Temple Of Saints - We've done what?!?!

Scottish Premier League - 10/11/2001

Killie 0 Saints 1 League Table Here

Team: Miller, Murray, Tommy, Dasovic, Kemble, Dods, Lynch, JR, MacDonald, Paddy, Falconer
Subs Cuthbert, Pope, McClune, Russell, Jones

And so it was written that in the month of November did the mysterious figure of Starkers come forth and aided by the mythical champion known only as "Wullie", lead the faithful out of despair and on to the road to salvation and the legendary 11th place finish. Well maybe not quite but for those of us that have been living in the belief that the elusive win was always going to come next week it was one hell of a relief at 4.50 today (usual 4 minutes injury torture of course). It's a start and although this was far from anything approaching our best, ask anyone connected to the club and I reckon we'd all have been willing to undergo the torture of the 2nd half if we'd have been told we'd finally get 3 points. And we didn't have to wait until the massed letter writing campaign to S. Claus either.

With Kiegan and Rachid missing through injury and international duty, Starkers brought Peaso into the starting line-up whilst Troy and Goalden Graeme came onto the bench.

Saints got off to a slow start with all the praise from last week looking totally misplaced. Sure Paddy won a corner in the 2nd minute but that was wasted and we spend most of the first 15-20 struggling to keep up with a fast Killie attack. Mahood was the first to try his luck in the 4th minute with a 25-yarder which went just wide and then 4 minutes later 2 more chances for the home side went a-begging with Miller pulling off a great save first and then Dods getting back in time to block the rebound attempt. Defensively we were playing far too deep and in midfield Nick and Lynch were poor with only JR trying anything creative although most of the time the midfield were bypassed as Saints simply settled for the long ball up the park to the 7ft tall figures of Paddy and Peaso (spot the deliberate error there).

Gradually though we were getting back into the game as we decided on the radical strategy of playing the ball on the ground. Our first attempt came in 15 minutes when JR fed the ball out to Tommy on the left and his cross was just missed by the incoming Lynch. Five minutes later a similar ball into the box saw us win a corner. JR sent an in-swinger over and Marshall made a good double save from Falconer and MacDonald before the 3rd Saints attempt saw Kemble send the ball wide. We were forcing corner after corner to no avail. The next chance though came off a Bet Lynch cross from the right. Peaso flicked the ball out wide left and Tommy saw his angled cross-cum-shot go across the goal. Tommy had our next effort as well when a free kick on the edge of the Killie box (after Baker fouled Peaso) was blocked by the home wall. Killie broke up the park and Murray managed to screw up a clearance with his header loose and landing in front of a Killie striker - luckily he missed.

The chances were still coming as Saints pressed. Paddy had a great through run right to the byeline only for one of the weakest cutbacks of the season which was easily cleared. He had a similar chance a minute later on the other wing but for some reason tried to dribble the ball into the box when both Lynch and Peaso were unmarked and looking for the ball. At the other end Killie won a free kick on the edge of the box from a Falconer foul and Miller pulled off a great save from Dildodan's shot.

With 6 minutes of the half left we won corner no. 39. Up steps JR for his usual inswinger only to leave us gasping as not only did he find a Saints player but Free Wullie (for it was he) managed to make contact with the ball with his head and send it in glorious slow motion past Marshall and into the net. Almost total shock as we awaited the inevitable ref decision to chalk the goal off before Rowbotham signalled a goal. We go into the lead, the fans start singing and the excitement got so much for Starkers that the arms were casually unfolded.

Three minutes later and after surviving a Killie counter attack we could have gone 2 in front. Paddy was fouled on the edge of the box on the left and JR send a curving shot goalwards only for Marshall to make an excellent save.

After all that excitement the second half saw us retreat into our shells and the "defend on the 18-yd line" tactics started to show as the players became more and more nervy. The game was getting scrappy as well as the home crowd got on the Killie players' backs and started to get desperate. Paddy picked up the first booking off the day and as usual it was needless with Rowbotham having decided he'd had enough of the habit of several of the Saints players of either kicking the ball away or standing over it when a free kick had been awarded. Besides we're not the OF so it's OK to book our boys.

Miller was having a field day dealing with all the cross balls and shots that the Killie players were able to get in. He managed to drop a Boyd effort in 52 minutes though but luckily Killie managed to put the rebound wide. We were doing our best to help them with Dods managing to miskick a clearance that Miller shouted for. No chance of the keeper being able to pick the ball up and it took several attempts to clear.

With 25 minutes left, Russell came on for the knackered Paddy. We had a couple of chances with Peaso making a good run up the right - he held onto the ball too long though when he could have crossed for an unmarked Russell in the box. Then a minute later Miller tipped a cross over the bar as Killie countered. JR went into the book just after that for walking away with the ball when Killie had a free kick - it's not smart and it's not funny. As if we'd want to be associated with those sort of TFOE tactics.

Boyd managed a shot just wide in the 70th minute as more panic defending saw us fail to clear the ball properly. Tommy was all over the place at this point and Lynch was struggling for pace whilst for some reason Dasovic seemed to be taking on a centre-half role.

With 15 minutes left there was a cheer from the away fans (who had begun to hope against hope by now that we might just get a point) as Jonesy came on for Peaso. That appearance lasted all of 3 minutes as he landed awkwardly on his ankle in a challenge on the edge of the Killie box. Off he limped and Pope came on - for some reason playing up front when perhaps he could have dropped back and let JR move up.

The last 10 minutes were as bad as you could expect. Think of every nervous moment we've had as Saints fans and compress it into those 600 seconds. Not nice to go through. Especially with the players more than willing to encourage the nerves to fray with 50-yard clearances to empty areas of the park - suffice to say nobody wanted to hold onto the ball long enough to be caught in possession. The atmosphere in the away end was noisy but nervous and when the ref finally blew in the 4th minute of injury time it was deafening.

MoM for me was difficult - nobody played all that well. JR had a good game but let himself down with the booking. Kemble looked solid in defence again but for me the best player was probably Alan Miller who looks a million times better than that first nervous display at Tynecastle.

I'm off now to have a well-deserved drink. And for the benefit of any Saints players reading this that wee extra bulge in the wage packet is called a win bonus. We would appreciate you making a habit of getting one of these every week now you know what to do.

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