Temple Of Saints - The Cruellest Finish

Bells League Division One 28/04/2007

Accies 3 Saints 4 League Table Here

Team : Cuthbert, Mensing, Stanic, McInnes, Anderson, James, Morais, Hardie, Peaso, Jason, Sheerinho
Subs: Halliwell, McLaren, Jacko, Lilley, Lawrie

There was a point this season where I think we all doubted the fighting qualities of the Saints players. After all, the Village People had been given every chance to get a good start with a 15 point gap at one point a distinct possibility. But Saints are a shrewd mob and knowing that we could have a really dramatic conclusion to the season fought with tooth and claw (and other Hardieesque tactics) to pull the Village People's lead back to a solitary point. And with Brookes Bottlers heading north in their minibus to take on a Ross County side who were fighting for their very survival (and the desire to avoid the humiliation of finishing below a side with Paul Lovering in it), Saints and the massed armies of blue headed west to the Plastic Paradise of New Douglas Park to take on an Accies side that hadn't lost at home since last September, while the SFL Chopper hung around for the afternoon halfway up the A9. It had all the makings of a dramatic afternoon, one which might even inspire the likes of Murdo and Gordon Smiff to actually learn the names of the players in a non-SPL side.

Over three thousand Saints fans made the trip to back the boys and the atmosphere from the start was electric - to say we were hyped up is like saying Neil Lennon has the odd brush with officials. We knew what we had to do but of course we were also relying on the radio updates from Dingwall. In the end it was the utter cruellest of fates that saw us win through a nervy encounter against a fired up Accies side only to suffer the agony of a late kick-off in Dingwall ending with the Village People scoring in the closing minutes to give them the title. From a joyous party atmosphere the fates conspired to kick us in the balls in that most Saintee-esque of traditions and it was a sad sight to see the players come back out to take the applause of the passionate crying Saints supporters, with some of the hard men in the team in tears themselves. For all the glory that was taken from us at the death (and congratulations to Gretna who'll no doubt light up the SPL!), what the players have achieved in recent months and over the season has given us plenty of good memories and more than enough optimism for the future.

Kevin James' leg injury had meant he was a major doubt to miss the final game of the season but by Saturday morning he was raring to go. Of the other midweek worries, the Cat had recovered from his dead leg while Peaso was fit to start. Owen made few changes to the side - mainly because we were still low on numbers with Dyer, Doris, McManus, Rusty and Savo all missing out due to injury or an enforced spell on the naughty step. But we didn't care since the side that took the park were always going to give their best and after the miracles we'd seen in previous weeks, there was real hope that one last fighting performance would get the win and at least force the Village People into having to get a result of their own. Accies meanwhile had Elebert missing in defence due to a hernia op.

Even before kick-off there was a great atmosphere all round (well two sides) of the ground with the travelling support in full voice. With radios glued to ears (well for those of us who could handle the suspense), Saints started as nervous as they could be, but fired up as well with McInnes sharp enough to intercept a defender ball. The first chance came in the third minute after Peaso was clobbered on the far side. Scotland forced a corner from the freekick. The corner was only half-cleared and the ball fell to Andy Lawrie and the back post and he fired in a brilliant volley that was cleared off the line. Not that it did much to settle the nerves. Two minutes later Accies won a freekick that was cleared but the away stand livened up more with a rumoured report from Dingwall that County had scored - unfortunately it wasn't true but it showed how much we were on tenterhooks. On the park the players were beginning to settle more and Hardie tried to set up Peaso in the 8th minute but the keeper came out to clear from Peaso's feet.

A minute later Mensing tried an angled shot that went well wide. We came close again in the twelfth minute with a good cross from the right wing headed down by Mad Mental Martin for Sheerinho and he controlled the ball brilliantly to sidefoot an Accies defender before letting rip with a shot from the edge of the box that went well over the bar. Two minutes later and Del released Scotland on a run but his cutback was blocked. Next up Scotland turned provided with a neat through ball for Peaso who than through on goal only to be elbowed by an Accies defender but referee Hardie waived play on. Another freekick into the box for James saw the referee award a foul against a defender. Then in the 19th minute a great Peaso cutback found Hardie at the back post and his shot in found Sheerinho at the edge of the six yard box was poked towards goal only for the Accies keeper to block it and the ball went out for a corner. That came in and this time it was Simon Mensing rose up for a powerful header that went just wide.

Accies weren't slow in coming forward though and in the 24th minute they broke up the park after Mensing was caught in possession and Hamilton broke down the left before firing in a good shot that the Cat got over to tip wide. The corner broke out to the edge of the box and eventually ended in a low shot that the Cat did well to get down and hold. But a minute later it was time for the party atmosphere to return as the nerves were settled. Hardie tried his luck from 20 yards out but the ball went out for a corner. In it came and up went Kevin James at the back post for a great header into the net to make it 1-0 and his celebration in front of the packed stand behind the goal showed exactly what it meant to him. Suddenly it seemed that we were in for a more relaxing afternoon.

It also seemed to fire up Saints more with Sheerinho trying his luck with a weak long-range effort and then Scotland released Peaso who tried a low angled shot from the corner of the box that was tipped wide by the keeper. In came the corner and another couple of efforts from the boys in blue were blocked in the area. Goran won a freekick that was cleared and then he picked up a warning for a soft foul as the referee tried to stamp his authority on the game. Hamilton were pressing back though and James made a brilliant tackle in the box to break up one attack and then Mensing was there to clear another attack.

Time for some more relaxation therapy from Saints then and with eleven minutes to go before the break an Accies defender decided to help us out with the sort of dodgy passback that almost ended up in a goal but went out for a corner. In came the outswinger and James had a shot at the back post that Hardie brilliantly turned on and slotted home through a crowded box to make it 2-0 and cue another passionate celebration in front of the away fans with the Saints' support joy boosted even more with the news from Dingwall that County had opened the scoring. Three minutes later that joy was slightly tempered with the news that the Village People had equalised while Martin Hardie's freekick from the edge of the box was blocked by the wall. But four minutes from the break Peaso released Jason who broke through, outpaced two defenders, rounded the Accies keeper and coolly placed the ball into the net to give us a 3-0 lead - suddenly we were in real party mood.

The party atmosphere lasted all of sixty seconds as Accies broke up the park and after some neat passing played a shot in from the edge of the box that beat the Cat but rebounded into the net off the post to make it 3-1. Saints started to focus again though and Mensing was unlucky not to get on the end of a Jason cutback while at the other end, the Cat had a couple of good claims from deep crosses. With half-time looming Jason was elbowed by McLaughlin but failed to get the foul while more depressing news came through from Dingwall that Gretna had take the lead. Even then we finished the half strongly with Scotland playing the ball in for Peaso whose shot went out for a corner.

The second-half got underway with the referee deciding to start our game a full five minutes ahead of the Dingwall encounter. Half-time seemed to have dampened the atmosphere on and off the park with the Saints support very subdued for the opening stages and the nerves showing on the park as it seemed we were going to sit back and let Accies run at us. They had a good break four minutes into the half as Mensing missed the ball on the wing and the cutback into the box found an unmarked Offiong who shot a mile over. That was time for Owen to make a change and Sheerinho was the surprise sacrifice as Wullie McLaren came on to replace him on the left wing. Accies kept up the pressure with a dive in the box that the referee ignored and then Offiong had a good run through the middle only for James to get back and make a brilliant tackle. Nine minutes into the half and Saints livened up once more as the word began to filter through that Ross County had equalised - suddenly it was game on again. Lilley replaced the tiring Peaso in 56 minutes but we still looked nervous at the back. Offiong had another shot wide as we sat back too much and the game became a lot scrappier. McLaren had a good run in the 63rd minute with a neat one-two with Jason before setting up Lilley whose shot went out for a corner. From that James had another header on but Lilley at the back post hit a complete fresh-air shot.

Still it was a bit livelier and the Saints fans were in full voice by now. That joy was almost short-lived as three minutes later Offiong broke through one on one and rounded the Cat but managed to stick his shot wide of goal as several Saintees breathed a massive sigh of relief. We hit back and a minute later Scotland was through before his angled shot went just wide of target. With 19 minutes remaining the squeaky bums went into overdrive as Offiong had a good break on the right beating Lawrie before cutting inside Ando and firing a peach of a shot from the edge of the box that beat everyone before ending up in the back of the net to make it 3-2. Not that it caused much panic amongst the fans. Saints pressed back though and a good McLaren cross ended in a Mensing header that was well held. Then McLaren combined well with Hardie before firing in a shot that went just over the bar. Wullie was at the heart of the next move with another good run and one-two with Jason before the defence cut that ball out. Mensing hit it back into the area for Lilley but he pulled his shot wide of goal. Hardie started the next attack by winning the ball in midfield before playing it wide for McLaren who had a good run before playing in an excellent cross for Lilley that the defence cut out.

A minute after that though and the sphincters relaxed once more as another McLaren run found Jason who played the ball back in for the Mad Mental One and a low finish from the edge of the box beat everyone to nestle in the bottom corner of the goal. Four-two up and it seemed that the dream might just be on (even if Hardie did pick up a booking for stripping his top of as he celebrated the goal). Accies pressed back and substitute Wake got a warning from the referee for a late challenge on the Cat. Saints chased and almost scored a fifth with Jason setting up Lilley with a chip behind the defence and Lilley tried a lob that beat the keeper but went just wide of the goal. Accies hit back with a freekick that the Cat eventually gathered but with two minutes remaining they broke into the box Wake turned and played a low shot into the net to make it 4-3. Saints killed the game off though and the play was kept at the corner flag although Jason had a late run into the box before he was tackled but the referee didn't hesitate before blowing the final whistle.

Then we had the suspense of waiting for the Dingwall game to finish while applauding the players off the park as Owen and co took our applause. That lasted all of three minutes with the hope increasing all the time before Lady Luck decided to piss on us from a great height one last time this season as Gretna scored a late winner to give them the title. Over came the press boys to get their zoom-lens pix of the Saints support as the emotions finally bubbled over but the Saints fans stayed behind to keep cheering and singing until Owen and the players came out to take a final bow with Hardie and Mensing in tears. A word too for the Accies fans the majority of whom were in good spirits and applauded us - of course there were a few neds amongst them but when your "home" fans are wearing Rangers tops then it's not surprising that the odd knuckle dragger still appears.

So it ends in another glorious failure but yet again the players, management and fans will hold their heads up high. We did everything we could on the afternoon and you couldn't fault any of the players for the effort and fighting qualities they showed to take the title race to the wire. I'm not even going to bother with a MoM award - all 13 players used and the manager deserve nothing less but the highest praise for what they achieved. No doubt the history records will show that Gretna won the title and fair play to them they have been the best over the season even if the SPL- everyone-hates-us mentality seems to have kicked in, but personally I'm proud of what we achieved this season. We've had plenty of lows but plenty of highs and more than enough memories that will live in the hearts for a long time.

Next year maybe?

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