Saints 4 Queen of the South 0 League Table Here
Team : Cuthbert, Stevenson, Stanic, Mensing, Campbell,
James, McCann, Sheridan, Milne, Dobbie, Janczyk
Subs : Hutton, Coyle, Sheerin, Peaso, Henry
After the feeling of warm-ups from the last two McDiarmid matches, today saw the real fun begin. No managerial grudge match this time but plenty of revenge in the air as the lads set out to get their own back for the opening day humiliation this time last year......not that there was many of that side left. And while we were doing our best to live up to the "dark horse" title challengers, Queens were going all out to improve on last season's excellent form. As it was we didn't have much to worry about with the victory coming very easily in the end - Queen's didn't play that badly but were reduced to ten men early in the second-half and simply couldn't deal with a hard-working and fast Saints side. To be honest the only slight disappointment was the margin of the scoreline with 7-0 or 8-0 more likely had we taken all our chances.
Saints, for a change had no new midweek injuries to concern themselves, and we even had the news pre-match that Peaso was in the squad after resuming training this week following his ankle injury, but had to settle for a spot on the bench. Simon Mensing came back into the starting lineup after his spell in the "sin bin" last Saturday. Pamela was the sacrificial lamb and dropped out along with Rustybitz. Even so, we were pretty much at full- strength so there was no room for excuses.
The game started with Saints on the attack from kick-off and they didn't let up the pressure for the whole of the at times niggly first-half. As early as the second minute, McCann played the ball out to Goran on the left-wing. He rode a tackle before cutting back to Savo but he screwed his shot over the bar. Stevenson on the other flank had a couple of good runs leaving his opposite number standing but failed to capitalise on the cross. The first attempt from the Doonhamers came in the 6th minute but the Cat comfortably dealt with Paton's shot. Four minutes later McCann set up Stevenson for a cross but when it was cleared Sheridan's follow-up was blocked.
And Dazza was in the thick of it a minute later when he made a late challenge on Reid at the edge of the Queen's box. Fair enough it warranted a yellow card but for some reason the referee decided to let the Queen's defender off despite his retaliation at the time. It set the tone for the rest of the half, with Goran joining him in the book a few minutes later for a late sliding tackle that wasn't helped by the wet surface.
Captain Kevin tried next with a header after Ryan Stevenson won a corner with Reid picking up a knock into the bargain. Queen of the South tried to hit back and won a corner from which Paton tried a chip which the Cat did well to get down to. It was Saints that came closest to opening the scoring in the 23rd minute when a Campbell header up the right wing into the box fell nicely for Milne. He played the ball low across the goal but Dobbie was just too slow to follow up. Dobbie tried an angled shot a couple of minutes later which went wide, then latched onto a throw-in to run in on goal but his effort was saved.
We eventually broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark when a poor clearance from the Queen's defence fell to Savo. He sprinted into the area between the two centre-halves before firing a low clinical shot past Barnard. The goal lifted Saints and a couple of minutes later Stevenson, having a great game on the right wing played a neat chip through for Savo, but the keeper got out to clear. A minute later Ryan sent a great cross over to Dobbie. His shot was saved by the keeper but although he failed to hold onto it, Milne's follow-up was blocked. The difference between this season and last was incredible with Saints faster on the ball and looking fitter and hungrier for it.
The pressure was kept up with Dobbie winning a freekick on the edge of the box after he was cynically tripped. Stanic took the kick, but it was blocked by the wall. Mensing, who was immense at the back, hit the ball back and Goran had another crack which went just wide. The half began to get more niggly and Gary Wood picked up a booking for a late challenge although his dissent afterwards didn't help his case - and it was going to cost him later. Saints were a lot stronger on the finish. Good perseverance from Stevenson and McCann forced a corner five minutes from the break. McCann's kick was half-cleared only as far as Neil Janczyk but his shot was saved.
But we rounded the half off with a brilliantly-worked goal. Sheridan intercepted a clearance and passed the ball out to Dobbie on the left-wing who cut in and played a low ball across the goal where Savo was in the middle and had an easy finish to make it 2-0. Poor marking from a Queen's point of view though as demonstrated by their keeper and defenders having to be separated by referee Craig Thomson.
The second-half was only two minutes old when Queens were reduced to ten men. They had some pressure but Janczyk and Stanic cleared the danger and a long ball found Milne on the halfway line. He tried a neat flick to take the ball and turn on his man to break through on goal but was brought down by the marker. Poor Gary Wood picked up his second booking of the game and subsequent red. Saints began to open up their opponenrs now.
A few minutes later James had a clearance to Milne who found McCann in the box - his header found Dobbie before the danger was cleared. The pressure was kept up though and after a Dobbie shot was only half cleared by a defender, the ball fell to an unmarked Stevenson on the far side who proceeded to fire a rocket of a low drive past the keeper and into the bottom corner. 3-0 up and it was game over.
We settled back a bit but not for too long with the fourth goal coming just four minutes later. Dazza was fouled on the halfway line. He received some treatment then a simple freekick was sent into the Queen of the South box where Mark Campbell rose up to send a looping header past the keeper into the bottom corner. Four-nil up and there was still 35 minutes to go. The pressure kept up a few minutes later with a Savo cross from the right that the keeper just held with Janczyk at the back post ready to pounce.
The Cat had a decent save from a McNiven header on the hour mark but Saints immediately broke up the park and Dobbie was just too slow to get a shot in and Barnard saved at his feet. A minute later Campbell came close with a header just wide of target after he got onto the end of a Stevenson freekick. Then in the 65th minute Savo should have had his hat-trick. Stanic set up McCann in the box. He dummied and let the ball fall to Milne in front of goal but rather than shooting Savo tried to set up Dobbie and the danger was cleared. Even worse a minute later a long ball into the box found Savo and he tried to flick the ball past the keeper. Barnard got a touch on the ball and did just enough to see it go just past the post (in very slow motion!). Before the corner could be taken, Peaso and Henry came on for Savo and McCann. James got his head on the end of the corner but the attempt was held. Janczyk tried to set up Dobbie next but his shot was blocked. Then Peaso and Dobbie tried to play a 1-2 but Peaso lacked the pace for the final touch.
Saints to be fair were easing up a bit at this point - the game was won and they players must have been knackered given the pace of the game. With 12 minutes to go, Sheerin came on for Sheridan. Two minutes later we should have had number five after some cheeky keepie-uppy from Stevenson going across the goal - he eventually set up the unmarked Henry on the edge of the box but his shot was blocked. Next up Stevenson had a cross into the box which seemed to bounce off the keeper but there wasn't a blue shirt to follow up. We kept up the pressure though with Dobbie and Henry both having shots blocked. And the final effort was a Saints one as well with Sheerin electing to go for a 25-yard dipping shot that went wide instead of passing to Peaso who I'd have said had a better chance on getting through on goal.
But that's pretty minor gripes for what was an excellent performance. Saints look like a rejuvenated side with more hunger, fitness, pace and ability than last season. There wasn't really a weak point in the entire side and MoM was a difficult choice with Campbell, James, Mensing, Stanic and Milne all excellent (the latter looks odds-on to be the 20-goals striker we've been crying out for). But in the end my vote goes to Stevenson who got the goal his play deserved and chased everything all afternoon.
It's early days but I've certainly never felt this optimistic about the coming season after the opening game.
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| Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | Points |
| Saints | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| Ross County | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Scumdee | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Hamilton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Stranraer | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Airdrie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| St Midden | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Brechin City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Clyde | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Queen of the South | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
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