Mark Ferry was given a spot on the bench.

Backed by a cheery Saints support, set to party from now until the end of the season, the game started well enough for us - probably due to the novelty of playing on a Tynecastle surface which actually had some grass on it for a change. As early as the first minute we won a corner and a couple of minutes later Tommy went on a run before slipping the ball out to Jones on the right whose shot clipped the bar before going over. Hearts tried to press but the next shot was a Saints one with an off-balance Jones doing well to get a soft shot on target which Niemi held easily. That was the signal for the fouls to go in and Gronlund on Pope and Mahe on Weir were the first in a long line of offenders not that ref Alan Freeland was that bothered about taking any action. We nearly went behind in the 18th minute when some poor defending saw Flogel get through on goal only for him to screw his shot wide. Then after Weir and Dods started being penalised for nothing offences, the home side missed a total sitter in 17 minutes.

At the other end Paddy and Jones combined well with some neat control before Jones slipped the ball to the onrushing Panther who rushed his shot and sent the ball wide when he had more time. Pope was next to get a shot on target a couple of minutes later after Jones was fouled 25 yards out. He sent a curling free kick in which was tipped wide. A minute later though and we were all smiles when Lynch's throw-in to Panther was eventually crossed over. The ball came out to Tommy and from the edge of the box he sent a cracking drive into the net to make it 1-0.

Saints nearly made it 2 a couple of minutes later when Paddy sent Jones through who then passed to Pope only for his shot to be well saved. Hearts tried to get back but the best they could offer was Ricardo Fuller (who some people think of as an entertainer but comes across more and more as a cheat) shoving an elbow in Kevin Cuthbert. Still we didn't have long to wait for another goal. With 30 minutes gone Jones worked the ball out to Pope on the right. His cross was too long but in came Tommy at the edge of the box on the left and sent a cracking rocket of a shot in off the underside of the bar with the keeper not standing a chance. Easily Saints' goal of the season.

We started to show off now and within a couple of minutes Paddy was doing backheels to Tommy. And in the 36th minute it got even better. Weir cleared to Pope who sent the ball to the Panther. He played another simple ball to Tommy who ran up the wing and cut across the defence. In the box and through on goal, McKenna scythed him down from behind. Freeland took his time but eventually awarded the spot kick, although the Hearts player inexplicably escaped with just a yellow card. Up stepped the Pope though and sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 3-0 and send some of the home supporters on their way (nothing like showing loyalty to the team eh?).

Another yellow was shown on Gronlund three minutes later when he went in heavily on Paddy and sparked a bit of a scuffle. Tommy ended up with a booking as well but somehow Mahe and Fulton escaped similar punishment. And before the break we had a couple of decent chances. Jones saw a header go just wide and then he was sent through on goal after the Hearts defence slipped only for Niemi to make a good save.

The second-half started better for Hearts. They made their 3rd substitution just after the restart and within 4 minutes had pulled one back. A cross from the left to the back post saw the Saints defence missing and Wales given plenty of time to put a neat shot into the net.

If that was annoying the Saints support we were furious a minute after the restart when Fuller got into the box and with Murray only just near him, he went to ground quicker than a Scumdee chairman when the bank manager calls. Justice was done though when the same cheat saw his penalty kick go wide.

We were a bit slacker at the back now though although still making some chances for ourselves. Pope and Weir both had shots blocked whilst Flogel shot over the bar and Cuthbert made a great save from Fuller after Dods let him through. Pope had another shot just wide on the hour mark after being set up by Paddy despite the Saints striker being held by Mahe. We won a corner a minute later and Weir at the back post knocked the ball back across goal for McCluskey to shoot wide. Pope set Jones up a couple of minutes later but the striker held up his shot too long. Then McKenna headed the ball over the bar at the other end. Fuller finally picked up a yellow card for another late, late challenge on Cuthbert.

Saints were still playing too deeply and letting the Jambos into the game. Tommy did well to block a Maybury shot before Panther went on a great run up the right and sent a cross in for Paddy only for his shot to be saved. Ferry replaced the tiring Panther with 11 minutes to go and Peaso replaced Paddy 3 minutes later as the game wound down. Hearts managed to get the ball into the net with 4 minutes left but the goal was chalked off for offside. Then in injury time Maher (on for Jones) was put through by Peaso into the box but hesitated a fraction too long over his shot and Niemi saved.

MoM is hard to choose. Weir, Cuthbert, Pope, Paddy and Panther all had excellent games (with Panther looking like one of the best youngsters to come through in recent years). But in the end it has to go to Tommy who scored a couple of cracking goals, ran his arse off all afternoon and played well in defence. But to be honest there wasn't really a bad player on the park for us today and for the first time in ages we showed some real fight.

We might go down this year but play like this and we'll be back sooner rather than later.

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