Temple Of Saints - Fat Lady Finally Sings

Bells League Division One 15/04/2006

QoS 3 Saints 2 League Table Here

Team : Glennon, Ryan, Goran, Mensing, Rustybitz, James, Hardie, Sheridan, Savo, Scotland, Sheerinho
Subs : Cat, Oweny, Winter, Henry, Dyer

Another Saturday and another do-or-die mission for Owen's Boys. The bad news was that we were relying on Agent Kernaghan to disregard his mission orders and get the Scum to avoid losing. But just as important was the need for three points for Saints against the Doonhamers who had barely lost at Palmerston since McCall had taken over. As it was they continued that record with Saints losing their unbeaten run going down to a bizarre own goal after fighting back from two goals and a man down to control the game and chase a winner. Alas it wasn't to be but there's no doubt we went down fighting to a Queens side that are a more cynical and physical side under their new management. For a change we had no new injury worries to contend with while we'd been boosted by both Owen and Jim Weir signing deals through to 2009 and Jason getting the call-up for the Soca Warriors trip to Germany. Dazza and Savo passed late fitness tests so we were unchanged.

Right from the start Saints looked knackered but the quiet opening stages didn't even begin to hint at the drama set to unfold. Any pressure we had inevitably ended with the linesman's flag being raised for offside. Even when we did get the ball into the home box, Queen's defence was quick to close us down with Savo coming off on the wrong end of a sandwich which the referee let pass - only a hint at the inconsistencies to come. For the home team the only threat came from a couple of freekicks and a Wood shot that went well over. We kept pressing even if the play wasn't too pretty. But too many high balls meant we lost possession far too easily and when we did get forward we didn't do it in enough numbers. Even a series of corners in the 13th minute failed to threaten the home goal with Dazza's kicks as effective as ever.

Then in 19 minutes the game exploded. A ball through the middle for Weir found him in the box and losing out to Mensing. Down went the Queens player but the referee waived play on. Next thing, the linesman had his flag up. A conference followed amongst the officials before the referee changed his mind. He pointed to the spot and all hell broke loose with Goran totally losing the plot and only Rustybitz and James intervention preventing him getting more than a booking. O'Neill scored the spot-kick but it didn't stop the complaints from the Saints players and fans. And within a minute we were left with a mountain to climb. Hardie and Wood clashed on the wing with Wood elbowing Mad Mental Martin. Unfortunately for us Hardie reacted with a half-hearted kick so up stepped our favourite referee with a straight red card for the Saints midfielder. No complaints about that, but then he only booked Wood for the elbow but also awarded them the freekick. You began to get the feeling it wasn't going to be our day.

Saints had lost their shape by now and the discipline and concentration. Still smarting from the referee's decisions the next couple of minutes saw the bookings mount up. Sheridan picked up a booking for dissent and then James picked up a booking for some mysterious reason in the 26th minute. Three minutes later and a deliberate handball from sub Steve Bowey went unpunished. Two minutes later and it got worse. With news filtering through of St Mirren taking the lead, another Queen's attack broke down the right. Twice the ball was played and twice there was a blue shirt offside. No whistle though and when the ball came back through the middle the Saints defence failed to clear despite the ball going past most of them. It ended up finding Weir in the box and he fired a good shot in past Glennon to make it 2-0.

There's no doubt the heads were down and even the Saints fans were quiet. But the spirit and fight from the Saints players was beginning to show. Goran had been flirting with a red card but began to channel his energies into his play. A good run and cross forced a corner but again it was wasted. Scotland had a good run in the 37th minute but his shot was blocked. Two minutes later and a throw-in on the left saw Sheerinho find Scotland. Jason did brilliantly to break to the byeline. He cut along the goalline beating a defender before playing a simple cutback to find Kevin James on the 6yd box and he had a simple low tap-in to get us back into the game. And three minutes later we completed the comeback. A pass to Jason was hit into the box. It was only half-cleared and found Sheerinho whose persistence not only won the ball but beat a defender before blasting the ball past the keeper to draw us level - strangely enough silencing the home fans but driving us mental.

The second-half got off to just as lively a start. That man Goran was involved again alleging he'd been poked in the eye although I'll admit that he seemed to be acting up. Saints as a whole though looked the hungrier side. Two minutes gone and Sheerin set up Scotland who turned and squared the ball across the goal for Savo but somehow the ball was cleared from about 2 yards. Stanic and Sheerinho on the left were causing all sorts of problems while Ryan was coming more into the game on the other flank, and had a decent shot in the 53rd minute forced a corner. Sheerin had a decent shot go well wide while Queens only comeback was a Weir dive which again went unpunished.

By now word of an equaliser was coming through from Love St which the fans duly passed on to the players. We were pressing heavily by now. Ryan had a good shot deflected for a corner. That was cleared as far as Jason who set up Ryan for another shot that went over the bar. Next up was a long freekick into the box that found Kevin James, but a blatant push on the back of the Saints skipper went unnoticed by the referee and killed the attack. A good move on the left in the 68th minute saw Goran cut the ball back to Ryan who set up Jason but his shot went across the goal and wide. Queens hit back and Rustybitz joined the list of Saints bookings for a foul on Lyle. The freekick was headed clear by James. John Henry replaced the tiring Sheridan for the last twenty minutes as Saints chased a winner. A freekick into the box found James and his downward header reached Jason but his turn and shot was held. With fifteen minutes to go, Queens pressed back and hit us on the break. A Weir shot from the edge of the box took a deflection but was brilliantly blocked by Glennon. He only parried the shot though but when a close- range follow-up came in he repeated his heroics. Saints went back up the park and pressed with Henry setting up Ryan for another shot that went just wide.

Then a minute later it all went oh so wrong. Oh Christ but did it go wrong. Just when we'd thought the Gods were through with trying to stop us winning it happened. Breaking up another Queens attack a simple square ball was played for James to head back to the keeper. Simple stuff but Fate/Luck/Chic Bloody Young's Voodoo Magic intervened and the simple header went too high. At the same time Glennon was too far off his line and the agony endured as the ball sailed over his head and into the net. Think George Tulloch all those years ago and you'll understand the emotions we went through.

Almost immediately Owen replaced Ryan as we went for broke. Sheerin picked up a booking for looking at the referee the wrong way and after Glennon held another freekick it was Mensing who became the 6th Saints player booked for a foul on Gibson. Saints kept up the pressure but the fight had gone out of them. Four minutes from time we should have had a corner when the ball clearly went out of play. The dodgy linesman failed to raise his flag, an action which Owen felt obliged to comment on. Cue another delay while the linesman waived his flag to get Mummy ref over and book Owen. Absolutely farcical.

Even then we had chances to even the score with Scotland and Henry linking to find Owen but his square ball across a crowded box was hoofed clear. And well into injury time Savo was fouled on the edge of the box. After an age of jostling (and Hallelujah some yellow cards for the home side) Jason took the freekick but the wall prevented it from doing any damage. That's was it and the final whistle saw the home dugout going daft while Rustybitz and Gibson seemed to become embroiled in a tussle as the Saints player went up the tunnel.

No doubt in the cold light of day there will be a lot of criticisms to be aimed at the side but they all deserve praise for the way they battled and kept in the game until the closing stages. Had we had 11 men on the park and a bit of luck it might have been a different score but at least it means we're not too disheartened for the future. MoM for me was close with James, Rusty and Sheerin all having good games but in the end it goes to Simon Mensing who rarely put a foot wrong all day.

There is plenty of hope for the future though and that's a lot more than we've been able to say at this stage of a season in recent years. Maybe that's enough of an achievement in itself this year.

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