Saints 3 Pars 2
Team : Cuthbert, J-Ro, Flash, Bernard, Dods, Maxwell,
Peaso, Robertson, Parker, Sid, McLaughlin
Subs : Nelson, Mixu, Hay, Malone, Stevenson
My God but Saints don't like to make things easy for themselves. Three goals up and cruising we somehow managed to almost blow it towards the end and let Uncle Berti's favourite Scottish striker start a two-goal comeback in the last 15 minutes. Ach, but who cares because at the end of the day we're the team going into the next round thanks to one of the best home performances under Billy Stark.
In front of a pretty decent crowd, Mavis missed out with his ankle injury whilst Mixu dropped to the bench. It meant starting jerseys for Keigan and Brian McLaughlin with Malone and Stevenson on the bench. So McLaughlin the winger playing wide right with two height-challenged strikers to cross to? From the start Saints took the game to the Plastic Pars and as early as the first minute, Flash, Keigan and McLaughlin combined on the left before being tackled. Keigan showed his new grit a minute later winning a free kick on the left byeline, although the actual kick was wasted. Peaso had a good run on the left before being tackled in the box. Then J-Ro picked up the first booking for a heavy challenge on Kilgannon. Ian Maxwell was next to have a go when he just missed a header from a Bernard free kick.
But in the eighth minute we broke the deadlock with a prime candidate for goal of the season. Mark Robertson played a long ball through to Parker on the right. The keeper came out of his box to head the ball clear, but it only went as far as Sid. With the goalie backtracking in a panic, our Simon sent a beautiful curling lob over his head and, after what seemed like an age, into the net to make it 1-0.
Two minutes later some good work through the middle from Sid and he set up Parker who despite being fouled on the edge of the box, managed a shot which the keeper saved. The Pars had their first shot in the 14th minute when Nicholson was given too much room in the middle - luckily his shot went over the bar. Saints had most of the play and we were pressing all the time with the Pars getting no time on the ball. In the midfield, M-Ro, Sid and McLaughlin were outstanding whilst Maxwell and Dods were winning everything in the air in defence.
For all that the final ball was lacking and the opposition defenders frustrated us time and again. J-Ro had a good run into the box before his shot was blocked and Peaso was the victim of a last-ditch tackle in the box. Parker forced a corner in the 29th minute and from it Maxwell brought out a good save from the keeper. Then Keigan had a good break on the right. He cut the ball back to J-Ro whose shot was fumbled by Stillie in the Pars goal and Peaso was just too late to get to the rebound. At the other end Dods was fouled by Brewster who managed a first-time shot that went well wide of the target. Then some slapstick from the Saints defence who took umpteen attempts to clear their lines despite being under no pressure whatsoever.
We should have doubled our lead in the 44th minute when another good run by Parker up the right byeline ended in a good cross across the goalmouth. The ball was missed by everyone and ended up at the feet of McLaughlin at the back post. He took his time with the shot but somehow managed to put it over the bar. Even then the action wasn't over and in the closing stages of the first half Peaso almost managed to intercept a loose passback to Stillie.
The second-half started evenly with the Pars looking like Schnorbitz master had bitten their gonads at half-time. But Saints were first to press with Sid setting up Parker on the wide right. He went on a mazy run and cut in at the byeline but the run ended in a selfish shot which went over the bar. Sid took a knock in the process but recovered after some treatment. Ex-Hun Scott Wilson went in on McLaughlin next but the Pars defence eventually cleared the free kick. The SPL side were pressing as well. A good free kick was headed clear by Bernard and when it came back into the box Maxie made a brilliant tackle on Crawford with the Scotland "star" looking for a penalty (not for the first time either).
Peaso had a good shot at the other end whilst Crawford was going Cream Crackers at Dods in the 56th minute meaning a warning from the ref. A minute later and Bernard's header sent Parker running up the right. He played a great cutback into the box but Peaso's effort went wide of target. Grondin had a shot over the bar for the Pars before Parker got on the end of a Flash cross at the other end but his turn and shot went wide. Saints were playing the long ball to good effect despite having two of the shortest strikers on the park with both Parker and Peaso using their pace to great effect. M-Ro had another shot go over the bar before Crawford went on a run on the hour mark and swan-dived into the box. No spot kick but Underhill should have taken some action.
Nine minutes later and we were on easy street. Peaso went on a break down the left and forced a corner. From it M-Ro's ball went over to the back post where Flash rose up to head it back down into the 6 yard box where Dods was there to head home into the corner. And after the Cat had an easy save from Crawford, we made it 3-0 in the 72nd minute. Peaso played a long ball out to the right wing for Keigan and he went on a run to the byeline and sent a cross across the goal which was gently flicked on by M-Ro at the near post to Peaso at the back post who despite the close attentions of Stillie had time to pick his target before tapping the ball into the net. The Pars fans began the long journey home and we began to relax.
Stupid buggers really because after Parker missed a golden chance to make it four in the 73rd minute, six minutes later Crawford went on a run in midfield and totally out of the blue (well against the blue but you see what I mean) hit a 25-yard lob past the defence and the Cat in goal to make it 3-1. Even the Pars fans were too stunned to cheer a goal that the word "speculative" doesn't come close to describing.
Chris Hay came on for Peaso and within a minute had forced a corner after some good work on the left. It was cleared and the play switched back to the other end where the Pars forced one of their own. The ball broke free and Darren Young controlled it with a hint of handball before firing a great shot through the crowded area and past the unsighted Cat to make it 3-2. Fingernail-chewing commenced in the East Stand whilst Malone came on for McLaughlin. However we hung on fairly comfortably with the Cat only making one more save in the 93rd minute after M-Ro had sent a good free-kick just over the bar at the other end.
In the end if you forget about the last 15 minutes or so, this result has to rank as one of our best showings in a cup competition since the games against Hibs and Hearts in THAT season!! In fact even looking at the whole 93 minutes it was a faith-regenerating show that hopefully dispels the doubts anyone had about how this Saints side would fare in the SPL. MoM was difficult to pick - defensively we were sound and Parker, Peaso and Sid were all excellent. But standout in midfield was Mark Robertson who ran the show for most of the game. For any neutral spectators tonight Saints easily looked like the team in the top league and even when the home fans nerves were being frayed towards the end we should the sort of team spirit and fight that we'll need to get out of this league!!
One final note - good to see Sandy Clark's coaching skills shining through.......
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