Temple Of Saints - Another Stinker

Bells League Division One 22/01/2005

Saints 1 Partick 1 League Table Here

Team : Samson, Cowan, Fozzy, Hannah, Rustybitz, Maxwell, McCann, Sheerin, Peaso, Stef, Sloan
Subs : Peter Shaw, Moorie, Hay, Keyring, Webb

Right then the double training sessions were back, Connolly was being upbeat and hey we'd even signed a couple of players midweek who were going to take us onto the next level. Mind you before that we had to deal with a Partick side that had finally found their feet in the First Division and under the guidance of Uncle Fester-clone Dick Campbell were returning to their level of media darlings. And I'm afraid that if Connolly is still hoping to deliver on the promise of attacking football with flair then there is still a hell of a lot of work to be done and more than one of the so-called stars on the park will have to be replaced if we're to have a chance of turning things round next or any future season. Don't be fooled by the fair scoreline, a side even slightly more capable than Partick would have taken us to the cleaners.

For Saints, the Cat's trip to the vet post-Falkirk and the subsequent concussion diagnosis meant a change of personnel between, as they say, the sticks. In stepped the Ginger Curfew-Breaking Biblical One to line up behind new boy David "Prince Harry" Cowan at right-back. That wasn't the only change as JC shook things up. Rustybitz returned to central defence with Spidey dropped to the bench. Stef came in up front for the benched Moorie (obviously in detention after last weekend) and Sloan was given a debut ahead of Keyring. The reserve keeper's jersey was handed to teenager Peter Shaw.

The game started with Saints looking livelier than last week, although that wouldn't have been too difficult. The first half was a scrappy affair not helped much by Alan Freeland's desire to keep testing his whistle any time two players as much as looked at one another. For all that though, Saints could easily have been one up within the first ten seconds as a long ball was chased by Peaso into the Luvvies box. The bounce confused the defender and with Arthur off his line, Peaso tried a looping header that beat the defence and keeper but went inches wide of the post. The new boys were in the thick of the action quickly enough and in the 2nd minute Cowan made a good overlapping run before firing in a low cross that Arthur held. He conceded a freekick at the other end four minutes later but the defence did their job and blocked the shot.

Two minutes later and the frailties of the Saints defence was shown up as Fozzy failed to control the ball and allowed Partick to break - luckily the shot went well wide. Peaso tried a one-two with McCann but was ruled offside demonstrating just how literate the current Saints squad seem to be when it comes to reading the game. Fozzy conceded a corner that Rustybitz cleared before the left-back played a cross into the box which Peaso headed well over.

Stef came close in the 18th minute. Prince Harry won a good tackle in midfield before releasing McCann down the right. He got into the box and rode a tackle. The ball was cutback to Stef on the penalty spot but his low right-footed drive was just wide of Arthur's post. Stef then set up Peaso but his cross for Cowan at the back post was easily cut out. Saints were enjoying plenty of possession but the game was as scrappy as a Scooby-Doo sidekick with the referee not helping matters with some baffling decisions. Samson was called into action in the 33rd minute, saving at the feet of Escalas after another Partick break down the Saints left with Fotheringham's obvious lack of fitness being easily exploited. The closing stages of the half reflected last weekend with Saints creating several chances and putting the opposition under pressure.

A 39th minute freekick saw the ball played over to McCann. Ryan went on a good run before setting up Sheerin who uncharacteristically decided to get involved in the game with a 20--yard shot that Arthur brilliantly tipped over the bar. Of course the resulting corner was wasted. Partick had a break after another loose Saints pass but they hit the shot over the bar. Then a minute before the interval, Peaso had a good run but his shot was blocked by Arthur and, all too typically McCann was a tad too slow for the follow-up. The ball eventually broke to Ravey Davey on the edge of the box but his long-range effort sailed over the bar.

After the East Stand expectations had been raised slightly by the end-of- first-half pressure it was time for the miracles at the start of the second period. Yup the heavenly chorus did sing and the hearts were filled with joy as Sheerin managed not one, but two, yup count 'em, two tackles. Did sweet FA for the rest of the game though.

Back to the rest of the action and Peaso took a hefty knock early in the half but limped on. Fozzy had a couple of loose passes in defence which Partick failed to capitalise on. For Saints chances were at a premium. McCann won a 55th minute corner. The cross came over and Rustybitz header was cleared only as far as Sloan who tried a cracking volley from the edge of the box which had plenty of power but ended up well wide. Sloan had another good effort blocked after Peaso got onto the end of a Maxwell long ball and played a nice cutback for Sloan. Maxwell had a wee run himself in the 63rd minute and set up Hannah but his effort was as half-hearted and weak as Pieman Fulton's New Year dieting attempts.

In the end, the game turned in the 66th minute. Totally unexpectedly, another long ball found Peaso and he found the pace to get behind the defence and from just inside the box fire a low shot past Arthur and into the net. 1-0 and maybe the flair would show? Well not exactly as Saints decided that all that effort was a bit much and went to sleep. From the kick-off Partick waltzed up the park, put on a display of some street theatre to keep up the media darlings tag and slipped the ball to Escalas (or it might have been Hinds) behind the snoozing Saints defence. A simple low angled shot and the ball was in off the post and in the net - Samson possibly a bit slow to react but given the reaction of his teammates it wasn't surprising. Bloody embarrassing though.

So games level and you'd hope that both teams would go for it. To their credit, Partick took the bit between their teeth but Saints for their part in the proceedings decided to fall apart like a team that's being humped by Falkirk. Sheerin had a shot blocked but the room our midfield gave to Partick was disgraceful. The phrase "closing down your opponent" has to be mentioned several times at next weeks double training sessions - with the emphasis on "close" (i.e. go nearer than 5 yards before stopping to admire the Partick midfielders pass - yes I'm talking to you Sheerin). Passing was a suddenly non-existent skill as the defence settled for humping the ball forward to ....oh aye two of the smallest forwards in the game. It was a shambles and in the 71st minute almost cost us the game. McCann won a corner and from it, Stef saw his shot blocked. The blue shirts failed to control the loose ball and before you knew it Partick were breaking three on two as Fatty Fozzy panted trying to get back into his own half. Luckily Samson regained some credibility with a cracking save from the eventual Fulton shot. Even worse, a minute later Sheerin saw a shot blocked. As he pathetically tried to claim for handball Partick concentrated on the game and again broke up the park leading to a spell of pressure which saw the scores remain level only due to two clearances off the line and Escalas missing the ball completely at one point. Next we had a Sloan pass back to Maxwell missed by the defender letting Hinds run through on goal - his cross found Fulton (Sheerin again standing off his opponent) but Samson made a brilliant save to stop the goal. The home fans weren't happy.

Hay replaced the hard-working Stef but we showed little sign of getting back into the game. Hinds saw a shot go wide before Keyring replaced Sloan. The sub had a good run before setting up Hay eight minutes from time but his shot was so weak it was embarrassing. A minute later Peaso got on the end of a long cross ball and got to the byeline but instead of playing the quick cross into the runners, he elected to wait too long and go for glory himself being easily closed down. The closing stages saw some Saints pressure without really causing any trouble - a McCann header and a Hay header were all we had to show for it and they hardly woke the Partick defence up.

The boos at full-time told their own story. Partick have improved since our last encounter but even so some of the performances today were a disgrace, especially from the so-called experienced players who should at least be able to read the game and pass the ball - Sheerin, Fozzy (and to think we're playing him ahead of Forsyth), Peaso and Hannah were all off form today. Stef at least put in a good shift as did my MoM McCann. As for the new boys, Cowan looks a decent signing and Sloan showed some good close control but, no offence, they didn't look any better than Beaky or Keyring.

Maybe the next set of team changes will be the answer......

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