Temple Of Saints - Lady Luck Strikes Again

Bells League Division One 13/03/2004

Saints 3 Caley Thistle 2 League Table Here

Team : Cuthbert, J-Ro, McQuilken, Vata, Weir, Maxwell, Sid, Reilly, Mixu, Parker , McLaughlin
Subs : Nelson, Dods, Stevenson, Forsyth, Hay

The pressure was on Saints today with the recent wins counting for nothing if we didn't get a result against 2nd place Caley. And to say the emotions were put through the wringer over the 90-plus minutes is like saying Jim Weir has a slight affection for the Saints. Yet again it took an extremely late goal to seal the points but this time Saints should have had things sewn up with a two-goal lead at half-time thrown away. Still the Chubby Chanteuse has been silenced for another week.

The crowd was a decent size with a bit more optimism round the East Stand. And it was good to see the way the Saints players applauded the fans as the team took to the park. Despite the blood spilt at Awfulview on Tuesday night, only Bernard missed out due to a tight hamstring. It meant Sid dropping back to midfield and a starting jersey for Keigan. Ryan the Rocket made up the subs bench.

The match had a fairly even start but as we expected both teams were going all-out for the win - the principal difference this week being the amount of decent football that was being played. That's not to say that the game wasn't a physical one but it was good to see it being played in a more sporting spirit than recent matches. Saints seemed to settle more quickly and McQuilken and Sid were causing the Caley backs plenty of problems. The first real chance fell to Saints when McQuilken's cross was headed down by Mixu for Keigan to fire in a shot deflected wide. The resulting short corner move has obviously had too much publicity over the last week going by the comfortable way the Caley defence dealt with it.

Rudi tried to set up Keigan with a long ball a few minutes later but, not for the last time during the game, the striker was victim of a dodgy offside decision. Mixu was next to try his luck but his looping header was easily saved. We kept pressing though and in the 14th minute took the lead. The ball was played out of defence to Mavis. He passed it to Mixu who slipped the ball wide to Jazza via McLaughlin. Jazza took the ball into the box but rather than shooting he hit a low cross across the goalmouth where Sid popped up inside the 6-yard box to stick the ball into the roof of the net.

Caley tried to hit back and when Maxwell was caught napping at the back Cap'n Jim was there to clear the danger. A minute later he was at fault with a sclaffed clearance and it was Comrade Rudi to the rescue. But Saints were making chances of their own and should have increased their lead in the 19th minute when a long ball from McQuilken found Keigan onside. He got into the box but as has happened so often his shot was blocked.

We didn't have too long to wait though and three minutes later Saints got the second. Sid got a lucky break off a Caley defender and broke down the right. His cutback was headed goalwards by Mixu. Brown in the away goal managed a good save but failed to hold onto the ball. Mixu was surprisingly the first to react and from a narrow angle squeezed the ball past (or perhaps off) the keeper to make it 2-0. Caley started to press back but their best effort was a 28th minute freekick wide of Cuthbert's goal.

Maxwell picked up a booking a minute later for a late tug on a Caley player. But the 30-yard freekick beat the wall but Cuthbert easily held it. and Caley had an even better chance in 35 minutes when they broke through two on one. But the one was Cap'n Jim and a great tackle ensured that the attack was broken up. Weir was in the thick of it at the other end with a header cleared by the Caley defence and then having to leave the pitch for treatment after a flying elbow split his head open. He came back on after some treatment.

The rest of the half was dominated by some controversial refereeing decisions such as Maxwell punished for allegedly climbing followed almost immediately by Mixu being penalised for NOT jumping for a challenge. Who said consistency was a problem for the Scottish referee?

After an optimistic half-time interval the second-half saw Saints start brightly. Three minutes gone and McLaughlin broke down the left. He set up Parker who eventually sent the ball over to the other side where J-Ro met it and fired a 25-yard shot just over the bar.

After the hectic pace of the first forty-five, the game had slowed down a bit but at the same time, it seemed that there were some weary legs starting to appear in the home side. But we were continuing to cause Caley despite Cuthbert missing a simple cross ball (although there was a suspicion he was fouled). In the 55th minute, Weir set up Mavis who passed to Robbo on the right. His run and cross was just missed by Brian McLaughlin coming through the middle with his best innuendo. A minute later the Cat easily held a Caley counter attack. And then a minute after that it was Saints on the attack. Parker won a corner and from it the ball eventually came to McQuilken on the far side. His cross was headed down by Sid and brilliantly tipped wide by Brown with Parker's attempt at the rebound going wide.

Bingham replaced Caley's Thomson on the hour mark and four minutes later they were back in the game after he beat Weir on the left and played the ball into a crowded box for Ritchie. Despite the best attentions of Vata and Maxie Ritchie eventually found room to turn and send the ball past Cuthbert to make it 2-1. Bad news for Saints and worst was to come. We were struggling for pace now with effort from the midweek game starting to show and the defence were struggling to clear their lines.

Two minutes after scoring Ritchie was only stopped from getting another one by a great tackle by Comrade Rudi. Mixu went off to be replaced by Chris Hay in the 68th minute and a minute later McLaughlin was booked for a handball. Parker's pace was still being used to great effect but three times in a row he was cruelly adjudged to have been offside. But credit to Caley and they kept the pressure up and in 74 minutes drew level with a soft goal from Saints' point of view. Despite plenty of opportunities to clear their lines the ball came to Ritchie who calmly slotted it home for his and Caley's 2nd.

Talk about the hope being snuffed out. Saints looked lost for ideas now and shapeless whilst Caley had the best of the game. Robbo picked up a booking for a foul on Bingham (which looked to have been committed by Hay) and then in 76 minutes a cross into the box was headed down by Caley. The Cat got down to reach it but the rebound was stuck into the net only to be chalked off for offside - the words "lucky" and "escape" spring to mind. But luck seems to be with us these days.

Ryan the Rocket came on for McLaughlin with 10 minutes to go as both teams threw everything in search of the last goal. Sid shifted up front as Saints went to a 3-4-3 formation. The 83rd minute saw a good Parker cross into the box cleared as Saints lacked the killer touch. Caley took the play back to the Saints half as we seemed to be visibly tiring. Then in the 88th minute from a Caley corner Saints broke up the park through Keigan. He played it to Hay who set up an unmarked Stevenson. Unfortunately his cross was stuck out for a corner. From that the ball was cleared to Parker who was fouled on the edge of the box. Up steps Hay for the kick but the keeper had an easy save.

Play switched back to Saints half but the Cat comfortably held a 91st minute cross. From his goal kick the long ball was flicked on by the Rocket to Parker on the right. He seemed to pause for seconds waiting on the offside flag. But when it didn't come he outpaced the Caley defenders and ran into the box before firing an unstoppable angled drive past Brown and into the top corner from 10 yards out. Absolute stormer of a goal and it triggered bedlam in the stands. Stark was going apeshit in the dugout and a sizeable portion of the north end of the East Stand mobbed Keigan on the touchline - resulting in the inevitable booking for the striker. Even then it wasn't over with Caley back up the park and forcing the Cat into a good save from a header after they'd won a corner. But we held on though Christ knows how much luck we've got left now.....and suffice to say Cap'n Jim summed up all the emotion on his face at the final whistle.

MoM for me was probably Sid. One good goal and plenty of decent play. But there wasn't really a bad player on the park - some slow and tired ones perhaps but it looks like the adrenaline and fight for the points is carrying this team forward for just now. God knows how long it'll last but it's fun. And a word for Caley - they played some good football today and helped to make one of the most exciting games McDiarmid's had in a good few years.

Not a bad week all round.

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