Temple Of Saints - Cruise Control

Bells League Division One 28/01/2006

Saints 3 Brechin 0 League Table Here

Team : Glennon, Stevenson, Goran, Mensing, Rustybitz, James, Winter, Sheridan, Owen, Scotland, Sheerinho
Subs : Cat, Dobbie, Scrabble, Henry, Fozzy

Saints went into this one as favourites for a change on the back of two good away wins at Clyde and Stranraer. But as we've found out all too often this season these are about as relevant as a Scotsport match commentator unless such form is also shown at home. So we returned to the Sacred Turf of McDiarmid for the first time since a certain cup game to take on a Glebe Park side that's propped up the table for much of the season despite playing some decent fitba at times. But nothing less than three points would do and while the entertainment on the park wasn't exactly a candidate for the Oscars (excluding the kid at the half-time shootout who after scoring revealed an Arabs top underneath!), we got the points and scored a couple of decent goals in the process.

New boys Jamie Winter and Matt Glennon were in the squad for the first time. And, while Jamie's selection ahead of John Henry wasn't much of a surprise, Glennon's starting jersey was as the Cat was dropped to the bench (having obviously thrown a black cat under a ladder this week - even George Galloway doesn't get picked on this much). Elsewhere and Ryan started in place of the injured Pamela while Fozzy was passed fit to take a place in the dugout. For Brechin there were plenty of ex-Saints on show with Nelson, Deas and Chucky King in their starting lineup.

Saints start to the game continued from where they left off against Gretna with City getting a corner in the first minute which was eventually headed wide. We took a long time to get going with the boys crowded out in midfield and showing little urgency. The defence didn't look too hot early doors either with James and Stanic caught in possession. Goran was well tackled in the 7th minute which let Brechin through for a rare counter-attack but Mensing was back to cover. Our first real effort on goal came a minute later when the ball broke in the box to Sheerin in space but his first-time shot went wide of goal.

We began to create some chances after that with Dazza spreading the ball out to the wings although debut boy Jamie Winter looked solid as well. Ryan got onto the end of a brilliant Dazza ball to sprint up the touchline, but his cross was blocked. The ball broke back to Sheridan who sent it to Goran on the left but his cross was well held by Nelson. Stanic forced a corner off the next move which involved most of the midfield and Owen (who again spent long spells of the game arguing with the referee about offsides, fouls and indeed whether or not black was white). From it James header found Rustybitz but the ball was cleared. Hampshire had a shot go well over after 15 minutes but a minute later a Sheridan freekick into the box found James who headed the ball out to Winter just outside the box. He fired in a cracking low volley which Nelson did well to get down to hold. Brechin forced a corner after Ryan sclaffed a Burns cross behind Glennon's goal, but again there was little threat with Glennon rarely troubled all afternoon. Saints hit back with Scotland, who had a quiet game, breaking into the box. He passed to Winter who gave the ball to Sheerinho. His cutback found Coyle at the near post but after Nelson blocked his shot, the gaffer put the ball wide.

Saints were pressing now though and almost took the lead in the 20th minute when a good run by Jason cut the ball back to Owen who set up Dazza for a 20yd rocket of a shot that Nelson held. But a minute later we broke the deadlock after Winter won a freekick on the right for handball. Sheridan and Coyle combined to dummy the freekick and set up Sheerinho who drilled in a cracking shot that was deflected by a defender into the path of Jason. He slipped the ball to Rustybitz who smashed the ball past Nelson into the net to make it one-nil.

We kept the pressure on after that but again the passing was pretty poor with the midfield unwilling to press forward. But ten minutes before the break we created an excellent opening. The ball was played to Winter in the box who showed some excellent control to find Stevenson on the right despite the attention of three white shirts around him. Ryan volleyed a rocket towards the goal but Nelson did well to get down and tip it behind for a corner. And from that we went two in front as Sheridan's inswinger found Kevin James in front of Nelson and he headed home from all of two yards. Burns was booked in the aftermath for being the loudest amongst the protesters from the City players who seemed to have spotted an infringement at the goal - not that it changed the referee's mind.

Saints were well in control now and James almost scored again with a header from a Rustybitz freekick two minutes from the break and then in the 45th minute Jason set up Ryan with a chested ball that Stevenson turned into a dipping volley that went just wide of goal. No more goals but for a change Saints were actually applauded off the park at half-time by the home supporters - when was the last time that happened?

That continued after the break but Saints seemed to be in cruise control and taking things just a tad too easy - not nice for those of us who can remember the lead almost being lost at Broadwood a fortnight ago. We did create an early chance when Rustybitz played a great through ball for Jason three minutes after the break. Scotland turned well in the box but his low angled drive went just wide of the goal. Unfortunately his striking partner wasn't having as much luck looking a couple of yards off the pace - I'm afraid he was the weak link on the park today. Back to the game though and in the 55th minute we came as close as you can to getting a third goal. A long-range freekick from Rustybitz into the box found Kevin James and his looping header beat the keeper but bounced off the top of the bar.

Coyle had a couple of chances after that with a mistimed header on the end of a Sheerinho cross and then he turned provider with a brilliant pass for Scotland running down the left but through on the keeper his weak chip shot was easily held. In 62 minutes another through ball found Owen but he was too slow to beat his man and the shot was blocked. But two minutes later we made it 3-0 with a cracking goal. A long clearance from Glennon (one thing is he's an excellent kicker) found Scotland in the middle of the park and he played a cracking pass to Sheerinho running unmarked down the left. Into the box went Sharpshooter Sheerin and coolly slotted the ball past Nelson into the bottom corner of the net. 3-0 up and it was game over.

Unfortunately that was the players' attitude as well and gradually we let Brechin come back into the game when ideally we should have been trying to rack up as many goals as possible. A dour spell of slack passes and poor clearances was only ended in the 74th minute when Stanic broke down the left and forced a corner. The ball floated over and found Scotland but his shot was blocked en route to the goal. Scotland had another run a couple of minutes later but again the shot was held.

Late "substitutional changes" (as Wullie Young likes to describe them in his punditry) saw Dobbie come on for Jason (who didn't look too happy at being subbed) to great cheers although that might have had something to do with the change coinciding with a goal at Love Street. Henry also came on to replace Jamie Winter who had a decent debut and certainly looked comfortable enough in the centre of midfield. As for the action on the park Owen almost got his goal five minutes from time but he failed to connect with a Dobbie cross from the right. The ball instead fell to Sheerin but his low cutback across the goalline was missed by everyone before being turned behind for a corner that James headed over.

It wasn't the best of games from an entertainment point of view but the result more than makes up for it. MoM for me was Paul Sheerin who covered most of the park today and looks a lot happier in a 5-man midfield. Both the debut boys had decent games with Winter a much better looking option than Henry. As for the keeper he didn't do anything wrong although he seemed to take his time on the ball (a hangover from timewasting in the SPL perhaps?) but unfortunately against a Brechin side as defeated as this one he wasn't really asked to do much.

So that's us set up for another big fall then.

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