Temple Of Saints - Where's the Urgency?

Bells League Division One 04/10/2003

Saints 1 Ayr 1 League Table Here

Team : Cuthbert, J-Ro, Flash, M-Ro, Dods, Maxwell, Peaso, Reilly, Mixu, Sid, Malone
Subs : Nelson, Hay, Parker, Baxter, Foxy

Bollocks here we go again. I don't want to join in the comments on the Falkirk win last week being another false dawn but despite dominating most of the game today we again failed to kill off the opposition and there is a worrying sign of complacency creeping into the side - yet again we showed a lack of urgency or desire to kill off the opponents. And it's not just one or two players but throughout the side. As it was despite practically having the points wrapped up it was another couple of points thrown away and a subdued Saints support leaving the ground - about the only consolation for Billy Stark tonight is that nobody was calling for his head in the ground.

With McLaughlin missing out and Bernard absent Mark Robertson returned to the centre of midfield whilst Eddie Malone got a starting jersey on the left wing with Sid allegedly on the other side despite constantly playing through the middle. Peaso kept his starting jersey up front alongside Mixu. As for the game well shite doesn't begin to describe it. We weren't poor but there was no fight or urgency to take the game to Ayr like we saw at Ochilview. Malone had a first minute cross go just wide but he was nullified for most of the first half as the game descended into scrappy play with both sides unwilling to throw caution to the wind and attack in any number. Saints especially suffered from players taking the ball a few yards forward but then finding there is no support or players moving into space.

It was summed up in the eighth minute when Sid had a good shot deflected by Darren Dods' arse. Peaso had a long-range shot go wide and then for a spell we went down to 10 men as Mixu left to have a head knock stitched up. Ayr were coming back into he game but the Cat easily dealt with their best efforts - holding one and making a good block to clear the other (with the help of Flash). Saints had plenty of the ball with Mark Robertson making some good runs through the middle but a lack of support on either wing (with the right side suffering from Sid playing through the middle and J-Ro unwilling to push forward). We seemed to win plenty of corners but Roy was easily able to hold the crosses and when we did manage the odd shot (Mark Robertson hit a couple of good ones), the ball was deflected off a defender.

Robertson was also on the receiving end of some rough tackles from Ayr's no 8 Dunlop which ended up in the player getting a warning (something he'd regret later). Peaso was another one who hit a cracking volley on the half hour only to see it deflected for a corner. Like I say the first half was pretty much forgettable - we huffed and puffed but just couldn't break down their defence. The rest of the half saw us win a few corners but despite some good crosses in from Sid we got nothing from them.

So to the second-half and pretty much the same. With 50 minutes gone, Flash had a good run across the edge of the Ayr box and hit a nice right-footed shot which Roy did well to hold. Then Flash combined with Malone to set up Peaso in the box but his shot was deflected . From the corner the ball broke to Mixu at the back post. His drive into the 6 yard box was put over the bar by Dods from about 2 yards out although the Saints player was ruled offside.

Ayr had a free kick go well over the bar and then Dunlop managed to pick up a daft booking for standing over the ball at a Saints free kick. On the hour Keigan came on for Malone and immediately made a difference on the right side (Sid moved to the left although Flash seemed to be our main winger). Within a couple of minutes his persistence won a corner. And from it Reilly hit a cross into the box which saw Maxwell at the back post head the ball down towards goal only for Roy to make a great save on the line. Mixu was next up with a good header from a Parker cross and then in 66 minutes Peaso set up Mixu in the box who forced a corner. From it Reilly's cross found Dods who hit a low drive which was blocked and Peaso just missed the rebound. Flash had another shot go wide a minute later whilst Ayr came close at the other end from a corner where everyone in the box missed the ball.

For Saints though the 72nd minute saw us finally break the deadlock. Reilly hit a good cross into the box, Maxwell headed it back across goal and Dods hit a good drive which was deflected just wide of the post. But from the corner the ball was played into the middle of the box where an unmarked Peaso with his back to goal had ages to smash an overhead kick into the net to make it 1-0. See that's when we all relaxed.

It got worse for Ayr just after the restart when the already-booked Dunlop went in late on Robbo and earned a 2nd booking. But down to 10 men Ayr began to press Saints back and the game opened up a lot more. Maxwell and Sid both had good efforts saved but with 10 minutes to go Ayr should have drawn level when a cross from the left was missed by the Cat and two Ayr strikers in the box contrived to put the ball over the bar from two yards out. So with a let-off like that we kept the pressure up. Mixu had a good cutback to Peaso but the striker's header was just wide of the far post.

Then with two minutes to go Ayr had a throw-in on the right which ended in a cross ball into the box. Poor marking allowed the shot across goal although the ball looked to go wide until Kean at the back post hit the shot back in. The Cat backtracked and seemed to palm the ball out but the linesman had his flag up and Freeland awarded the goal - definitely one to check on the telly. We still had a chance to win the game a minute later when Parker sent a lovely ball through for Mixu to run onto but he managed to lose the ball and by the time he turned the defence cleared it. Apart from that it was a shite end to a shite game.

MoM for me was Forsyth - he just shades it from Mark Robertson. Peaso had a decent game up front and Mixu wasn't too bad. Sid was poor and Mavis reluctant to go forward. Defensively we were surprisingly good although the right side seemed suspect until Parker came on - we badly missed some pace overall on the park.

So that'll be the pressure back on for Dingwall then Mr Stark?

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