Temple Of Saints - Costly Mistakes

Bells League Division One 18/01/2003

Saints 1 Clyde 2 League Table Here

Team : Main, Robbo, Forsyth, Marco, Murray, Maxwell, Paddy, Reilly, JR, Parker, Tommy
Subs : Cuthbert, Panther, Hay, Baxter, Dods

It had to happen didn't it. Just as the good run was building and the hope was starting to come back to the fans we decide to make some stupid, basic errors and give away a couple of goals. And despite dominating most of the game we failed to create enough decent chances to give us a hope of getting a result in a game we didn't deserve to lose. Maxwell, Main, Paddy and Hay all passed their fitness tests after the injury scares during the week allowing Billy Stark to field an unchanged side for a change.

From the kick-off we put some pressure on a slow Clyde side. Paddy and Parker linked well in the first minute but the challenge broke down in the box. We didn't have long to wait though and in the 4th minute Tommy latched onto a loose backpass from Hagen. He broke down the left and sent a great cross into the box. Halliwell in the Clyde goal was slow to react and in came Paddy at the front post to stick the ball into the net and make it 1-0. The confidence picked up there and Keigan had a good run on the left which ended in a great cross being cut out by the defence.

Clyde's first effort didn't come till the 11th minute when a cross from the left saw Robertson miss the ball. Free Wullie got to it turned and sent a good left foot shot towards goal which Main did well to cut out. The corner was easily dealt with but Clyde's height advantage and danger at set pieces was obvious. We won a decent free kick on th left after Tommy was fouled in the 17th minute. JR took it and his kick into the box saw Robertson look like he was pushed. Clark waived the penalty claim and the ball came to the back post. Parker put it back into the box and Maxwell saw a decent header saved.

And 5 minutes later the ref annoyed the home support even more. Keigan broke down the right and nutmegged Mensing the left-back. The Clyde player retaliated and tripped Keigan (not the first time these two had clashed) but Clark saw it differently and booked Keigan for diving. Strangely he failed to book Clyde's Convery late in the 2nd half for a similar offence despite signalling the player had dived. Within a minute as well Clyde's Fraser had taken out Tommy on the far touchline which left the Great Dane flat out and the Clyde thug only given a talking to. Saints were still trying though. Parker and Hartley both had decent shots go wide but in midfield we were failing to win enough of the ball with both Reilly and Marco looking slow.

But in 28 minutes it was the defence that went to sleep. A Clyde break down the left saw the cross come in. Robertson didn't cut it out and it went to the back post where Falconer won the header and knocked it down for Fraser to blast home from inside the 6 yard box to make it 1-1.

To their credit, Saints pressed back from the restart and a corner within a minute saw a good Marco in-swinger saved by Halliwell. A couple more corners followed with Marco putting in some decent crosses and the second one saw the ball fall to an unmarked Keigan at the back post who from a narrow angle sent a great shot in which went just over the bar. And before the break we had a couple of decent chances with a low Parker cross into the box just cleared and a cracking JR effort in the final minute which went just wide despite being taken from all of 35 yards.

Second half started in the same vein and within a minute JR had a good low drive from 20yds out go just wide of the post. And in the 52nd minute Flash put in another good cross from the left. Tommy's header was well saved and from it Clyde broke up the park. Robertson was slack getting back and it took a great Maxwell tackle on Hinds in the box to get the bll back.

We won a few more corners but to little effect and from the next Clyde attack they won a soft free kick when Ross collapsed after JR went near him. From it the ball was sent into the box and an unmarked Mensing (Flash / Maxwell missing) dived to head the ball into the net - totally against the run of play. After that Clyde went on the defensive as Saints put the pressure on. We nearly went level within a minute when a corner came over to the back post from where Marco chipped a neat cross in which Reilly headed just over.

But that was it for a while as corner after corner was wasted as we kept on trying to play a high ball which the Clyde defence easily dealt with. Mensing eventually picked up a yellow for a foul on Parker on the hour mark. JR sent the free kick into the box. It was cleared to Tommy at the edge of the 18 yard box and he managed to get in a cracking low drive which Halliwell did well to save and tip wide. We were still capable of causing mistakes and Maxwells slack backpass a couple of minutes later saw Main sclaff the ball and nearly put it into his own net and he had to react quickly to recover. But that was the exception as the attacks continued. Parker put another narrow shot over the bar next.

Hay replaced Paddy 20 minutes from time but to be honest he still looked slow. We were making the odd chance still. Tommy saw a low cross across goal be well cleared and then when he was fouled on the left, JR's free kick was just punched clear and then headed out on the 2nd attempt. Hay almost got to a long ball but Halliwell just beat him to it but that was as close as he got. Our last decent chance came 11 minutes from time. Flash, who had a good solid game at left-back sent a great pass behind the defence to Tommy. He ran onto the ball and got to the box. He sent a good low shot in which Halliwell saved but failed to hold - unfortunately the lack of support meant that there was no blue shirt following up.

Panther came on for Marco next but Saints looked out of ideas. Flash and Tommy put some decent crosses in but we couldn't capitalise on them. JR seemed to be shoved in the box 5 minutes from time but to be honest we didn't really deserve the penalty he claimed for. Panther had a good 20-yarder go just wide but that was it with only a blocked Tommy shot in injury time to show for the efforts.

It's hard not to be disappointed with the result but at the same time it was a decent enough performance with the heads not going down as they might have done in the past. MoM for me was close. Murray and Maxwell had decent enough games and JR and Flash caused some problems but I reckon Tommy just shades it - he needs more support in the box to get on the end of the crosses.

The pressure might not be back on Stark yet but we need to get some big wins soon.

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