Temple Of Saints - Pathetic

Bells League Division One 21/02/2004

Ross County 2 Saints 0 League Table Here

Team : Nelson, Baxter, McQuilken, Vata, Weir, Maxwell, Hay, Reilly, Sid, Bernard, McLaughlin
Subs : Cuthbert, Dods, Mixu, Flash, Parker

Another trip up to the delights of Victoria Park (and no for once I'm not being sarcastic) and the "no swearing " warning before the game. Unfortunately that wasn't enough to prevent a resurgence of the abuse aimed at Saints on full-time following a back-to-normal insipid performance from the away fans with Stark and cock-up keeper Nelson the main targets. The Dingwall side were no great shakes but were quicker and more mobile t an a Saints side that were almost the exact opposite of the winners last week. In the end leaving the ground it just felt like another false dawn had passed.

As for the team, with J-Ro out, the right-back / wing-back role was taken by Mark Baxter. Elsewhere and Mixu started on the bench, whilst Bernard came into the centre of midfield in place of Stuart Taylor who seemed to be the mysterious flu victim. Ryan "pre-match hype" Stevenson was the fall victim. Saints started well with Hay fouled within the first 30 seconds. Rudi took the freekick but it was easily held. He had another one two minutes later but didn't even manage to find the target this time. After that the game evened out a bit but the pitch seemed to cause the Saints defence all sorts of problems and Weir picked up what looked to be a hamstring pull leaping over some advertising hoardings.

Saints tried to put some pressure on the home goal and in 10 minutes Bernard set up McLaughlin but his cross across the goal was cleared. But in defence, Vata was caught napping a couple of times and we didn't look half as comfortable as last week even if County weren't that great up front. McLaughlin had a volley from a McQuilken corner sail over the bar before things got worse in 21 minutes when Weir limped off to be replaced by Dods. County were starting to threaten more but more worrying for us was how easily their defence was coping with our attacks. Baxter had a couple of crosses blocked before in the 28th minute we came close after Sid set up Baxter and his low cross from the right was put just wide by Hay.

But almost immediately County came back and forced a corner. The inswinger came over to the back post where Nelson managed to miss the ball before Vata headed clear. And the Saints keeper looked even dodgier dropping another couple of balls in the next few minutes. At the other end another freekick 25 yards out saw Wee Brian square the ball to Maxwell who hit a cracking shot which was deflected off a County defender for a corner which was screwed up allowing the opposition to break up the park with Dods conceding a corner. Baxter had a first-time shot go well wide after being set up by Sid. But Saints had a good spell of pressure without really creating any chances and in the end County broke up the park and Nelson rushed out of his box to beat the attacker.

Unfortunately two minutes before the break Nelson turned villain for the Saints fans aided and abetted by Vata as the pair gave away one of the daftest goals of the season. An absolutely shite clearance by the keeper only reached Vata. He was under pressures but, instead of playing a simple ball back to the goalie, he tried to play the ball up the park only to lose possession with Higgins of County through on goal and easily able to slot the ball under Nelson. Total fucking shambles and the Saints fans left Nelson in no doubt as to what they thought of it all. And as if that wasn't bad enough, within 60 seconds Vata had against been caught napping but at least this time Nelson got down to save the resulting shot. The half finished with Mavis conceding a freekick which County stuck over the bar.

There was no sign of any arses being kicked in the away dressing room and the second forty-five started with a spell of County pressure and Saints happy to just clear their lines. But four minutes into the half McLaughlin had a lovely run into the home box before laying the ball off into space on the right - pity Hay hadn't bothered to run onto the ball. Hannah picked up a booking for a late foul on Mclaughlin in 51 minutes and four minutes later Mixu came on for Baxter with Sid taking over the right wing-back role. Within a minute we came close with Sid linking with Mclaughlin and setting up Bernard whose cross was cut out. County seemed happier to sit back and hit us on the break and easily soaked up the Saints pressure.

Our best chance came in 62 minutes when a corner was headed downwards by Maxwell. It stuck in the dirt 2 yards out but as was the case too often this afternoon, there wasn't a Saints player quick enough to react. County had a couple of close chances with a flicked on header going just wide and a counterattack ending in a shot going just wide. For Saints, Hay broke but was ruled offside, then twenty minutes from time, Dods had a good run and, with nobody free to pass to, fired a shott over the bar. Keigan replaced Hay a minute later and quickly won a freekick. Vata floated the ball into the box but Dods' header went wide.

The game turned a bit scrappier after that with County's keeper infuriating the Saints fans behind the goal with his timewasting. County had a long-range effort go just over 7 minutes from the end and a minute later Keigan was fouled at the other end. A quickly taken freekick found Parker released on the right. He cut in and hit an anged shot which was cleared. Mixu had a header blocked on the line a minute before the end but by that time we were out of ideas.

And just to rub more salt into the festering pus-filled wound that was Saints performance, the 92nd minute saw us let in another daft goal. With Vata pressing forward we were exposed as badly as one of Janet Jackson's tits at the back (and the breast analogy is probably too close for comfort a well). So County broke up the park through Winters. Nelson came out to block the shot but failed to clear the ball properly and when Winters was the first to get to his feet he had a simple finish to make it 2-0.

Overall there's absolutely nothing we can take from the game. Saints were just simply dire and all the slight hopes built up from the performances in recent weeks have vanished - probably taking the title hopes with them as well. It's hard to identify a MoM amongst the Saints players with perhaps only McLaughlin showing the sort of attitude we need the rest of the team to show - and that applies off the park as much as on.

The last time the team bus headed south after a Highlands defeat it was apparently a quiet subdued journey. Maybe instead of sulking and contemplating their navels this time it would be better if everybody on that team bus thought about whether or not they've got the necessary hunger and desire to work for a team like Saints and if they can turn things round . And unfortunately on today's evidence it doesn't look that way.

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