Temple Of Saints - The End

Bells League Division One 10/05/2003

Saints 0 QoS 1 League Table Here

Team : Cuthbert, Baxter, Malone, McCluskey, Dods, J-Ro, Parker, Reilly, JR, Paddy, Noble
Subs : Miotto, Maher, Forsyth, Marco, Ferry

Ach well at least it's over for the summer. But one thing's for sure, Stark and whoever else is still around at McDiarmid for the next couple of months have plenty of work to keep them occupied trying to turn the shambles on the park today into a team (remember that concept). And it doesn't stop there with the club having their work cut out to attract the fans back to the ground which felt absolutely deserted today. It's not often a football fan greets the end of the season with a sense of relief but there's little else to feel tonight. Certainly not much in the way of hope.

Team changes were kept to a minimum today with the suspended Maxwell replaced by Baxter with Saints going to a flat back four with Malone at left back and J-Ro on the other flank behind Baxter. Unfortunately after an even start with only the wind and Dods' trademark hoofs (hey if Beckham's got a free kick, Cruyff had a turn surely Darren can trademark his "hoof up the park"?) providing anything close to entertainment, Saints had to reshuffle their line-up when Paddy went down with an ankle injury in the 7th minute. After a few minutes off the park (during which time a Noble-won free kick was knocked across the goal and out the park by JR and Dods showed some panic at a passback to concede a corner) he was replaced by Forsyth. He moved to left back and Malone headed forwards as Saints went for a 4-4-2 formation.

And it was nearly time for the remaining subs to come on after 15 minutes when JR and Baxter clashed heads going for the same ball. Both recovered after treatment though. Our first real chance came in 24 minutes when a J-Ro cross was cleared as far as JR and his run and cutback was put out for a corner although the defender almost put the ball into his own net. From the corner JR sent the ball over and found an unmarked Malone who's clean header went over the bar. Saints had few chances but failed to capitalise on any of them with corners being headed off target (Malone apparently the only one willing to challenge in the box to try something). However on the half hour mark we had a cracking chance to take the lead. Dods sclaffed a passback but Saints eventually broke up the park. The ball was passed to the left and Noble was through on goal. His shot though was saved brilliantly by the QoS keeper and tipped wide. The corner ended in another Malone header going just wide.

Five minutes later Noble had another chance. Malone had a great run through the middle and slipped the ball behind the defence for Noble to run onto. The ball was just hit too much though and the away keeper saved at Noble's feet. Poor defending at the other end allowed QoS to press and a cross ended in a header being saved by the Cat. Saints went on the attack again and Flash had a header go wide then from a Cat clearance, QoS broke back up the park and only a last-ditch Robertson tackle prevented the shot. Again Saints went up the park and just before the break, Keigan had a good run into the box before he was shoved off the ball. But just to prove that his reputation is still doing the rounds at the Referee's Club, no penalty was given.

Second half started a lot livelier with Baxter and Malone dishing out the lessons to the "experienced" players in how to tackle. And 3 minutes into the half, their no 3 picked up the first booking for a nasty retaliatory tackle on Beaky. We kept pressing and a Robertson cross tried to find Malone in the box only for the defender to concede the corner. From that McCluskey's powerful header went just over the bar.

The Doonhamers had a couple of shots but the reality was that the game was becoming poorer with players apparently more concerned in steering clear of injury than entertaining those of us that turned up. In 55 minutes we had our first real chance of the hald when Robertson's run up the right (see he can do it) ended in a cutback to Parker but his shot went across the goal. Still we kept the pressure up and a corner was cleared to Baxter and he linked with Parker whose cross was held. Then in 63 minutes Parker's neat turn won another corner. From it Flash had a good header blocked and after the ball had bounced around the edge of the area a bit by the time it was played through to Hartley he was a mile offside.

And 2 minutes later we were made to suffer when an apparently innocent cross from the left by Queens (yup J-Ro missing again) was missed by Cuthbert as he was challenged by a QoS forward. The ball came to the back post and with JR and Flash standing there Lyle was allowed in unchallenged to head the ball into the net and give the Dumfresians (?) the lead, the Saints fans the chance to start booing and the Saints players to stand about dreaming of bucket, spade and sandcastles.

Surprisingly we tried to get back into the game though. Reilly came close with a header and McCluskey headed just over the bar. Then in 71 minutes Parker had a good run and cross but should have cut the ball back to the unmarked Noble. A couple of minutes later we came closer. Baxter had an excellent run on the inside channel and slipped the ball behind the defence to Parker but his cutback to Malone saw a defender just clear in time. Maher replaced Robertson a minute later (to some cheers), but the fight seemed to have gone out of Saints.

The last 10 minutes were all Saints. We won some corners with no joy but in the 82nd minute Parker had our last decent chance of the game when he latched onto a Maher cutback. His first time shot was wide of the target. And 2 minutes later JR took his last free kick for Saints - needless to say like 90% of the others it went over the bar. The last big cheer from the home fans came 5 minutes from time when Backpass Reilly was replaced by Ferry. But by that time the home support was vanishing and at the final whistle there weren't many left to applaud the players off the park (kudos to JR and Flash for at least applauding the fans) or shout "Stark Must Go".

MoM for me was Malone - both he and Baxter gave me some hope that there are still players willing to bust a gut for the club. Apart from that and another decent performance from Parker and Flash there wasn't much to be happy about. At least we don't have to worry much about losing Hartley - no scouts and no interest in the game any more means he was more invisible today than Pope at his worst. Hopefully it also means we'll have someone next season who can try something original at a corner.

Where's the Piz Buin?

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