Temple Of Saints - Sheer Class

Bells League Division One 04/11/2006

Saints 2 Partick 0 League Table Here

Team : Halliwell, Lawrie, Stanic, Mensing, McManus, Pamela, Sheerinho, Hardie, Savo, Peaso, McLaren
Subs : Cuthbert, Coyle, Dyer, Jackson, Sheridan

Well, it's not as though there was too much riding on this one. I mean, Saints unbeaten at home for over a year and Partick having gone clear at the top while remaining unbeaten on their travels meant it was always going to have an edge to it. Of course for us there was the added pressure of knowing we were going to be on the sidelines next weekend while also having the reputation of scoring a bucketload against the men from Maryhill to contend with. As it was, the game had already had the billing of Match of the Day from Mr. Leckie with the anti-Barboured One predicting a stalemate. As it was, this afternoon saw an excellent advert for the First Division with an entertaining game from sides and, although we thoroughly deserved to win by at least the final margin (if not by four or five), Partick gave us as tough a game as we've had all season and the difference in form between today and their defeat at Firhill was like night and day. Saints though proved that we're not a one-man band with Scotland hardly missed and the midfield finally showing a return to the ball- winning solid form that contributed so much earlier in the season.

Saints were forced into some changes with bad boy Jason and even worse boy Paul Lawson sitting in the naughty seats stand through the latter no doubt disappointed that his revenge acts on behalf of his permanent employer last weekend had cost him any chance of a start in the near future. Into the side to nobody's surprise came Peaso in a bid to get back into Owen's plans for the season, especially with that wee trip to the Death Star coming up this week. Elsewhere Lawson's place was taken by Oor Wullie although he played on the left wing with Sheerinho bringing his Gandalfesque skills to the centre of midfield while Mad Mental Martin was on the right wing against his old club. For Dickie Bunnet's Luvvies there were plenty of ex-Saintees in their side with Simon Donnelly and Derek Young starting and McConalogue (remember him?) on the bench.

Saints started well enough with Peaso winning the ball in the first minute and playing a neat lay-off to Wullie only for his shot to go just wide. But that signalled our intentions for the game as Saints set out to take the game to Partick. Within a minute though the opposition had also laid out their game plan as Peaso was flattened for the first of many times. A quick freekick saw Saints win a good corner but Arthur easily held the inswinger. A minute after that and Sheerinho started to get into the swing of things as a good flowing move from Saints saw Hardie play a neat flick off that found the Wizard and his cracking volley brought out an excellent save from Arthur to tip the ball over the bar only to be ruled off for offside anyway. It was merely a sign of the wonders to come though. Goran got onto the knockdown from another cross a couple of minutes after that but again the ball ended up sailing over the bar. By now we were completely controlling the game and dominating the play.

It took until the 12th minute before Partick managed to mount their first attack and their quick break caught us out on the left side with Stanic caught napping. The cross into the area was only half-cleared by McManus in the middle and fell to Young who fired in a powerful shot just wide of the goal. Saints were back pressing soon enough and it wasn't long before Keogh sent Savo flying. The freekick found Goran but the end result again was another effort going over the bar.

Saints play was excellent at this time and when the opening goal came in the 14th minute it was once again a thing of beauty and perfection. A long freekick from the halfway line was headed across the goal by Hardie (one of the few headers he won today). The ball fell in the box and was flicked out to Sheerinho and the Wizard fired in a perfect shot which although it clipped the post on the way in soon nestled in the bottom of Arthur's goal. Suddenly a lot of the early pressure on Saints was lifted and the pressure moved to Dick's Diddies. But Saints weren't taking things easy and two minutes after the first goal we almost doubled our lead with Peaso laying the ball off to Savo who broke down the right wing before crossing the ball into the box for Mensing only for a last-ditch tackle on the penalty spot preventing a shot.

Partick quickly hit back with a good break down the right ending in a cracking drive from Roberts which forced Halliwell into a good save with McManus clearing the loose ball. The game was also livening up off the ball with Donnelly warned for dissent after Mensing had been clobbered. If anything was lacking in our game it was in the close marking area with some of the blue shirts guilty of standing off their opposite markers too much, especially in midfield and giving the likes of Brady too much room to come forward with the ball. For all that Partick's attempts on goals were about as frequent as a Celtic win away in Europe with only a 25th minute cross causing any nerves as Halliwell stayed on his line and we relied on Hardie punting the ball clear of danger. Saints immediately broke up the park with McLaren finally making a good run through the middle and setting up Peaso but his cross from the wing was missed by everyone in the box.

It was different a minute later with Lawrie on the wing cutting the ball into Mensing who showed some neat close control at the edge of the box before surprisingly squaring the ball to the Wizard. One quick touch and Sheerinho let rip with a brilliant drive that brought out another fantastic save from Arthur who got over to his right to tip the ball onto the post and out for a corner - it was a bit of an anti-climax when the corner was easily cleared again. Sheerinho had another attempt on the half-hour mark after another freekick was headed on by Hardie, but again the ball sailed over with the Wizard left with his head in his hands when he could easily have been celebrating a hat-trick. The Thistle fans, who had travelled in reasonable numbers were left to have another whinge behind the goal, something they seemed to do constantly throughout the game today.

Saints wasted another couple of freekicks (Stanic and Hardie again the victims this time) before we turned down the next gilt-edged opportunity ten minutes before the break. A goalkick found Hardie who set up Peaso. He passed to Lawrie who slipped the ball into Mensing. He laid it off to Peaso but his shot was blocked. Even then Simon was powering into the box and got to the rebound but his effort was held by Arthur. We were putting on a real show by this time but it was still niggling that we weren't two or three up. The rest of the half saw Saints keep the pressure up. A Peaso drive was deflected out for a corner and when that came in it was Goran who fired in another shot over the bar. The half finished with another Savo cross finding Sheerinho but again his shot was blocked.

After dominating the first half but only scoring once, there was a nagging doubt that we'd struggle to maintain the momentum for the second forty-five. As it was Partick started the second period well but it was Saints that made the first real chance after Savo was fouled on the right side. Another freekick into the box ended in a couple of headed chances being cruelly chalked off for offside. We had several early crosses cut out either by the keeper or a Partick defender with Hardie, Savo and Goran all putting decent balls into the box, and in the 52d minute McLaren came close with a cross-cum-shot in from the left which Arthur had to look lively to tip over the bar. From the resulting corner the ball came back out to Sheerinho and he played a low shot in that Lawrie dummied well and brought out another good save from Arthur.

Two minutes later and Peaso pounced on a loose ball in the middle of the park and set up Savo on a run but his shot went wide. Partick weren't out of it though and within a minute forced another good save from Bryn. A quickly taken freekick saw the Saints defence napping once more and Bryn had to look sharp to get down and turn a close- range effort round the post. For all that though it seemed that Partick were rarely threatening Saints and their only other effort of real note came in the 57th minute when they got the break of the ball in the box as Saints failed to clear their lines. The resulting shot sailed over the bar though in a move worthy of Goran!.

For Saints there were numerous chances with Peaso, who looked ready to sell his soul to a Scumdonian for a goal this afternoon at the heart of a lot of them. The referee began to get more involved as the challenges got a bit heavier. He was actually one of the better officials we've had this season but it still didn't prevent him being on the receiving end of some vocal criticism from the home fans when he booked McManus for a late challenge on Young which looked more clumsy than malicious. Partick's freekick from the incident found Sives but again the ball followed the familiar trajectory of sailing over the bar. Saints hit back just after the hour mark with Peaso winning a corner, from which McLaren fired in a good volley that was blocked en route to Arthur's goal. Three minutes later and we should have gone further ahead when a great through ball found Savo. He bore down on goal but for some reason allowed Arthur to come out and narrow the angle to block the shot when he could have either had a go himself or else squared it to Peaso and Sheerinho supporting through the middle. You began to get the feeling that the Gods were waiting to throw a nasty sucker punch right back at us.

Owen made his first change of the afternoon sending Dazza on in place of McLaren in the 67th minute with Sheerinho switching out to his more traditional left wing position. By now Partick were starting to run out of ideas and the closest they threatened was with a corner from the right that almost ended in an own goal as McManus made a spectacular clearance behind his keeper. The game was beginning to get a bit scrappier as well with Hardie again on the receiving end of a nasty foul in the 73rd minute.

But a minute later he had his revenge and played a brilliant through ball as Saints broke, finding Peaso with a high ball. Peaso broke into the box behind the Partick defence and allowed the ball to come down over his shoulder before letting rip with the sort of cracking rocket of a volley that no keeper on this planet could stop, blasting the ball into the net to make it 2-0 and suddenly lift the last of the pressure from Saints. There's definitely something about the way we're playing these days that means we never seem to score a dull goal.

Peaso's job was done and a minute later Owen replaced him with Andy Jackson. It didn't stop us keeping the pressure on Partick though, but most of the flowing play now saw a lot more interruptions from the referee's whistle as the fouls became more frequent. Brady picked up a yellow for dissent but then McCulloch escaped punishment for a nasty challenge on Jackson that left the Saints striker down needing treatment. That irritated the East Stand even more when a light challenge from Sheerinho ten minutes from time earned the Saints midfielder a booking when again there was little in the incident. Saints were cruising to the finish line now though, with even Owen getting a run out instead of Savo and should have had a third a minute from time when Hardie set up Sheerinho who released Jackson down the right but the youngster pulled his shot wide when it seemed easier to score.

MoM for me had to be the Wizard himself for another classy midfield performance. But to be honest we didn't have a poor shirt on the park today with everyone from Halliwell to Savo and Peaso playing their part and more. Partick were rarely in the game and although it was good end-to- end stuff at some points, there was never really any doubt that we were going to win. Peaso for me looks back to his best while Hardie and Mensing both seemed to have screwed the nut a bit more where discipline is concerned....hell even Bryn rarely kicked the ball straight out today.

It's good to be back on top again!

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