Temple Of Saints - Dods Does It Again

Bells League Division One 04/03/2003

Ayr 0 Saints 1 League Table Here

Team : Cuthbert, Baxter, Marco, Murray, Dods, Maxwell, Peaso, M-Ro, JR, Paddy, Parker
Subs : Miotto, McClune, Forsyth, Hay, Noble

Well we don't exactly make it easy for ourselves but in the end the boys shaded it on the night, despite riding out luck towards the end a la Recreation Park and relying on Ayr missing a penalty in the first half - although to say the least justice was done after the softest award of the season. But in the end we got the three points and even if things didn't go our way elsewhere it keeps the challenge going. Stark rang the changes after Alloa with Tommy dropped for the first time in ages. Peaso and Parker started the game up front with Paddy in the hole and McClune on the bench alongside Cher Noble on his return to the squad. Elsewhere in the side it was business as usual.

Conditions weren't exactly favourable for entertaining flowing football with a nasty wind behind Ayr in the first half prompting memories of Gayfield on New Year's Day. But Saints made the best of it and the early running came from us with Paddy playing a neat one-two with Peaso before the Ayr defence could get in to clear the danger. And in the 5th minute Paddy came close after a good mazy run ended in a low shot which Nelson managed to hold (this was to be the pattern for most of the shots from Saints players tonight). The wind got in the way of the next effort when from a Maxwell free kick in the Saints half he passed the ball to Peaso on the left. He turned his man and sent a great shot towards goal. Well, when I say towards more like over. That's over as in over the bar, terracing roof and out of the ground.

JR had another of his usual free kicks end in a shot going wide and in 15 minutes a Marco cross from the left was flicked back by Dods in the box to JR but his turn and volley went wide of the target. A minute later a Parker cross from the right saw Nelson forced to react quickly to tip the ball over the bar. Saints had a lot of the pressure including a decent penalty claim when Peaso was bundled over. It wasn't until the 24th minute that Ayr put us under any sort of pressure when a decent shot was deflected off a Saints defender for a corner. From it Saints seemed to panic in defence and we had to rely on a Marco block to clear the lines. He was involved in Saints next shot when a 40 yard lob from just inside the Ayr half was only just held by a backtracking Nelson. Despite all the possession, Saints were giving the ball away far to easily against a nippy Ayr side.

We seemed to be trying to play too much one-touch football with no one willing to control and run with the thing. In the end it meant more often than not we were backtracking as Ayr countered. And it was one of these breaks in 35 minutes that saw the ball played into the box for Grady who with Dods within 10 yards decided to milk the sympathy he's currently getting over Lorenzogate and drop to the ground. Despite being unsighted Dallas pointed to the spot as the Saints players made their feelings known. So up steps the wee Coagie to take the kick. And proceeds to sclaff it sending the ball rocketing back off the bar. Oh dear, how sad. Never mind.

Parker picked up a booking a minute later along with an Ayr defender after the pair got their handbags out and waved them at one another - a heinous crime in the Dallas Law Books. And the Shugmeister got in on the act a minute later. Murray kneed a ball back to the Cat. "That's a passback" said Shuggy, grabbing the ball and awarding a free kick. Ah but in comes the eagle-eyed assistant who with a couple of secret signals summons the Shuggy one to the touchline and tells him what actually happened. "Oops" says Ma Dallas' son. So one dropped ball awarded, one humiliated referee and two sets of astounded supporters (yup the Miracle of the Dallas Changing His Mind will never be forgotten).

Ayr had a couple of chances before the break as the Saints defence were caught sleeping. A header went just wide for them despite a suspicion of offside. But Saints rounded the half off with a couple of efforts - a Parker low drive after he latched onto a great pass from Marco went just wide and in the final minute JR tried a spectacular overhead kick which would have been a great goal, or even shot had it gone anywhere near the target.

Second-half saw Saints play with the wind behind them and press a bit more. Peaso had a weak shot saved early one and despite the pressure the Ayr defence were winning all the balls in the Ayr. And they had a good break in 55 minutes when Grady was put through. M-Ro came in to end his run and pick up a yellow card for his trouble.

Shots were going wide at both ends and on the hour Noble came on to replace Keigan. Within a couple of minutes he'd used his bulk to win a free kick 23 yards out in front of goal. JR took the kick but his shot was well held. Ayr broke up the park and with Grady splitting our defence and through on goal the Cat came out to the edge of the box to deflect his attempt to round the keeper and put the ball wide. The game was a lot livelier now and Saints were starting to finally force a few more corners and string some passes together. Mind you Ayr came close to taking the lead in 70 minutes when, after JR was caught sleeping and conceded a corner, the inswinger was first of all cleared off the line and then when the rebound came in it was blocked by Murray.

But 3 minutes later we took the lead. Paddy had been involved in some great build-up work and eventually found room for a shot from the edge of the box which Nelson tipped wide. Marco too the corner and it went to the back post where Noble chipped it back in. The ball came to the unmarked Dods 12 yards out and with a nutting movement reminiscent of the sort of Glasgow Kiss wee Grady no doubt wants to plant on Lorenzo these days, he headed the ball past Nelson and into the net to start the away fans singing and a nice wee chorus of "Dallas, Dallas what's the score".

Saints started to take control after that and press for the killer goal. JR was finally beginning to have some effect in midfield and control the play from there and Marco and Baxter were making good runs on the wings. JR had a good shot held in the 81st minute before McClune replaces Peaso (although Paddy originally seemed to be set to go off). Ayr had the last few chances in injury time with a curving shot going well over the bar and in the final minute a long ball into the box saw the Cat caught out only for the looping header to go over the bar. So in the end a good 3 points.

Saints looked slow overall but Ayr are a much improved side on the team from the start of the season. MoM for me was Paddy who ran his arse off all night but there wasn't really a weak performance in the end (just some very tired legs).

Oh and if anyone is interested in sad stats we've not lost away from home in the league since October!!

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