Saints 1 Airdrie Thugs 1 (Saints through 4-2 on penalties)
Team : Cuthbert, Baxter, J-Ro, Marco, Murray, Maxwell,
Hay, Reilly, JR, Paddy, Tommy
Subs : Gilpin, Parker, Dods, Ferry, Panther
It takes nights like this when it seems that everything is going to go wrong to make you realise some of the more important things in life. Like the pleasure you get from watching Saints score a penalty (or four). Or the delight at shoving it right up the timewasting, defensive, thugs that masquerade as Clydebank these days - suffice to say that the Airdrie genes have managed to come to the fore in that team these days - shit floats and all that. Anyway on with the saga of the cup replay.
As expected the changes were made once again with all the new signings from last week missing out. It meant that Hay and Marco were recalled to the attack and midfield and Dods dropped to the bench alongside Ferry. Apart from that it was the usual 4-3-3 formation that took the field to a pretty poor crowd. From the start though Saints took the game to TTFKAC with a Marco shot in the 2nd minute being tipped over to give us the first of many corners - of course that wee request for set piece training still seems to be outstanding and any corner was easily cleared. Still we had plenty of the ball and even managed to force TTFKAC into their first substitution within 5 minutes without touching their player.
The chances came thick and fast. In 7 minutes Hay sent the ball out to JR wide right and his cross was headed down by Tommy but missed by Marco and Paddy. Then Maxwell set up Paddy a minute later only for Lazarus to put the ball wide. Marco had a decent effort from a free kick which saw his low drive round the wall and reach Paddy but again the ball went the wrong side of the post. JR had a good 25-yarder held in the 14th minute and 60 seconds later he linked with Baxter who went on a run and set up the unmarked Hay in the box. Hay (whose match sharpness is present in the same quantities as Kevin Thomas' honesty these days) took an age on the ball and allowed the defender to block the shot.
By now we were in control and it took 20 minutes before TTFKAC won their first corner and another 5 minutes before Kevin the Cat had to make a save. Baxter was having a field day on the right wing and taking the piss out of the Airdrie defence. Hay missed another chance before Tommy got in on the act in 26 minutes when after some great build-up play, JR crossed the ball from the right and the incoming Dane managed to send it over the bar from all of 5 yards.
We were winning corners galore as well and in 35 minutes finally managed to make something of it. The corner from the right went over the park and found JR who played the ball to Maxwell on the left. He sent a great cross in and Paddy rose like a God to put a glancing header on the ball and send it into the net to make it 1-0. And three minutes later we should have had another when Reilly sent Tommy and Hay free through the middle. Tommy took the ball out left and then squared it to Hay who was totally unmarked in the box. Unfortunately he needed a few epochs longer on the ball and in the end sent the ball wide of goal.
Paddy saw a header go over the bar next and then Tommy had a shot go across the goal and just wide of the post as the half ran down. Hay had a decent effort saved and Reilly blootered one wide as well to round things off.
Second-half started a bit more evenly but at a slow pace. Hay won a corner in 49 minutes which was punched clear. But that was it as a minute later Veraille broke free (and a million miles offside). The flag stayed down and despite the Cat's efforts the ball ended up in the net to start a mini-invasion from the Buckfast-quenchers in the North Stand. Of course the cheating Frenchman left the park to celebrate but in keeping with the referee performance at this time he didn't even get a booking.
Saints tried to get back into the game but we were playing the ball too tight and with Airdrie now happy to put 11 men behind the ball (yup they were already playing for penalties) we were struggling. Paddy had a shot go just wide and Reilly had a header miss the target. Murray picked up the first yellow in 56 minutes for a late tackle. Then Hay shot wide, Tommy had one chalked off for a prior foul and then saw another shot saved.
Parker replaced the ineffective Hay in 66 minutes although it took another 10 or so before our defence seemed to realise this and stop punting the high balls forward. Still within a couple of minute the first ex-Bankie had picked up a yellow for a hack on Keigan and he had a couple of shots as we pressed on the attack.
Baxter took a hefty challenge in 75 minutes (not that the ref ruled it a foul or anything) and ended up going off to be replaced by Ferry. Marco dropped to left back and J-Ro went to right back (thank Christ cos he was crap at the left side). Still the chances kept pouring in - JR shot wide, Murray had a header go wide as usual. The last 10 minutes of normal time saw umpteen clearances off the line as Ferry, Tommy, JR all had shots blocked and Paddy saw a header cleared off the line.
The Airdrie Chromosome showed through as well with JR taking a nasty elbow causing 2 ex-Bankies to go in the book - closely followed by Paddy in 90 minutes for a late tackle. Even then there was time in injury time for a JR corner to be headed off the crossbar by Paddy. You just got the feeling it wouldn't be our night.
Extra-time started with a Maxwell header being cleared as Saints won a series of corners. JR had a free-kick held and Reilly picked up a yellow as Airdrie seemed happy to just sit back and absorb the pressure. Tommy and Parker linked well to set up Paddy but his header was blocked by a defender. Murray broke into the middle in the 102nd minute and set up Paddy but his shot went for a corner. Parker had a low shot a minute later as another TTFKAC thug went into the book.
Second period started with a Parker cross missed by Reilly and picked up by Tommy at the back post only for the Dane (having a shite time of it really) to totally sclaff his shot. Then another break 3 minutes later saw Parker pass to Tommy to Ferry who wasted his weak shot. With 7 minutes left, Ferry (who was playing pretty well) had a header saved from a corner - TTFKAC broke up the park and Cuthbert made a great angled save from Gow, which he then repeated a minute later. And to round things off nicely and set up the penalties, Ferry joined the rest in the book.
Penalties were taken at the Ormond end of the ground and Saints went first with the players standing in the centre circle arms round one another's shoulders showing the sort of team spirit we've been hearing about in recent months. Hartley slotted our kick away and TTFKAC equalised. Then up stepped Reilly only for his effort to be saved and the Buckfast-quenchers to go into an almost drug-induced ecstasy when they went 2-1 up. But we weren't to be outdone and Ferry (spot the lack of strikers so far?) had the guts to go up and take no 3 which he blasted into the net. TTFKAC came up and missed the target to leave it at 2-2. Murray came up for the fourth kick and rocketed his shot home to make it 3-2 and Airdrie's kick was well saved by the Cat. Which left wee Keigan Parker, a player lacking in confidence and goals this season - well not any more. One kick, one goal, one cup-tie won and a mini pitch invasion to round off the night as the Buckfast boys went off to pretend they used to be good in the cup.
Not a brilliant performance by Saints with the lack of goals still a real problem. MoM for me was Marco over the 120 minutes although JR, Paddy, Reilly and Murray deserve mentions as does Baxter who hopefully isn't seriously injured. But one other thing tonight was the way the players fought for the team and worked for the win - and for a change that sort of spirit was backed by the home support.
Okay, so it's only the 4th round but after tonight anything's possible....
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