Temple Of Saints - Scrappy Saints

Bells League Division One 23/10/2004

Saints 1 Airdrie 1 League Table Here

Team : McGregor, Tait, Forsyth, Mahood, Rutkiewicz, Webb, Baxter, Sheerin, Hay, Peaso, Hardy
Subs : Cuthbert, Moore, McConalogue, Anderson, Hannah

Today was finally a chance to find out if we could manage to turn last week's winning form at Dumfries into something a bit more consistent. So you should have guessed what the outcome would be as a scrappy affair ended in what was a fair result but all the more disappointing for that. Yet again we struggled to get any play going and the midfield was slow getting forward. But probably the biggest worry was the lack of movement off the ball or any semblance of urgency in our play.

Despite last weeks leg knock and a poor tummy towards the end of the week Rusty was the brave wee soldier who came through to start the game. Fozzy was missing as his leg injury has turned into a Bernardesque self-perpetuating spell on the treatment table. And after last week's win, the only change was the introduction of Sean Webb for Maxwell who didn't even make the bench with Pamela drafted in. For the Thugs, that Celtic-daft Striker turned up along with ex-trialist and all-round nutjob Martin Hardie.

With Saints at home, it meant that we had the usual nervous performance for the whole of the first half. Yup, no sign of any of the flowing play from Palmerston and the ball yet again seemed to have an aversion to being in too much contact with the McDiarmid surface as time and time again the Route One long ball was the preferred style of play from the Saints defence. Mind you, the visitors weren't much better and after a first-minute Saints freekick was cleared, Thugboy Hardie showed three minutes later why even meek, mild-mannered Grant Murray hates his guts with a nasty elbow on Airbags Tait after he'd been sent on a run up the right by Beaky - unfortunately it only earned the thug a warning.

At the other end a good cutback found a Celtic-daft striker but he blew his shot a mile over the bar. Saints tried to press back but McGeown in the Airdrie goal was able to clear any danger easily enough. Our best chance in the opening stages came in the 12th minute after Lee Hardy went on a good run down the left and cut the ball in for Peaso but his shot went well over. The game got scrappier after that. Hardie and Mahood had a niggly battle going on in midfield but as Saints were settling on just clearing their lines for most of the time, it made for a real lack of entertainment. Tait, Hay and Peaso combined in a neat move in the 18th minute but McGeown was gain out to clear the hint of danger.

With Saints sitting back Airdrie began to create some chances of their own. McLaren set up some Celtic-daft striker in the 21st minute but his low shot was just wide of RobRoy's post. Then another ball in from the left was missed by Flash. RobRoy came out but the Airdrie player got his shot in and it was thanks to the head of Rutkiewicz on the line that they didn't score. Webb was next to get us worried with a rare lapse as he handled on the edge of the box. Airdrie went for a quick freekick which sailed over the bar.

Mahood picked up a booking in the 35th minute for dissent after a foul on Hardie. Gow joined him a minute later after a cynical hack on Mahood. Saints ended the half with some good play as both Baxter and Hardy started getting forward more and putting some crosses in. We even managed a couple of corners but a Flash miskick in the 6yd box was as good as it got. Two minutes from the break though we should have taken the lead. Baxter and Sheerin linked well on the right and the latter cut inside his marker and fired a low cross in. The keeper fumbled it but when Peaso got in for the rebound his effort went wide. The half ended with another good Hardy run which finished with a decent shot going over.

After the break, Saints had an early corner fired straight to the keeper before Airdrie should have taken the lead in the 48th minute. After getting the break of the ball in a 50-50 challenge with Rutkiewicz, the ball broke through. RobRoy came out and totally missed his clearance but when the ball came over towards the empty net, Flash was back to clear the danger. Saints were playing with the ball on the deck a bit more. Hardy played a good ball into Hay whose shot was blocked and when the ball broke to Peaso he turned and pulled his shot wide. Peaso had another shot held after it was deflected on the hour.

Saints were pressing but not creating much although Airdrie were limited as well. Moore came on for the disappointing Hay in the 63rd minute and 5 minutes later, Stef came on for Hardy with Peaso going to the left as Saints went to a 4-3-3 formation. And a couple of minutes later we took the lead with a scrappy goal that typified the game. A ball in from the left was flicked on by Moore. Stef's shot was blocked and the ball came back to Peaso. His effort was also blocked but the ball came back to Stef and his second effort was turned into his own net by Kevin Christie. It was almost enough to waken up the support.

Airdrie tried to hit back with a quick dive on the edge of the box. RobRoy did well to get down and hold t e freekick. The game had opened up quite a bit following the goal but the Saints midfield was still not winning enough of the ball. Christie picked up a booking 15 minutes from time for flattening Moore. The freekick was played into the box for Stef but his shot was blocked. Airdrie broke up the park with a good run from McLaren but somehow he wasted a simple chance and shot over.

Tait blocked another McLaren effort as Saints were put under a lot of pressure. Rutkiewicz picked up a booking with 10 minutes to go for persistent fouling. Baxter was replaced by Hannah as Saints decided to try and defend their lead for the last 5 minutes.

So those of you who are familiar with the Saints script these days can probably guess what happened next. The 90th minute and Saints stood off that Celtic-daft striker giving him plenty of room to collect a short pass before sending a low drive past a static defence and a static keeper into the net, with RobRoy perhaps having a chance to save it if he'd reacted a tad quicker. Saints ended the game chasing a winner and had a couple of chances in injury time. A good break from Stef found Peaso who set up Moore. His return went to Sheerin whose shot was easily held. Then to round things off Flash set up Moorie who found Stef unmarked inside the box but his angled drive was easily held. Summed up the afternoon really.

Disappointment is probably the one word to sum it all up tonight - after last week we did have some hope that the good form could be carried on to McDiarmid but we were as bad as ever today. Only Ruti and my MoM Webb really performed well over the whole period. Mahood was ok but Sheerin again disappointed. Up front Hay was too slow and Peaso seemed unable to link up to anyone although it has to be said the introduction of Stef and Moorie certainly helped. Otherwise it's back to the drawing board.

Don't expect the Sunday papers to trip over themselves with praise tomorrow....

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