Temple Of Saints - Saints lose a close one

Bells League Division One 18/09/2004

Saints 1 Falkirk 2 League Table Here

Team : McGregor, Pamela Anderson, Fotheringham, Hannah, Rutkiewicz, Maxwell, McCann, Sheerin, Peaso, Moore, Hardy
Subs : Cuthbert, Mahood, Baxter, Stevenson, McManus

OK so I'll admit that the five games prior to today almost had me feeling optimistic - I mean, four wins, one draw and only one goal conceded is a pretty decent record, even if we hadn't exactly been emphatic in the victories. But the visit of the Weans (here to see what a 4-stand ground looks like) had to be seen as the biggest test yet for the "gelling" Saints side with the goals rattling in for them in recent weeks. And despite the scoreline the game was a fairly close affair although the afternoon was rounded off nicely for Saints when Maxie was sent packing for a second bookable offence. Nothing like adding a bit of spice to the forthcoming semi-final.

For Saints, Peaso made the starting lineup as a late swap for Hay but the big surprise was Stef McConalogue who dropped out completely and Chris Hay pulled a muscle during the warm-up which meant a late recall to the bench for Ryan Stevenson. Oh aye and another first for McDiarmid today was the appearance of a female assistant referee - not that she was likely to be any worse than some of the idiots we've had running the line in recent seasons - or in the middle of the park for that matter (but more on Kenny Clark later).

It was a good crowd (reduced in the 2nd half as several away fans were escorted from the North Stand courtesy of Tayside's finest) that saw the game get under way in blazing sunshine, rain and a strong wind - typical conditions there then. Saints started the game brightly enough making a few early attacks although the closest threat came in the 5th minute from a 30-yard speculative effort from Hannah which went wide. The midfield was linking more effectively than in recent weeks with both Hannah and McCann doing their bit while Peaso looked a lot sharper than we expected.

So after all that you can pretty much guess that the roof was about to cave in. Ten minutes gone and a Bairn is brought down on the corner of the box at the right. A simple low freekick beat the wall but not RobRoy. He failed to hold onto the ball though and with the defence sleeping O'Neil was there to blast it into the net. Saints tried to hit back within a minute with a Fozzy long ball headed on by Moore to Hardy but his volley sailed over the bar. So that was time for Falkirk to break up the park and score a second almost immediately. Fozzy made a late tackle in an identical position on the corner of the box earning a booking in the process. Nicholls took the freekick and hit it round the wall where it seemed to take a nice deflection to beat RobRoy to make it 2-0.

Again Saints tried to get back into the game. McCann was fouled on the edge of the box but Peaso hit the freekick well over. Then McCann was set up by Peaso's flick on of a Hardy cross but Hill beat him to the ball bundling over Ryan in the process. No penalty but no corner either. The game was pretty even in terms of chances but Saints were struggling to get going with the play not linking and Latapy getting too much room down the flanks.

The game wasn't dirty in the slightest but that wasn't enough for Kenny "on a commission" Clark and come the 27th minute he decided the cards had to come out again. Maxwell was the victim this time after his first foul of the game and two minutes later Falkirk's no. 5 joined him for a late challenge on Peaso. From that freekick Moore saw his header deflected out for a corner. The ball was swung over to the back post for Maxwell's header back to Moore whose header was tipped over the bar.

The game threatened to boil over when Falkirk substitute Scally went in off the ball on Moore (not that Clark or his burd on the line spotted it) and that led to a grudge between the pair for a while - mind you Moore was coming in for some hefty challenges throughout the 90 minutes. Back to the game through and a Pamela cross was headed just over the bar by Peaso. Then Sheerin had a freekick go just over the bar before the half was rounded off by Rustybitz just getting his head to a Falkirk cross to nudge it out of the path of Thomson who looked odds-on to score.

Alan Mahood replaced Hardy at the break with Sheerin moving to the left flank and Hannah moving in front of Mahood in the centre of the park. But within a minute we were on the defensive after an off-form Anderson conceded a corner. From it, the ball bounced around the box and seemed to strike a hand - luckily Clark didn't spot it though.

Saints best effort in the early part of the half came when Peaso played a neat cross into the box for McCann but his flick on was held. Falkirk broke up the park and after Anderson was easily beaten by Latapy he set up Duffy on a quick break. The ball was passed to Thomson as the Saints defence was left standing but McGregor came out to make a great save. Then another Falkirk attack saw Latapy set up O'Neill whilst Fozzy was bedazzled by the sun. Maxwell got across though to put him off his shot which went well over. Stevenson came on for Sheerin, who had contributed very little, in the 62nd minute and he moved up front a Saints went to a 4-3-3 formation.

We began to get forward a bit more and create several chances. That didn't stop Clark dishing out the cards though - Scally got a deserved yellow for a hack on McCann and then Moore got the same after O'Neill took a massive dive. Baxter replaced Anderson with 18 minutes to go. McGregor was busy again blocking a Duffy shot in the 78th minute. But a minute later we were back in it. McCann set up Moore whose shot was blocked for a corner. From it the ball broke to Moore who his a great volley on the turn that Hill tipped over. The resulting corner was fired in. Maxwell and McCann both saw their shots blocked in the area before the ball fell to Mark Baxter about 14 yards out and his low drive went through the crowded area past the keeper and into the net.

This seemed to fire the Saints up but it was to be too little too late. Baxter had one good cross which Moore headed over but Falkirk managed to slow the game right down and with 5 minutes to go Maxwell shoved Duffy off the ball as he went for the corner flag. There was nothing malicious in the challenge but the inevitable happened and the yellow and red cards followed. And just to round things off, Rustybitz and Fozzy combined to play a backpass to McGregor whose clearance was intercepted forcing the Saints keeper into another block.

Overall it wasn't a disaster of a performance although it has to be said that the midfield need to work a lot harder to support the front men. For all that, my MoM is David Hannah who looked a lot better in a more attack-minded role. And Peaso whose "20 minute run-out" became a full ninety had an excellent game and never stopped encouraging his teammates. As for the defence they had a good game against arguably the best forward line in the league.

Of course we'll need to improve before the semi-final and indeed next week (with the settled defence being reorganised again), but this game was a lot closer than any of us expected and for a change although we lost, there was plenty of silver linings to the cloud.

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