Temple Of Saints - Fighting Saintees

Bells League Division One 27/01/2007

Saints 2 Gretna 1 League Table Here

Team : Cuthbert, Mensing, Goran, McInnes, McManus, James, Hardie, McLaren, Peaso, Jason, Sheerin
Subs : Halliwell, Lilley, Anderson, Lawrie, Morais

So today was always going to be the big one at the start of the sort of week that can ruin a season. Today's visitors had managed to live up to their pre-season hype following a stuttering start with dropped points now about as rare as an U- 21 appearing in the Saints starting lineup. Twelve points in front of us going into this one there was absolutely no room for failure for Saints if we were to stand a chance of catching the leaders. Not that there wasn't a lack of optimism but even last weekend's victory over Airdrie hadn't done much to quieten the nerves - especially after we almost blew the points when we threw away a three-goal lead. Well today saw an echo of that with the three points only coming about from another late winner although the big difference today was that apart from a small blip in the second-half, Saints easily dominated the game and fully deserved the win after the sort of hungry fighting (on and off the park) performance from the whole team that we haven't really seen since the night at Ibrox. If there was a complaint it's that poor finishing meant that we didn't wrap things up until late on but when the Gretna Dream Goal Machine (copyright most of the media) can only manage two clear shots on target in the ninety minutes then there is plenty to be happy about.

Injury victims James, Hardie, Peaso and McManus all regained fitness in time to play. We had new signing with the arrival of another veteran / experienced / past- it player (delete as applicable) in the form of ex-Morton and every-bloody-else striker Derek Lilley who eventually came to Saints at the third time of asking and making the entire squad now eligible for free bus travel. He went into the squad for today along with last week's arrival Filipe Morais who had a runout midweek for 45 minutes to improve his match sharpness with both players on the bench as Saints stuck by the same starting lineup that beat Airdrie last weekend. That meant Andy Jackson making way as Owen went for a more balanced bench than in recent games. Alan Main lined up in the away goal despite all the rumours during the week which at least made the chants during the warmup a bit more interesting.

We began well in front of a good noisy home crowd and created the first real chance in the second minute with a long freekick headed into the box by Mad Mental Martin (who to his credit won most of the balls in the air today). The ball came down for Peaso in the box but he was unable to make the room to turn and get the shot in. Gretna hit back in a lively start and three minutes later the ball broke to another ex-Saintee in David Bingham who tried a volley that went well wide of goal. A minute later a long throw-in caused some problem in the box for the Saints defence and Mensing was forced to stick the ball behind for the corner. The ball came over but there was Goran to head the ball clear for Oor Wullie to run out onto before he was flattened before he got to the halfway line.

The freekick was another long one and targeted Hardie on the far side. He headed the ball across the goal where it fell for Kevin James and the skipper went for a volley with a hooked shot that didn't seem to have much power behind it. That didn't matter as Main remained static on his line and was helpless as the ball went into the top corner of the net before the East Stand erupted, and the Gretna fans no doubt began to dust down their copy of the St Mirren edition of Great Goalkeeping Conspiracies of Our Time, while we just sat back and enjoyed watching the skipper take the plaudits for a brilliant finish.

Gretna tried to get back but the Cat was comfortable punching the ball clear from a dangerous cross a couple of minutes later. McLaren was having a good game on the right wing and had another good run in the tenth minute before sending a deep cross over to Peaso. He struggled to make room on the other wing but hit a low cross back into the penalty area that Main did well to get down to hold the ball. We came even closer a couple of minutes later when McInnes seemed to be elbowed by McGill 30yds out. After a bit of arguing, up stepped Jason and fired in an absolute rocket of a shot that beat the defence, the once-again stranded Alan Main but clattered back off the keeper's left-hand post. He easily deserved a goal for the shot which no keeper could have prevented - still it at least managed to keep the home fans on the edge of their seats.

The play was fairly end-to-end in the early stages although Saints seemed to be defending in numbers and relying on crowding out the Gretna pace. The visitors forced a few corners but the likes of James, Mensing and McManus were at the heart of the play and helped to keep the danger well clear of the Cat. In midfield though we were having a lot more success with McLaren and Hardie on top of their game with the former setting up Jason with a head flick in the 19th minute. Jason got to the byeline, beat his marker and ran in on goal before cutting the ball back for Peaso who turned and fired in a low shot that went just wide of the post.

The chances kept coming though and three minutes later Goran ended a decent run with a neat chip that the keeper held, while Gretna were limited to a 23rd minute freekick from Bingham after McMenamin had taken a dive following a James challenge. The ball was sent in from the corner of the box and curled just wide of the Cat's post. Two minutes later and a freekick for Gretna was sent into the box where the defence failed to clear their lines and the ball was eventually put just wide of the goal - luckily the referee had blown for a foul on a Saints defender. Within a minute we'd carved out another good opportunity when more good play from McLaren on the right set up Sheerinho coming through the middle but he was unable to make the room in the box for a clearcut shot and the ball was eventually sent out to Jason who played it back to Hardie but his chip shot was wide of goal.

Two minutes later a James header from a freekick was headed down for Sheerin and his cross fell nicely for Oor Wullie on the edge of the box but the final shot was a bit weak and easily held by the keeper. Hardie tried his luck from the other flank a minute later but the lob again only ended up in Main's hands. Chris Innes became the first name in the book in the 32nd minute for a bad foul on Peaso. Jason stepped up again for the freekick but this time his shot was blocked. But the chances and the good attacking play kept on coming with McLaren laying the ball off for Sheerin on the inside left channel in the 34th minute but the Wizard's Magic Dust deserted him and he final shot went over the bar.

With things going so well it was time to be brought back to earth and unfortunately ten minutes from the interval, it was Peaso that came down with the striker looking to have jarred his knee. He was able to continue after some treatment but looked to be suffering and certainly was off the pace. Back to the action and six minutes from the break we had a decent claim for handball with Goran making a good run down the left wing before playing a neat cutback across the box that seemed to be handled in the area by a Gretna defender. Two minutes later and a good long ball found Jason but a Gretna defender got in to challenge and head the ball back to the keeper - in nipped Wullie McLaren but he was unable to make the room to round the keeper and fire into the empty net. The end of the half saw McLaren in the thick of it again down the right wing and chasing another long ball. This time he got into the box but as Main and Grainger, the left-back came out to clear the danger the clattered into one another both needing treatment while the ball went wide.

The second-half saw Saints playing against a fairly strong wind and combined with Gretna coming out fired up, we were pegged back a bit more. Still McLaren and Scotland were causing problems with Wullie setting up Jason on the right for a cross which was sent deep for McLaren to send back over only for Jason to head the ball over the bar. Gretna pressed back and forced a corner in the 49th minute and Saints started to show a sign of the nerves with all eleven players back into the Saints penalty area - fine for defending but absolutely pish use for clearing the danger and easing the pressure. It wasn't a problem though as the ball eventually came through to Cuthbert and he easily held it. At the other end, Main was trying to make a show of things and not really helping his side's chances with some mad clearances from the edge of the box although he also had some luck in his side in the 51st minute as a long ball from Hardie saw the Gretna keeper just get out to clear the ball from Jason on the edge of the area.

Peaso limped off five minutes into the half with Derek Lilley coming on for his debut to replace him. We were making enough chances and certainly not giving the Gretna defence a chance to rest but the delivery from set pieces was still poor with Jason's turn and shot wide of goal from a Hardie flick on the best chance. Gretna themselves looked fairly slow and lethargic but as the half wore on the nerves and legs seemed to go from Saints allowing Gretna to make some good chances as the hour approached but with McManus and James at the top of their game they were at least clearing the danger. McMenamin tried a shot from the edge of the box but the Cat easily held it again. Saints immediately hit back and Stanic hit a long ball for Jason who set up Hardie but his effort went over. Then Hardie turned provider for McLaren and his cutback from the right was headed behind for a corner which was easily cleared.

We were using the long ball a lot more but against the wind it meant that we weren't getting forward either in numbers or as much as we needed to with Sheerin and McInnes fading from the game. Morais came on for Wullie in the 69th minute in a straight swap on the right wing but the game remained a pretty scrappy affair. Gretna had a couple of dangerous crosses that the Cat held but Saints best chance came in the 74th minute when Morais spread the ball out for Lilley who cut it back inside for the right winger to make and absolute erse of himself with by missing the ball completely.

Even worse was to come five minutes later with another candidate for the miss of the season. Scotland had a good run up the right and cut the ball back across the area for the unmarked Sheerinho but from 8 yards out he sidefooted the ball and somehow managed to hit a defender when it seemed oh so simple to stick the ball in the back of the net.

The nerves were showing in the defence and three minutes later we were made to pay as the Gretna trialist Barru (ex-Airdrie) who had come off the bench was given room to run through the midfield with Lilley's tackle ineffective and everyone else seeming to stand off him. Cue the long-range effort from 20 yards out with a powerful shot that beat everyone and unlike Jason's freekick in the first half, when this one hit the post, it went into the net to pull the visitors level.

However, unlike last week the heads didn't go down and within a minute Simon Mensing's persistence and run ended in a cross going behind for a corner. The ball was floated over by Sheerin for James to head on before it reached Stanic at the back post. He headed it down and out so it fell to Mad Mental Martin and he in turn capped off an excellent performance with a belter of a drive which went through the mass of bodies in the box past Main and crashed into the roof of the net. Two- one Saints the stands went wild and the two dugouts exploded with what seemed to be some fighting with the police coming into separate them. Nothing like a wee bit of rivalry then eh?

There was still time for Gretna to press back but their best effort was a volley which went well wide of target while Sheerin set up Scotland only for Main to grab the ball at close quarters. Owen put on Pamela for Jason for the last minute and injury time but Saints easily held on to take the win.

It's actually difficult to pick out a MoM since there wasn't really a standout performance on the park and the whole team worked their socks off for the points. But I've gone for Martin Hardie who won plenty in the air and didn't let up for the whole 90 minutes. Of the new boys, Morais struggled with a lack of service but caused problems and Lilley put himself about well enough although he was unable to get a real chance. Defensively we still looked nervy at times and again about the hour mark, the side visibly tired but for the first time we looked hungry again and there were signs that the confidence was coming back into the play going forward. Plus we now have the psychological barrier of not beating Gretna out of the way and a good performance to build on for the upcoming Cup games.

One down, two to go this week then....

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