Temple Of Saints - Bad Day...

Bells League Division One 22/11/2003

Saints 0 Falkirk 4 League Table Here

Team : Cuthbert, J-Ro, Flash, Bernard, Dods, Maxwell, Peaso, Baxter, Mixu, Sid, McLaughlin
Subs : Nelson, Hay, Parker, Malone, Stevenson

Well, the unbeaten run was going to come to an end sooner or later but it's just a pity that it had to be so costly for Saints. Four goals does nothing to help the goal difference and a straight red card for Dods in controversial circumstances early in the first half means we've already got problems for next week. Paul Bernard returned to the Saints line-up after sitting out last week's game. M-Ro missed out after failing a late fitness test and Beaky took his place in the starting line-up in the centre of midfield. On the bench Foxy dropped out of the squad with the Rocket in his place. For the Weans, ex- Saintee Keyring had a spot on their bench whilst that Pineapple bloke started up front.

In front of a good-sized crowd including a large Weans contingent Falkirk started the better with Flash caught napping in the first minute and conceding a freekick from which the mutant form of Kevin James stuck a free header over the bar. A minute later the action was at the other end as a good break by Peaso down the left ended in a cross missed by all. J-Ro had a decent run forward end in a tackle which left him needing treatment before in the 6th minute Maxwell gave away another freekick for an alleged foul on O'Neil. The ball was cleared but two minutes later the game exploded into controversy.

Some stupid defending by Saints on the edge of their box ended up with a slack ball played back from Bernard to Dods. The pass was cut out and Dods forced to put in a tackle on the Wean, one John "splashdown" O'Neil who proceeded to make the most of it. Despite play breaking and the Cat blocking the eventual shot Rowbotham pulled the play back, awarded the freekick and issued the red card to Dods. And without having any time to reorganize the defence, before we knew it Lotopee had hit the freekick round the wall and into the net, leaving Cuthbert stranded.

Saints switched things round with J-Ro going to centre-half and Beaky to right-back as we soaked up the pressure. Saints made the next chance in 12 minutes when after another O'Neil dive, Flash played a good ball to Sid who broke through the middle and passed to Peaso on the left. His first shot was blocked and then his follow-up saved. Bernard hit a freekick into the box a couple of minutes later but Maxwell's header was just wide of the goal. It was Maxwell who picked up a booking in 17 minutes for a nothing challenge which of course meant that the referee now had plenty of opportunities over the remaining 75 minutes to demonstrate just how inconsistent he can be. As for the match, Falkirk's McMenimin had an effort go just wide in 21 minutes although Robertson had him well marked.

Five minutes later Bernard and Baxter linked well for the latter to set up Sid whose shot was well blocked. Baxter played a freekick into the box after that which looked to have been handled by a defender but the game was getting pretty scrappy as the Weans seemed happy to sit back. But in 33 minutes, the old set-piece danger from the Weans mutant defender came back to haunt us as a corner came into the box. Mixu was apparently the Saints player given the task of marking Frankenstein but was posted missing and a simple downward header saw the ball end up in the net and Saints 2-0 down.

McLaughlin tried to get us back into the game and latched onto a Mixu flick on but his shot was held. Then five minutes from the break, the wee winger was free on the left and his low ball across the box was blasted over the bar by Peaso in what has to be seen as a bad miss.

A minute later it was the Cat who was called into action as he tipped a Lotopee drive wide of the goal. Two minutes later we failed to clear our lines and the shot back into the box was almost put into his own net courtesy of Bernard's header. The half ended with McLaughlin getting onto the end of a Bernard pass but sclaffing the shot wide of target. Summed up the whole of the first 45 minutes really and even the most optimistic Saints fans realised that it was a case of damage limitation.

The second-half started with Keigan on for McLaughlin and he moved to the right wing wit Baxter going to the other flank. For the Weans, another ex-Saintee in Keyring came on for Yogi. It didn't make much difference early on with a corner conceded, but 7 minutes into the half, J-Ro had a shot deflected out for a corner - nothing came of it though as usual. A minute later and the Cat was the main man as he tipped a Keyring shot over the bar. The resulting corner ended up with the Saints keeper palming a Frankenstein header over the bar.

Saints countered and when Parker was fouled on the edge of the box we had a chance to pull one back, but Peaso's freekick went over the wall (suspiciously looking less than 10 yards away) and over the bar. And for a major example of the referee's inconsistency, in 57 minutes Falkirk's McMenemin missed a great chance then proceeded to kick the ball away in frustration - no booking but Rowbotham still gave him a warning. In 61 minutes it was game over. A freekick on the right was hit in by Rahim and one simple flick-on and the ball was in the net and we were three down.

Malone came on for Baxter and Hay replaced Peaso but the game again became a pretty scrappy affair, with a lot more attention being given to the stands where Tayside's finest were doing their level best to help out the morale of the home support by starting to eject the more frustrated of the home fans. On the pitch our best chance of the half came when Sid set up J-Ro on a run and his ball found Keigan who got behind the Bairns defence on the right. He could have played a cutback across the goal (where Mixu was waiting) but instead elected to hit an angled shot which Ferguson (nobody shot him yet?) managed to tip over the bar. From the corner Eddie Malone had a header cleared.

To be honest though Saints were huffing and puffing without causing any real danger. Flash had a cross cum shot go just wide and then 9 minutes from time Parker played a great ball into the box for Mixu who was blatantly shoved in the back - no penalty given which only further enraged the home fans. And just to rub salt in the wound, McAnespie fired a 20yard effort into the back of the net five minutes later to round off the depression. Oh yes and Flash picked up a booking - probably for wearing the wrong colour of shirt.

Forget this one - we weren't as bad as the scoreline suggests and losing Dods early on badly affected the shape of the team and meant we were struggling in midfield where we were a man short. It didn't help that some players such as Mixu and Sid had off days but overall there were some good performances. Cuthbert had some good saves but MoM for me was Ross Forsyth who put in a good shift on the left.

As REM would say it was a "Bad Day". Time to start another unbeaten run boys.....

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