Temple Of Saints - A Rotten Start

Bells League Division One 23/04/2005

Saints 1 Airdrie 2 League Table Here

Team : Samson, Cowan, Dyer, McCann , Anderson, Maxwell, Stevenson, Sheerin, Peaso, Dobbie, Sloan
Subs : Cuthbert, Hay, Webb, Hannah, Bagan

Another Saturday and another manager as Oweny took over the reins against his previous employers (and until we get a decent nickname, Oweny it remains). He had the task of trying to live up to the successful reign of Jim Weir (no goals conceded in 2 games and some decent football to boot) but hopes were high that we'd finally have something to cheer about for the end of season matches - thankfully pretty meaningless after last week's win at Firhill meant we were safe. Even the sun came out over the hallowed turf. Pity about the rubbish on the park that followed with a dire match ending in Saints losing an injury-time goal and following Airdrie in being reduced to ten men. At least Owen Coyle knows now the size of the rebuilding job he has to do to turn Saints around.

Oweny decided not to tamper with last week's winning formation too much. David Hannah replaced Beaky on the bench but that was it with Dobbie and Peaso getting the chance to develop their partnership. If last weekend saw the best first-half of the season from Saints, today saw us back to our worst with a midfield that was all over the place and no sign of any of the flowing play from Firhill.

The game started fairly scrappily and it wasn't long before the niggly challenges and fouls started going in (step forward Paul Lovering who will never be a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize). Goalmouth action was about as rare as a Samson clean sheet but the 5th minute saw the Buckfast Boyz almost take the lead after a sleeping Saints defence let Gow in to shoot just over the bar. As for us we couldn't get near the opposition goal with a corner a minute later easily cleared. For all that, the game was a fairly even affair with both defences on top - though that didn't stop Maxwell enjoys a rare foray up the left wing at times. Stevenson saw a decent cross cut out by the keeper and at the other end an Airdrie freekick from the right wing was headed over. Airdrie took the lead in the twentieth minute. Stevenson and Lovering clashed with Ryan being unjustly penalised. The freekick was played forward into the box where it was headed down to McLaren on the edge of the area who fired a low, curving drive past Samson into the bottom corner of the net - not exactly what we thought was in the script.

It didn't even act as a spur for the Saints players with Sheerin conceding a soft corner a few minutes later that led to another free header going wide. Then McLaren was give far to much room across the park and hit a shot just wide of target with Saints almost static. We were making basic mistakes and the midfield were all over the place. McCann and Stevenson (i.e. The Two Ryannies - okay I'll stop now), swapped places, on instruction from Oweny (wearing the zoot suit today and allowing Weir to return to his tracksuit). But after this we were left with a lack of penetration up the flanks with Cowan used as an overlapping wing-back. It wasn't until the 38th minute that we even managed a shot close to target, but even that caused the new manager problems. Peaso forced a corner. From it, Anderson headed the ball down to Sheerin who volleyed over the bar. The action left Anderson flattened and needing treatment on the touchline. While he was off the park, Airdrie broke and Maxwell had to make a brilliant last-ditch tackle in the box to prevent Gow scoring. As it was Pamela wasn't able to continue with what looked like concussion and Webby came on to replace him.

Saints began to piece together some moves as the half drew to a close. Dobbie and Sloan linked well to try and set up Peaso but he was too slow. And then Sloan cutback the ball to McCann who dummied it in the area to set up Dobbie but his rising shot clipped the crossbar and went over. Finally Stevenson got another freekick and from it Peaso headed the ball over the bar (although Webb was being held in the area and we had a good claim for the penalty).

McCann had a good run at the start of the second-half but was tackled before he got too far and then Stevenson sent a cross in which Peaso flicked down for Dobbie but he didn't connect properly and the keeper had an easy save. For the most part though the action was bogged down in midfield as Saints failed to get any flowing play going against an Airdrie side that was marking us tightly throughout.

So it was time for Oweny the Superstitious to resort to the ancient Ritual of the Hay Substitution. 59 minutes gone and the shout went up for Hay to return to the dugout and commence the tantalising striptease. This distracted the Airdrie midfield enough to let Dobbie run onto a through ball. With his opponents left for dead Dobbie sprinted (I know it's hard to believe) into the Airdrie box and hit a low 15yard rocket past the keeper to make it 1-1. Hay then got dressed once more, his part in the Ritual complete. Two minutes later and we nearly took the lead when a long Webb clearance which found Peaso. Similar to Dobbie, he went on a run but was tackled in the area and his shot blocked. The corner broke to Maxie but his shot went wide. McCann had another shot blocked a few minutes later and then some good build up play found Dobbie but his shot went just wide.

We had an even better chance 19 minutes from time when a break from defence found Dobbie how flicked the ball on to his left at the halfway line and found McCann going on a run. The midfielder did everything right and got into the box, cut inside his man but the shot was blocked - unfortunately the lack of follow up from his teammates meant Airdrie easily cleared the danger. Stevenson picked up what was to be a telling booking for a daft foul on the wing - not his first of the afternoon but the lack of action taken on Lovering was a real mystery.

The Ritual of the Hay Substitution was finally undergone with 15 minutes to go with Dobbie sacrificed for the cause, although Peaso was limping from some heavy challenges for most of the 2nd forty- five. Lovering and Stevenson clashed not long afterwards as both teams went chasing the winner. Sloan's cross in the 84th minute ended in a corner cleared. And then a minute later Airdrie were reduced to 10 men. Stevenson ran down the wing and was behind the defence when the Docherty brought him down from behind. It was a soft challenge but the goalscoring chance was there and the defender saw red. Sloan took the resulting free kick but it was blocked.

Three minutes later though another rash Stevenson challenge on the far touchline saw him pick up a second booking and red card - no argument about the booking but possibly the player should have been substituted beforehand given he was on a yellow. It got worse in injury time as well. Saints were pressing and when a Dyer corner was cut out, Sheerin, Maxwell and Co all stood claiming for handball. That was fruitless and in the meantime Airdrie broke up the park two on one against Cowan. Cowan made the mistake of not playing the offside trap and the ball was passed to Gow who got into the area and despite a last ditch tackle had an easy angled drive finish into the net to make it 2-1.

Some things never change and the boos were still there at the final whistle. And while we might be safe from relegation and well into end-of-season mode, there was no excuse for some of the performances today. The sexy football we saw last week vanished again. As it was my MoM goes to Sloan for playing some nice touches on the wing although McCann, Dyer and Dobbie all played well.

At least Owen knows how much work he's just taken on...

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