Temple Of Saints - Saints Fight Till End

Bells League Division One 20/01/2007

Saints 4 Airdrie 3 League Table Here

Team : Cuthbert, Mensing, Goran, McInnes, McManus, James, Hardie, McLaren, Peaso, Jason, Sheerin
Subs : Halliwell, Lawrie, Jackson, Pamela, Filipe

Saints returned to McDiarmid today to face up to another in the seemingly constant stream of must-win category games. Airdrie were our visitors this time and after the defeat at New Broomfield in our last encounter with those Quenchers of Buckfast, there was a bit of an added edge to the game. Add to that the almost desperate need to find some form throughout the team after a poor performance at Meadowbank and a less-than- inspiring 120 minutes at Somerset Park in midweek, along with a forthcoming series of matches that will no doubt make or break our season in all three tournaments and it's not difficult to see that Owen was under a bit of pressure to motivate the boys to produce the goods. As it was we should have won this game by a much more comfortable margin after a first half which saw us play as good as we've done all season before the second-half saw defending as bad as we've been all season let Airdrie back into what became a very nervy finish. For all the cracks that are still in the side, we looked a lot sharper given what we'd been through in midweek and finally McLaren stepped up to give the sort of performance that merited the dosh we spent on him.

With Savo and Rustybitz still out the squad had been down to the bare bones and there's no doubt that the midweek shift meant a lot of our less- than-sprightly heroes were going to be below par. Added to that Kevin James and Mad Mental Martin had picked up knocks and we didn't have our troubles to seek. Into the side had come new boy Filipe Morais (albeit on a temporary basis only) and the big question was whether or not he'd be able to navigate his way from London to the provincial surroundings of Perth in time for kick-off. As it was, he had to settle for a place on the bench as Owen shook the side up again. James and Hardie started and in a 4-4-2 formation, Wullie McLaren was given the right wing slot in front of Simon Mensing in for the out of favour Andy Lawrie who joined the new boy on the bench.

The game started with Saints looking the brighter. McManus took a third minute freekick long into the box but Kevin James' header was adjudged to be offside. Two minutes later some excellent play on the right saw Hardie set up McLaren for a good run but his final shot was blocked. Wullie won a freekick a minute later as ex-Saintee and all-round disgrace to the profession Paul Lovering flattened him (the first of many fouls he committed over the afternoon). The freekick was delayed as Charlie Richmond went for most irritating referee of he season with several warnings to different players before allowing the kick to be taken..and then retaken. When the ball went into the box though there was a real anti-climax as McManus stuck a header wide of target. Saints were looking sharp though and keeping the ball low and a great move a couple of minutes later saw Jason, Hardie and McLaren link before the latter sent a nice cross over for Peaso but again his header was held.

Still we kept on the pressure and in the 9th minute McLaren set up Mensing whose persistence saw him basically push the ball through a couple of Airdrie players before setting up Jason whose shot was tipped out for a corner - James headed that one wide. Our next chance came in the 13th minute when Taylor went in heavily on Peaso. McInnes took the freekick and sent it long and right for Hardie to head the ball back into the box where it found Peaso and he turned and shot just wide of goal.

Airdrie began to hit back and looked strong on the break. One long-range shot was only partially blocked and the impressive (and soon to be bloody annoying) Koudou saw his follow-up effort well blocked by Cuthbert who also held the resulting corner. Saints hit back with a great run through the middle from Goran which ended in a cross headed out only as far as Wullie and he fired in a cracking volley that was just wide of the post. Airdrie came straight back up the park with Holmes getting forward and rounding McManus but again the Cat was out to block the shot as the game became a real end-to-end affair. Then after 22 minutes a Saints freekick was cleared by the Airdrie defence and Holmes again broke inside McLaren but this time Cuthbert and Goran were back to concede a corner - another easy picking for the Cat.

Two minutes later though and we took the lead although it wasn't the spectacular goal we all expected from the opening play. Sheerin was given loads of room in the middle and had a rare run forward before firing in a shot from the edge of the box. It was blocked by the defence but came through into the box where Jason and Tierney were clashing and for some reason the defender elected to lob the ball back over the outrushing Robertson and before he knew it, the ball was in the back of the net and there was something to cheer about.

Mad Mental Martin was having a decent game in midfield but a real niggle was developing with Lovering on the wing and it's a surprise that the Airdrie man wasn't penalised more, especially when he seemed to throw a punch at Peaso late in the half. Lovering's only real contribution on the park came after half an hour after Saints conceded a freekick but luckily Lovering decided to take it and the only real danger was to the cars parked behind the Ormond Stand. Saints were quick enough to show how things should be done five minutes later with another effort out of the Book of Scottish Scrappy Goals. This time the ball broke to Goran on the left touchline, but he showed some sublime touches to skin his man and send a brilliant cross into the goalmouth where Hardie rose up to challenge Robertson. The keeper fumbled the ball and it broke and both Hardie and Jason were there with the latter eventually prodding the ball home from about six inches out. That put us two-nil up but the restart was delayed after Robertson picked up an injury.

Two minutes later we almost increased the lead further after Peaso was fouled. Sheerin's freekick found James who headed the ball down for the unmarked Hardie who tried a low drive but it went wide. Another ex-Saintee Stuart Taylor went off with a head knock just after to be subbed. Saints were looking sharp by now and the confidence had returned to our play with the flowing football a lot more evident. A long McManus ball in the 42nd minute found Peaso who managed to round the goalie but saw his cutback blocked. Two minutes after that and Peaso got to the byeline and some neat skill saw him get along it before firing a low cutback across the six yard box, which was just missed by the incoming Sheerin.

The last action of the first period though was our best chance yet to increase the lead. A long ball out found Hardie and he sent it on for Peaso who broke in behind the Airdrie defence before chipping the oncoming Robertson. The ball went over the keeper but then seemed to bounce on the line before going over the bar when it seemed all but in the net.

Half-time saw Lovering substituted but it was to no real avail and within a minute Jason picked up a neat ball, broke into the box and rounded Robertson before calmly slotting the ball into the net to give us the sort of three goal lead that most of us thought was pretty much unassailable. But then you have to remember that this was Saints we're talking about and the roof was soon to cave in. Still we made some chances before that with Hardie sending a header over the bark in the 48th minute and then three minutes later, Jason should have had his hat-trick and put the game beyond the Buckfast Boys reach. Some wonderful build-up play saw McLaren, Sheerin and Peaso all link up to set up Jason on the left side. He rounded his man and got into the six-yard box but hesitated as Robertson narrowed the angle before firing what ended up being a weak shot that the goalie easily held.

Within a few minutes Airdrie had pulled one back. An Airdrie freekick was fired into the box. The ball was sent back out before a cross came in from the right which Hardie failed to head clear. It came over and Koudou rose up well to power a header into the net. Cue some arguing amongst the Saints defence and just a wee hint of nerves creeping in. That became abject panic in the 62nd minute Mensing conceded a freekick on the left. The ball came over and up went the Saints defence with both McManus and James failing to head the ball clear and Koudou in behind them and another header saw the ball end up in the net. All the nightmares from Somerset Park started to come back and the murmurings in the East Stand grew louder - we almost knew what was going to happen.

Owen decided to shake things up and after missing another effort, a visibly tiring Peaso was removed from the action in the 64th minute with new boy Filipe Morais coming on to make his Saints debut. He went to the right side of midfield while Wullie moved up front to Partner Jason. Within a minute the new boy had made his mark getting onto the end of a McInnes pass before taking one touch and cutting inside to send in a low shot that Robertson held. Airdrie were pressing heavily though and another break a minute later saw McManus slip and James only partially head the ball clear before a long-range shot came in that the Cat held. Next up they cut inside and fired in a low ball from the right that went into the box and found an unmarked Koudou but luckily Hardie was back there to get the ball clear. Two minutes later another Airdrie counterattack saw Koudou again unmarked and given all the time in the world to stick a free header over the bar.

The game sparked into controversy (and let referee Richmond get into the thick of the action) with twenty minutes to go. Jason had the ball on the left touchline but was tackled and the Airdrie right-back Smyth had a sneaky wee kick at the Saints striker - Richmond was close enough and although we expected only a yellow, he had no hesitation in showing a straight red to the Airdrie player leaving them down to ten men. Not that it helped us much as four minutes later a Mensing shot was held and then the ball sent back up the park where Sheerin stood off his man and McManus was forced to concede a corner. The ball came in and dropped at the near post where the defence (like so many times before) were unable to clear their lines properly and Twigg was in there for a close finish to poke the ball in the net to level the score and start the boos from the home stand.

That was as low as it got though and minute later the pacy players combined to regain the lead for Saints. From his own half Filipe sprinted clear like a cheetah (and very reminiscent of Leigh Jenkinson) before spreading the ball wide to Wullie McLaren who tore forward and on seeing Robertson out of his goal sent in a cracking low shot from the right touchline which beat the keeper and took an age before nestling into the back of the net. An absolutely brilliant goal and no more than he deserved on his form today. He almost scored another two minutes later latching onto a loose ball on the edge of the box before firing in a low drive that Robertson tipped wide.

Saints were looking a bit more relaxed now and the pace of Morais was making a difference although in the 80th minute he had the traditional introduction to the Scottish game when he was heavily clobbered. McInnes' freekick went straight to the keeper. Sheerin fired in a freekick that James headed over a few minutes later and then in the 87th minute Morais again linked well to release McLaren on the right but his cutback was cleared. That was the end of his participation with Jackson coming on to replace him for the closing stages as Airdrie began to throw everything back at us. The defence weren't helping matters with panicky clearances straight to opposition players and a long- range shot was brilliantly tipped wide by the Cat two minutes from time. As it was though the injury time chances fell to us with a good cross from Hardie cut out before it could reach the unmarked Morais and then in the 93rd minute Jason set up Morais who rounded the goalie but when he turned and shot the ball was blocked. Still there will be plenty to come from him.

With the final whistle being met with relief more than anything else there was still plenty to be optimistic about on the day. That's one of our best attacking performances and Jason and Peaso linked well while my MoM Wullie McLaren slotted in well on the right. Morais looks like a good signing and in midfield both Hardie and McInnes were improved on midweek although Sheerin is still lacking the sharpness he had earlier in the season. Defensively though we were very poor at times - McManus looks too static at times and we were caught napping several times. Mensing had a decent game at right back but I still prefer him at midfield while the Cat was as reliable as always. Given the stamina-sapping midweek performance and the comeback at the end we have to be happy with this but there is still plenty of room to strengthen the side.

At least we're still in the hunt.

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