Temple Of Saints - Robbed Again

Bells League Division One 14/10/2006

Saints 3 Gretna 3 League Table Here

Team : Halliwell, Lawrie, Stanic, Mensing, McManus, Pamela, Lawson, Sheridan, Hardie, Jason, Sheerinho
Subs : Cuthbert, Peaso, McLaren, Ryan, Savo

After the enforced delay due to the international weekend, Saints returned to league action against the team of media darlings that almost everyone wants to see blow it. Gretna hadn't exactly been showing the consistency required for title-winning form in recent weeks with a good win at Firhill sandwiched between home gubbings from Scumdee and the Airdrie branch of the KKK. But they'd also beaten Saints in the cup last season and were no stranger to McDiarmid's sacred turf. As it was Saints unbeaten start to the campaign survived by the skin of their teeth but it was no more than we deserved after creating a heap of chances in the first half and only really guilty of sloppy defending at times in the second period. Still, given the injury problems and the number of players on the park who hadn't trained most of us would have taken a point before kick-off - and either way it was a good advert for the First Division.

For Saints, the weekend off hadn't helped much in terms of injuries. Kevin James was still out while Savo's length of time on the training ground was up there with Gary O'Connor's spell in the national squad. Meanwhile Jason had returned from international "duty" with the Soca Warriors which involved more press conferences and off-the-field controversy than anything else. Saints started with plenty of injury worries which meant Savo and McLaren dropped to the bench. Jason returned from international duty to be partnered by Mad Mental Martin up front. Sheridan made it to midfield where Paul Lawson made his first start. For the bench Savo, Peaso, McLaren and Ryan made up an attack-minded lineup.

We started nervously with Dazza giving the ball away in the first minute with a slack pass - Pamela was there to save the day though. Two minutes later it was Andy Lawrie's turn as he managed to trip over the ball conceding a freekick in the process - not that Mr Underhill was helping matters with some strange decisions early on and an inability to spot the multiple fouls on Jason that the Gretna defence committed throughout the ninety minutes. It wasn't until the fifth minute that we really threatened with Mensing setting up Jason on a run down the right but his cross found no takers. At the other end, a McMenamin dive near Pamela won the opposition a freekick that we blocked comfortably.

Ten minutes into the game though and it sparked to life with McMenamin going in late on Lawson. The Saints player went down but Underhill said nothing until Mensing reacted with a follow up on the Gretna player. Freekick to Gretna but it was delayed for several Minutes while Lawson received treatment for an arm injury with the unlucky midfielder going off to be replaced by Savo. Chances were at a premium with our best move in the 13th minute ending with Hardie being harshly ruled against for offside. Gretna's response was a freekick fired into the box which saw Barr blatantly dive in the box - the referee was having none of it. Jason forced the Gretna defence into a panic and won our first corner in the 16th minute but it was wasted.

We came a bit closer in the 22nd minute when Jason again got onto a Hardie flick and forced a corner. This one at least found a blue shirt but Hardie's header went wide. There was more good play from Jason and Dazza next to set up Goran for a long-range shot that sailed wide. There was more controversy just after that when a long ball from Lawrie was sent on by Hardie to Sheerinho on the left wing. He broke into the box but seemed to be held. Still he got the ball across the goalmouth but it was missed by both Hardie and Savo. We did better a minute later when Jason (who was getting kicked all over the park all afternoon) had a brilliant run into the box but his angled drive was well blocked by Main. Skelton had a blatant dive to win a freekick but again the defence easily dealt with it. Saints went back up the park and forced a couple of set pieces. Main held the first corner and then Sheerinho had a freekick from the corner flag which Hardie headed back across goal only for McManus to head over.

Gretna hit back with a freekick into the box which was headed down. The ball took an awkward bounce and Bryn had to look sharp to tip it over the bar. Saints were enjoying most of the pressure though and before the break Jason set up Hardie for a header that was cleared to Goran but his volley went well wide. Then with 7 minutes to go a long clearance from Halliwell found Jason on the break and he played a lovely through ball for Savo who was in behind the defence. The lack of pace showed though and his final shot was blocked for a corner - Mensing heading that one over. Even Lawrie was managing to get some balls into the box and Sheerin got on the end of a decent cross a couple of minutes later but again the header went well over.

There were pretty high expectations for the 2nd half but yet again the jinx of Owen's half-time speeches struck again. A minute after the break and Skelton had another dive on the left touchline - although again Lawrie was posted missing. The freekick into the box met McGuffie who was doing his best to mount the Saints defenders climbing and pushing all over them to head the ball in although Bryn managed to get a palm to it.

One-nil down and there was a real feeling of nerves amongst the Saints defence. And for a few minutes it looked like our worst fears were going to be realised with the shape starting to go and echoes of Dens a fortnight ago starting to surface. We seemed unable to pass the ball to one another and Gretna had several good attacks and a soft corner.

But five minutes after going behind Goran picked up the ball on the left and sent a great ball through for Jason who ran into the box. He took his time and instead of going for the shot played a simple square ball finding Savo and Sheerinho with the latter getting to the ball and playing a low shot which sneaked past Main and into the bottom corner of the net. One-each and game on. A minute later we had a great chance to go in front when Jason and Savo broke but Scotland was unable to see his strike partner and in the end was crowded out. The edge in the game boiled over in the 56th minute when Grady kept up his honest sportsmanlike reputation with a rash late kick on Anderson leaving the Saints player down and earning a mild ticking-off from the referee.

We got our revenge on the hour mark though when more great work from Goran on the left saw him get to the byeline, ride a tackle and play a lovely cross across the Gretna goalmouth past Main to be met by the head of Mad Mental Martin at the back post. This time there was no mistake and the ball went into the net to give us the lead. The game was real end-to-end stuff now and Gretna tried to hit back with a freekick into the box that saw Halliwell punch the ball clear (not for the first time either). A weak Grady shot was easily held by the Saints keeper before Gretna went to their last tactic with Deuchar coming on for McMenamin (who didn't take too kindly to being subbed) and switching to a route one game. As if the game wasn't weird enough as well we had a real miracle in the 70th minute when Darren and McGuffie clashed and Tosh acted as peacemaker - the Division one equivalent of Kim Jong-Il stopping off at the Whitehouse for a burger.

Saints were keeping the pressure up but not really creating any clearcut chances. Jason had a run into the box before being tackled in the 72nd minute and then a minute later he got onto the end of a long ball only to be met by Main out of his box performing a spectacular overhead kick to clear the danger. Another Saints freekick in the 75th minute saw Savo, Mensing and Jason link up well on the right side before the ball eventually came to Jason who tried a long-range shot that went just over.

Cue the inevitable sucker punch as Gretna broke up the park. No tackle was forthcoming and a simple square ball was met by the unmarked Paartalu who had a simple 10yd finish past Halliwell to level the game. Hardie picked up the only booking for persistent fouling a minute later (although Grainger, Jenkins and Canning were all just as guilty for the away side). The resulting freekick saw the ball come into the box where the unmarked Townsley poked the ball wide when it seemed easier to score.

Savo had a long-range effort go just wide in the 80th minute before Willie McLaren replaced the tiring Sheridan with Sheerinho switching to the centre of midfield. With six minutes to go though it seemed as if we were getting the final boot in the bollocks when another Gretna break down the left (where was Lawrie again?) ended in a cross into the six yard box. Deuchar and Townsley were in challenging but a hand went up (oops said Mr Mensing) and Underhill, who had missed every other decision today managed to spot it from a mile away and immediately pointed to the spot. No card was shown and little protest from the Saints players as Mensing ruined a decent performance. McGuffie took the spot kick and sent Halliwell the wrong way to give them the lead.

Saints went for broke with Mensing replaced by Peaso (and earning a rebuke from Owen as he trudged off). We almost drew level with three minutes to go when some good work from Jason and Sheerinho set up McLaren overlapping on the left. He got behind the defence but his shot was blocked by Main. The ball broke free to Savo 8 yards out but somehow his shot came back off the underside of the crossbar before being cleared. With Saints pressing forward in numbers Savo was fouled on the edge of the box in the final minute. Sheerinho took the freekick slipping the ball to Jason and his rocket of a shot took a nice wee deflection off a Gretna defender before hitting the back of the net to give us a deserved point.

Overall there is the feeling we threw this one away with poor defending at times and too many players below par - Lawrie (again), Sheerin and Mensing. Savo did well given his lack of training Scotland and Hardie supported him. MoM for me was at the other end though with Pamela once more outstanding in defence. But we still lacked a bit of a cutting edge at times across the side with a casual attitude again creeping in for the second-half. But unbeaten after the first quarter and still up there challenging is as good as we could have hoped for at the start of the season. As for Gretna, they aren't that great despite the media myth and with a real cynical edge to their play (i.e. diving all over the place) they aren't going to make many friends this season.

Same again next quarter then?

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