Temple Of Saints - Bah Humbug

Bells League Division One 20/12/2003

Saints 2 QoS 2 League Table Here

Team : Nelson, J-Ro, Flash, Bernard, Dods, Maxwell, Peaso, Stevenson, Mixu, Sid, McLaughlin
Subs : Cuthbert, Lovering, Fotheringham, Parker, Ferry

Some festive season this. But two pitch inspections saw the game start in another downpour. But full praise to the McD groundstaff for getting the pitch into a playable condition - it's just a pity their efforts weren't matched on the park. As for the game itself, a scrappy own goal, suicidal defending by Saints and blood and guts in the middle of the swamp, I mean, park meant an entertaining if frustrating experience. And then there's the jammy injury-time equaliser - except this time it was warmly welcomed by the Saints support!!

M-Ro missed out again as he considered his options abroad. But the big surprise was the starting jersey for Craig Nelson with Cuthbert taking the obvious flak for the equaliser at Somerset Park. Hay missed out as well allowing Peaso to start whilst Lovering returned to the squad and the bench.

Saints started slightly the better and created their first chance in the first minute when Sid fed a neat through ball to Peaso only for the Queen's defence to cut in out. Despite the conditions, the game was fairly entertaining. Four minutes later, after some questionable decisions against Saints, Peaso beat the offside trap but hesitated over his shot allowing the Queen's keeper to narrow the angle and force Peaso to shoot wide. A minute later Queen of the South came close to taking the lead. Flash was beaten on the left and a dangerous cross sent in which saw Wood's header just miss the target. Saints broke straight up the park through Stevenson but his cross deflected off the head of Mixu and wide of goal. Next up Catwoman (to use his party identity) hit a neat cross which Reid cut out for a corner. Wee Brian took it and when the ball broke free it was Stevenson who hit a shot over the bar.

Wee Brian had another good run down the left in the 12th minute but his final pass found Peaso offside. The game was fairly open though and being played at a good pace especially given the dreadful conditions. A minute later we had a decent claim for a penalty when, from a Flash freekick, the ball was slipped through to Mixu in the box where he seemed to be bundled over by Thomson. Saints were pressing now and won a corner after some good passing between Sid and Peaso set up J-Ro but his cross was cut out. From the corner, Dods had a header go well over the bar. The game quietened down a bit now and got a bit scrappier. O'Connor had Queen's best chance in 27 minutes when he got behind the Saints defence and fired in an angled shot across the goal which Nelson seemed slow to react to. The ball was eventually cleared but it should have served as a warning for Saints. A minute later the QoS striker was again involved in the thick of the action when a so-late-it-was-2004 challenge on Dods saw the players square up to each other and O'Connor pick up a warning from Clark.

Stevenson had a good run into the box before his cutback was blocked before J-Ro picked up the first booking of the game in the 32nd minute for his 2nd aquaplaning challenge. The referee didn't do himself any favours with the home support a minute late when after raising his hands to Catwoman in a challenge, Bowey actually won the freekick. Nothing came of it though and Saints broke back up the park. Peaso held the ball before releasing Sid on his right. Donnelly took the ball into the box and fired in a good low drive. The QoS goalie saved the shot but failed to hold onto the ball and when it broke free in the 6yd box, Thomson appeared to panic. I'm not sure if the wet pitch helped or not but he totally sclaffed the clearance and somehow the ball spun into the net. Oh how we laughed!!

And within a couple of minutes we should have been two up. Some good pressing play saw the ball played to Peaso and he turned and hit a cracking shot that, as is normal these days, came cannoning back off the crossbar. The rebound fell to Catwoman but his low cross was easily held. You'd expect us to carry on and press home the advantage but not Saints and instead it was QoS who put the pressure on us. And unfortunately with Saints defending a saturated Ormond end, the pitch was also getting in on the act and as the ball stuck more so we apparently found it almost impossible to clear our lines - even when we did there wasn't a blue shirt in midfield to pick up the ball. The end result of all this hilarity came in the 42nd minute when an innocuous cross got the better of Dods and Maxwell 8yds out in a clash with O'Connor. The QoS striker didn't waste his time and fired the ball under Nelson.

We spent the rest of the half on the defensive - apart from a Dods run that was blocked. And in the closing stages a very poor clearance from Nelson saw Saints in the proverbial fankle and the keeper had to look sharp to prevent a goal.

The second-half saw Saints start a bit better. McLaughlin had a good early cross cut out but blotted his copybook 5 minutes later after missing the ball completely after a neat one-two with Flash. Saints were trying (as in very) but lacked someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck. We were spending too much time trying to walk the ball into the net with the only thing to show for it a 52nd minute shot by Ryan from the edge of the area that went just wide. Sid was next to try his luck when he got onto a Mixu flick on from a Maxwell cross. But he took just too long to control the ball and saw his effort charged down.

At the other end Nelson made a good save from an O'Connor shot in the 57th minute - and winded J-Ro in the process. He repeated this from Wood three minutes later but the QoS player had already been adjudged offside. Saints tried to get back into the game and Peaso saw a decent attempt tipped over the bar in the 63rd minute, and a good angled shot tipped wide two minutes after that, following some gutsy build-up by Forsyth beating two men in the process.

Keigan came on for Sid for the last twenty minutes but to be honest he made little impact. Saints were getting anxious now and pushed Parker and Catwoman forward in a 4-2-4 formation. Mixu had an attempt saved and Peaso forced a corner which was wasted. Then in the 76th minute Wee Brian was obstructed and won a freekick. He played it short to Peaso and the latter's low shot was held. QoS counterattacked and saw a chip go wide. Wood went into the book next for a late foul on Maxie. Then with eight minutes of normal time to go, Dods conceded a soft corner. The ball was swung into the box and an unmarked Reid rose up to fire a textbook header past Nelson. Cue the boos.

Saints tried to get back into the game. Flash picked up a yellow two minutes later and was almost immediately replaced by Lovering. Peaso had a good break but a poor pass behind the unmarked Keigan on the right saw the boos start up again.

Three minutes from time, Peaso put a header wide. Foxy came on for Ryan and in the 88th minute sent a freekick into the box which came out to Bernard at the near post, only for his shot to be saved. Finally though we got lucky. In the 93rd minute with the away fans begging for the final whistle, the ball broke free to Maxwell. With cries of "Shoot!" all around he fired the ball into the box where it was flicked on by Peaso with the help of a QoS defender to Mixu who beat the offside trap and slotted the ball home from 8 yards. 2-2 and sighs of relief all round.

Overall it wasn't a classic game with the conditions yet again determining much of the play. There were some good individual performances with Stevenson, McLaughlin and Forsyth all excellent (Wee Brian getting my MoM) but again Sid, Bernard and the defence were disappointing to say the least. As for Nelson - sorry but on today's performance Cuthbert should be first-choice.

Bah humbug about sums it up today - Mixu better get the prayers started for next weekend's trip north.

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