Temple Of Saints - Saints Turn It On

Bells League Division One 21/10/2006

Saints 5 Queen of the South 0 League Table Here

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

As a way to start the second quarter I don't think we could have wished for a better game...on paper at least. At home to the worst team in the league, Saints took on a Dumfries side that had failed to live up to expectations under "Shit" McCall's managerial reign. Despite all that, we knew this was the sort of game that shouldn't be taken lightly and although we were unbeaten going into this one, there had been evidence of late that the standard of performance was slipping a bit. Aye well that theory has been well and truly put to rest with one of our most convincing performances of the season to finally put us top of the division. Plenty of excellent individual performances as well even though the opposition looked for long spells like a team resigned to the drop come the summer - but that shouldn't detract from a Saints side that at times turned on the style big time.

After picking up a sprained elbow last Saturday, Paul Lawson had been receiving treatment throughout the week to return today. Add to that Savo and McLaren's improvement on the training ground through the week and Saints actually went into a game looking reasonably strong - although Ryan Stevenson's temporary move to Ayr left a gap on the bench. Andy Jackson stepped up while Darren dropped out in favour of Lawson with Mensing switching to the right wing.

Saints started brightly although there wasn't much in terms of goalmouth action in the opening stages. Savo won an early freekick but Lawson's short ball to Goran ended in the latter's cross being cut out. We were holding onto the ball well with Queen's on the defensive. It wasn't until the 6th minute we managed to create a clearcut chance. A quick throw-in to Jason let him turn but his effort was well over Corr's bar. Savo and Jason had a couple of runs but the Queen's defence was holding up well and they didn't get near the goal.

Our best chance came in the 10th minute when Sheerinho passed to Lawrie who won a corner. Sheerinho's kick found Mensing and his downward header seemed to stick on the line before it was eventually cleared. The one noticeable thing though about our play was the lack of balls passed to Lawrie on the right flank even when he was in plenty of space with McManus usually electing to play a long ball instead. Saints were enjoying the majority of possession and beginning to control the game.

Lawson had an effort blocked and in the 18th minute a strong header from Sheerinho released Jason but his angled shot went wide although he still looked to be suffering from the effects of a knock in the face earlier in the half. Two minutes later another excellent through ball from Lawson found Sheerinho and the Wizard's cross went behind for a corner which Mensing headed over.

Sheerinho had an excellent first-time volley held in the 25th minute before the game turned scrappy for a few minutes as Queen's tried to press back. Saints were losing the ball to easily and the midfield sat far too deep.

But the spell didn't last as the High Wizard Sheerinho decided to liven things up in the 31st minute with some magic of his own. Jason linked up with Mensing to float a cross from the right. Hardie beat Corr to the loose ball and it fell for his Wizardness who sent a sublime curling shot over Corr and into the net.

Queens tried to hit back aided by the referee penalising Hardie for a couple of heavy challenges. But in the 37th minute Saints doubled their lead after more good work on the right with Mensing and Lawrie ended in another cross into the away box. Hardie headed the ball down again for Jason and he laid it off to the edge of the box for Lawson who hit a cracking low drive from fully 25 yards out that deceived Corr with it's power and went into the bottom corner of the net. Cracking goal but one thing I noticed in the celebrations afterwards was that all the Saints players joined in with the exception of Lawrie. He was having a better game now we were two up and a minute later saw a decent shot blocked when he made an all too rare run into the Queens box.

Back at the other end we almost conceded one with another rare event as Pamela made a mistake and gave the ball away to Gibson unmarked in the box. But with an open goal in front of him, he screwed his shot wide - basically summing up everything that's going wrong at Palmerston these day. Another cross threatened Halliwell's goal a few minutes later with the Saints keeper nowhere but luckily there wasn't a yellow shirt near either. Then a couple of minutes before the break Saints had another couple of chances. Sheerinho cleared a Queens freekick and set up Jason on a run up the right but through on goal for some reason he took a tad too long over his shot and it was blocked. The half ended with another good run on the left wing this time as Goran tore up the turf before sending in a cross that both Hardie and Mensing just missed.

McCall showed his frustration at half-time (before spending most of the half in the Saints technical area) with a couple of substitutions including the introduction of Graeme Weir to add the much-needed thuggery aspect to their play (I may be a touch sarcastic here). Within sixty seconds we'd almost scored a third when the Wizard found himself in plenty of room before shooting just over the bar. Then a minute later some good skill from Mensing ended in a good run before his through ball for the strikers was cut out. Queen's pressed back and won a cheap corner off Anderson from which they almost scored with thanks to poor marking on Weir - luckily he proved to be as inept as Gibson and sent his shot wide.

That was enough for Saints and we broke back up the park to score an absolute cracker of the a goal. Savo intercepted a loose ball on the right wing and sprinted up to the touchline before crossing into a crowded box (yup we even had support pushing forward at times). Hardie went up with Corr but the ball eluded both players and fell to a completely unmarked Sheerinho 6 yards out with so much room around him you'd have thought he was a Dundonian. He took his time with a couple of touches before playing a cool finishing shot to stick the ball in the net and make it 3-0.

Saints were well in control by now and a couple of minutes later should have had a fourth when a brilliant ball from Lawson found Savo breaking through. He ran wide but was about to play the ball back in to an unmarked Jason when he decided to fall over the ball - amazing how humourous these moments are when you're cruising to a win. Lawson tried his own luck a minute later with a neat chip but it was easily held and then another freekick from the midfielder rounded the wall but again Corr stopped the goal.

Hardie headed a Sheerinho cross over the bar in the 65th minute before the game erupted again a minute later. Another heavy challenge from Thomson saw Jason clattered from behind and the Saints striker came close to reacting. It was close enough for referee Mackay who decided to book both players - although it has to be said that if he'd maybe stamped his authority a bit earlier in the game then the flashpoint might have been avoided. Back to the action and a Jason run set up Mensing who turned in the box before sending in a chip that the keeper held and then Hardie chipped the ball forward for Jason who sent in a cross from the right instead of shooting only to see the ball go behind Savo. Savo stuck a header wide of goal a couple of minutes after that after a neat one-two with Sheerinho and Jason set up Goran for a cross for Milne.

Queens were well and truly out of it and salt was rubbed into their wounds in the 74th minute when Thomson went in late on Hardie from behind. The referee didn't hesitate and the Queens defender saw a second yellow and accompanying red card. But all wasn't well in the Saints camp either. With Jason carrying a booking Owen decided to replace him with Peaso and Scotland was reluctant to leave the pitch. Even when he did so he stormed up the tunnel before being hauled back to the dugout by Owen and Weir to sulk with the rest of his teammates. From the freekick Sheerinho saw a shot deflected over the bar as he chased a hat-trick. Goran got onto the corner kick with a rare shot but put the ball wide.

Savo hit a shot over the bar before we hit the fourth in the 77th minute. A nice long ball found Savo who got forward and made some space before squaring to Peaso in the box and the substitute made no mistake blasting it into the roof of the net from 10 yards out. And a minute later we almost got the fifth through some more magic from the Wizard. Sheerinho's initial cross was headed back across the goal and half-cleared. By this time the wand-carrying maestro had gotten into the box where he dribbled past three defenders before trying a shot that took a deflection and came back off the post. It didn't matter when the corner came in as Savo latched onto a loose ball to head the ball into the net to make it 5-0.

McLaren came on for Hardie as Saints to their credit kept the pressure up in the hunt for more goals. Peaso had a good run and shot held in the 83rd minute. Sheridan replaced Lawson who left to plenty of applause from a busy East Stand. Even then we should have scored another as Oor Wullie broke through and squared the ball to Stanic totally unmarked in the box but unlike the Wizards, Goran hesitated over his shot and it was eventually blocked. Sheerinho's last attempt for the hat-trick saw a freekick sail over the bar and the game ended with Mensing heading a freekick over.

Top of the league tonight and after such a convincing game we can't really complain. There were some nervy moments with Halliwell slow to come off his line and Lawrie rarely got into the game even when we were cruising. But that's small fayre compared to the skills on show today with Savo, Lawson, Hardie, Jason and Mensing all excellent. MoM though has to go to the Wizard himself - two cracking finishes and only denied a hat-trick by the woodwork.

It's not going to get much better than this....

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