Temple Of Saints - Another Easy Three Points

Bells League Division One 25/10/2003

Saints 1 Paisley Fakes 0 League Table Here

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

Welcome to the first game of the second quarter of this exciting league campaign. And things aren't getting much better on the pitch. Still it might not be pretty but in the end Saints deserved the three points although we should have scored more. Both Sid and Mavis were deemed fit enough and started in midfield. As expected the Paisley tinks came out to spoil the afternoon's entertainment with a great show of timewasting and obviously were content to play for a 0-0 draw. They were also helped by two of the most incompetent linesmen that I've seen this season.

In front of what had to be one of the poorest crowds of year, Saints had the best of the early chances and in the first minute Mixu flicked on a Maxwell free kick to Peaso only for him to be ruled offside. J-Ro had a cross held a couple of minutes later. There were signs of the sort of trouble to come later when in the 6th minute Maxwell and McGinty clashed in the box and were warned by the ref.

But for all the work Saints put in up front, it took until the 11th minute before we had a real shot on goal although Mark Robertson's effort threatened the virtual fans more than the goalmouth. And M-Ro was in the thick of it 3 minutes later when after being fouled himself, he went in late on McGinty and picked up a yellow card for his troubles. Of course with St. Midden involved it meant he was also the target of several other fouls for the rest of the game as the Fake Saints tried their best to get him sent off.

On the park St. Midden tried to get back with a couple of corners but Dods and Maxie were immense in the centre of the Saints defence and dealt with them easily. Peaso had a good run up the left in the 22nd minute and managed a good angled shot across the goal - as usual there was no blue shirt there to follow up. It really summed up the performance on the park with a lack of movement off the ball as well as the final ball both being very poor. Not much to get excited about really.

The 28th minute saw Saints come close with a Maxwell header out picked up by Mavis. He crossed the ball back in and Maxwell got a header on target but Hinchcliffe managed to save. Five minutes later M-Ro put in a good cross which Mixu headed down. The ball fell to Peaso but somehow from about three yards out he managed to sclaff his shot so that the ball seemed to spin off the line before being cleared.

But a minute later the Fakes were silenced and the home fans woke up (yup the atmosphere was that bad in the ground). J-Ro started the move with a run up the right wing. The ball was eventually crossed into the middle of the park where a totally unmarked Mark Robertson ran onto the ball. With only the keeper to beat, he took his time before unleashing a cracking drive from 20 yards out past the keeper and into the top corner of the net to make it 1-0.

Two minutes later we nearly doubled the lead. Flash hit a brilliant free-kick into the box where Mixu rose up to header the ball down but just wide off the target. St Midden pressed back and won a dodgy free-kick but Mixu cleared the ball. Then at the other end Saints pushed down the left and Flash's cross was flicked on by Mixu only for Peaso to shoot just wide. Four minutes from the break M-Ro went in for another late challenge and was lucky not to pick up a yellow card but this was just a trigger for the Paisley Junkies to go into real sporting mode and van Zanten had a dive go unpunished before the break despite ref Conroy signalling it was a blatant dive.

The second-half started better for the tinks and two minutes into the half Gillies hit a cracking 25-yard effort which the Cat did brilliant to react to and tip wide. At the other end another Flash free kick was floated into the box where Maxwell headed the ball down. Dods managed to miss his shot but the ball broke to Bernard at the edge and his shot was just wide of the target. Peaso and Flash then linked up well on the left but again the final cross was poor.

The game had opened up though, and Saints were playing some better football as the tinks tried to get back onto level terms. Of course for all the pressure it only meant more dodgy offsides against Mixu and Peaso to frustrate them and the fans. The nerves weren't helped a couple of minutes later when after Maxwell cleared one corner we then had the delights of the Dods / Maxwell old-fashioned Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-Dee impression. A simple square ball across the defence from Forrest Gump caught Maxwell napping and in nipped the Paisley Beckham clone Alan Russell (actually staying on his feet for a change). He broke through on goal but despite putting in a decent shot the Cat was out to make a great block and keep us in the lead.

At the other end the absence of shooting boots was more apparent when J-Ro crossed the ball and it was cleared to Sid who let rip with a great right-foot shot....straight at the corner flag. McGinty eventually picked up a deserved booking for a late foul on Mavis before Parker came on for the knackered Peaso on the hour mark. Within a couple of minutes Bernard had set Keigan up and he won a corner. That led to another and a good Parker shot from the back post which St Midden headed clear. Then in 67 minutes an M-Ro free kick into the box saw Maxwell put in a great downwards header at the back post only for the keeper to block it on the line.

The game was starting to get scrappy and van Zanten picked up a booking for a nasty challenge on Bernard. Maxwell had another header saved before the stadium trembled. Yup "FatBoy Fat" Lavety took the field to at least a 4.2 on the Richter scale. Not that it did much good for the tinks as Keigan decided to take the piss out of their defence. One quick dribble saw a cross played into Sid who found Mixu who forced a good save from a header. Then in 77 minutes Keigan was released into the box but faced with a narrow angled shot he tried to cut back for the cross - as usual no blue shirts in support. Flash did manage a good cross after a nice mazy run a couple of minutes later but Hinchcliffe reacted well to tip the ball over the bar. Then Parker broke into the box from the right a minute later and beat 3 defenders with a great mazy run but was brought down (a bit too easily) before he could get the shot in - no penalty and Parker was Mr. Diver for the rest of the game.

St Midden were out of ideas (and puff) by now and only a Russell header which the Cat held came close to threatening an equaliser. Saints put McLaughlin on for M-Ro whilst McGowne picked up a deserved booking for the tinks for a foul on Keigan. But that was it in terms of action unless you count the tragic flattening of the Cat in injury time as he went to and caught a cross ball but got in the path of FatBoy Fat and collapsed under his expanding bulk - no doubt he'll recover for next week - the anti-tetanus jabs were being administered tonight.

Not a brilliant performance and some players still looked off the pace (Mr Donnelly step forward). But the defence looked solid (MoM for me was Maxwell whose efforts up front deserved a goal today). Midfield was ok - Robertson came onto a good game but he needs to watch the temper and flying tackles. Up front Peaso looked off the pace a bit but Mixu put in another good shift. So still room for improvement but at least the results are coming.

...And next week we could go top??!!!!!!!!!!!!

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