Saints 2 Alloa 3
Team : McGregor, Baxter, Fraser, Hannah, Rutkiewicz,
Sheerin, Marshall, Bernard, Stevenson, Moore, Hardy
Subs : Cuthbert, Hay, Tait, Foxy, Malone
Well after last Saturday's debacle it was a chance for the sexy football of John Connolly to show up at home as Saints took on Alloa in the CIS League Coca-Cola whatever cup (you know the one that's not quite a diddy cup while your still in it). Still, nothing like a quiet cup-tie in dreich conditions to remind you what football is about. Unfortunately all that tonight's performance served to do was add Alloa's name to the Museum of Horrors that make up our cup history - yup the Wasps are now in there alongside Brechin, Falkirk and Stenhousemuir. Don't be fooled by the score either. Two goals in the last 10 minutes against a part-time team already reduced to ten men were all that we could manage to do to rub salt in the wounds.
With the Saints squad in tatters after the weekend, changes were inevitable. New boy "RobRoy" McGregor was preferred over the Cat whilst Beaky and Chippy occupied the full-back slots. Rustybits was passed fit and played alongside Hannah in defence. Colin Marshall was given a start on the right side with Ryan up front with Moore.
We even started the game well with plenty of pressure culminating in a 2nd minute Hardy Boy cross which was almost spectacularly deflected into his own net by a Wasps defender. From the corner Sheerin avoided the obvious crap cross and played the ball short to Swampy whose curling shot was just over. Four minutes later and Bernard got in on the action with a cross from the right that Moore just failed to connect with. While the wet conditions and constant rain weren't helping the football to flow, Saints were making the most of their possession. It wasn't until the 13th minute that Alloa carved out a shooting opportunity when Ross Hamilton broke down the left wing, cut inside and tried a chip that went just over RobRoy's bar. Ryan was next up with a pass to Baxter and his cross was put just wide by Moore. Then Stevenson himself got in on the action with a run through the middle before shooting wide. He came closer in the 20th minute when he latched onto a defensive mistake but his drive was well saved by the Alloa keeper. The resulting corners were of course totally wasted.
Alloa got the first of several cards five minutes later when their player was booked for late assault on Rustybits leaving the Saints defender needing treatment for a back injury and looking slower for the rest of the game - thankfully Fraser was sharper a couple of minutes later to put in a great tackle in the Saints box to prevent the impressive Ross Hamilton from getting a shot in. Nerves were getting a tad frayed by this time in the East stand. Still we kept trying. Swampy set up Bernard to shoot wide then he himself had a good run including a nutmeg on a defender before his eventual shot was blocked. Ryan then set up Baxter for a run through on goal but with just the keeper to beat his powerful shot was brilliantly saved. Sheerin tried his luck with a weak shot and five minutes from the break Hardy Boy tried a freekick which curved round the Wasps wall but went over the bar.
So guess what happened next? Here's a wee clue - it's the sort of thing that usually happens after a spell of Saints pressure without a goal. Correct. Three minutes till the break and Ryan loses possession. One quick pass and the Saints midfield is bypassed for Hamilton to run through on goal and unchallenged, fire a low drive past RobRoy into the net. We tried to hit back quickly. A Sheerin corner was headed over by Moore and then another one fell to Ryan at the back post but his shot was blocked. And with injury time seeing an Alloa corner cleared only as far as another Wasp who fired in a long-range shot which RobRoy tipped over, it was no surprise that the half-time whistle brought forth a chorus of boos from the Saints fans that we've not heard since the Last Days of Stark.
Yet again I'm left wondering what was discussed in the Saints dressing room during the interval because we didn't exactly get off to a great start in the second 45, with the Wasps putting one shot wide and missing a simple header all within 5 minutes of the restart.
Marshall had one good run and cross but it was held before Alloa doubled their lead in the 54th minute. It was Hardy that was caught in possession on the left and the Wasps counterattack saw them cross the ball into the box. The defence didn't clear it and there was Callaghan to score. 2-0 and the home fans were more than a tad miffed. Stevenson saw a good cross tipped clear but five minutes later the Wasps made it 3-0. Rustybits might have been fouled but along with Fraser and Hannah failed to clear the area and Ferguson was there to sting the ball past a floundering McGregor.
Eddie came on for Hardy who was becoming a real target for the boo- boys, followed in the 65th minute by Hay for Ryan (who again was one of the few triers). The game took a swing in our favour a couple of minutes after that when Ferguson saw red for two bookings in the space of about 5 minutes, the second of which was a needless nasty foul on Eddie. So up against 10 men we began to press more helped by Hannah pushing forward to the centre of midfield. Moore's cross for Hay in 72 minutes was headed wide then Malone rounded off some good build-up play with a decent volley that the keeper held.
But ten minutes from time we pulled one back although it was about the scrappiest goal you'll see all season. Hay got to the byeline and sent a cross over and after a few goes at human pinball it fell to Hannah who had no problem scoring from 3 yards out. Alloa came back and McGregor made a good save from a Hamilton shot. Eddie picked up a booking for showing his studs in a challenge as the crowd egged on the Saints players, who were showing a lot more confidence now. Moore set up Baxter and his header down into the box found Sheerin but the keeper made a good block. From the corner Moore saw his shot held.
We managed to beat him with six minutes to go with a cracking goal after Marshall had a good run on the right. His ball into the box found Hay beating the defence and volleying home to make it 3-2. Even then we could have drawn level. Hannah had a good long ball into the box but unmarked, unchallenged and with plenty of time to take his shot, Sheerin sclaffed his shot well wide of target. Then Fraser had a good shot held and from a Baxter cross Hay had his shot saved. But it was too little, too late and in the end the optimistic finish was forgotten as the boos followed the players off the park.
Good points on a night that should be forgotten were Fraser, Malone and Stevenson (the latter my MoM again). But for the rest, Moore was anonymous, Bernard just crap and Sheerin looks unfit. Hannah is not a central defender and Rustybits obviously wasn't fit. As for McGregor - judgement can be reserved but he didn't look any better than the Cat.
Of course the main criticisms will be directed towards the management as the pressure mounts. John Connolly is a Saints legend but that won't count for much if we don't get results soon.
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