Temple Of Saints - Pish Penalties Punished

Bells League Division One 25/03/2008

Saints 1 Clyde 2 League Table Here

Team : Main, Irvine, Sheerin, Cameron, Rutkiewicz, McManus, Wilson, Craig, Savo, Moon, Weatherston
Subs: Cuthbert, Anderson, Peaso, Monaghan, Hardie

After the disappointment of Saturday's snorefest at the home of Wegieland's favourite luvvies, tonight saw a chance for the players to make amends and prove their worthy of being considered for any forthcoming semi-final type affairs. The league as far as most of us were concerned going into this was done and dusted and Saints were out of the running for another year, but with contracts of more of the squad still to be sorted out (or earned in some cases), there was still a lot more than pride to play for. That was possibly more true of tonight's opponents with a change of manager to Bomber Brown and the introduction of "veteran" TFOD star Jorg Albertz not enough to save the Bully Wee from slipping into the play- off spot in a three-way battle with Morton and Meadowbank - no doubt Dougie Donnelly is really upset about it, which is why he's putting a brave face on it covering Rangers games instead. It was really a case of imagining which set of supporters were more depressed going into the ground.

After tonight's game though, at least the fans heading west had something to cheer about as they stole the three points. Fortress McDiarmid finally gave way with more of a whimper than a bang as a tired Saints side barely got out of second gear for most of the game with too many players looking like they already think there's only one more game to play this season and the league games don't matter. Well the boos at full time and hopefully a major boot up the arse this week might remind them that it's this sort of attitude which has blown our title chances this season - there's no doubt tonight that we deserved to win the game but when you miss two penalties and umpteen close-range shots as well as seem to be unable to apparently hold onto the ball or pass to a teammate for most of the ninety minutes.

With a poor performance and some tired legs at the weekend there were always likely to be some changes in the Saints side tonight. Goran Stanic had been on-and-off with his injury for the last week or so but after Pamela and Sheerin struggled to fill his defensive shoes at the weekend, we needed him back. Elsewhere in the side and Rocco had limped off before the half-time cuppas were dished out at Firhill with a hamstring problem while the availability of Jody Morris had been curtailed as his presence was requested in a labour ward darn sarf. Peaso had also been a doubt with a groin strain. So it was that we went with Peaso on the bench while Jacko was also a surprise absentee as he was rested. Cameron came in for Morris while Sheerin deputised at left back once more. Davie Weatherston and Barry Wilson were also called into the side as was Mooner who played behind the front pairing. There was an added boost to the bench with Martin Hardie getting a call up alongside young Adam Monaghan.

The crowd wasn't great (well Clyde aren't exactly top-drawer opposition unless you like to witness unprovoked assaults) and even the more hospitable treatment that Saints gave the travelling fans (well compared to us being shoved in that wee cramped corner at Broadwood) didn't bring them out in any great numbers. The opening stages of the game gave us as good an indication of the problems to come as within a couple of minutes, we'd conceded the first daft freekick 25 yards out. Albertz hit it low and hard and it went inches wide of Main's goals - it served as a warning if nothing else. For Saints, we were simply far too scrappy with the midfield looking lost for the most part as Cameron and Moon struggled to get going in the middle while Wilson and Craig were having little joy on the flanks - add to that the poor control from the defence and the nightmare start as Sheerin was skinned several times and you can see that we didn't have our problems to seek. Despite all that, there weren't many real chances for either side with only a low shot causing Main to move from his goalline in the eighth minute after his defence failed to clear their lines.

Our first chance didn't appear till the 12th minute with a freekick into the box finding Rusty but his header was cleared. The game wasn't a dirty one but there seemed to be a lot of freekicks with Savo and Mooner on the end of a lot of them. Not that we managed to create anything from them and it was Albertz that threatened next with another freekick in the 16th minute that went out for a corner. Two minutes later and we actually showed some creativity with Moon laying the ball out for Irvine on the right and he crossed for Savo in the six yard box but Hutton somehow managed to get out and gather the ball. Clyde had another corner easily cleared before our next chance midway through the half when a Craig cross from the left was headed down by Wilson in the box. It was half cleared but Mooner latched onto the loose ball to fire in a low drive from the edge of the box that was blocked on the line. Clyde went straight up the park with Albertz given far too much room to go on a run down the left before crossing where it was headed over the bar. Sheerin tried his luck with a rare foray up the park which ended in a cross cum shot going just wide of target.

Clyde's next counter almost caught the Saints defence out (something that wasn't too difficult to achieve) but Main came out of his box to control and clear the ball. It was soon back forward again with the defence caught static and a Bully Wee player in the box only for Main to make a good block on his shot. Saints seemed to be all over the place at times and Clyde looked a lot sharper coming forward as the home players simply looked knackered. Bradley had looked sharp all night for Clyde and in the 29th minute he robbed Rutkiewicz before shooting over. Two minutes later though Clyde's pressure paid off with a good run into the box not properly cleared by Irvine. The ball fell for Bradley and his low shot from about 15 yards went through everyone and past Main to make it 1-0.

Saints should have drawn level within a minute as Irvine and Craig combined for the latter to cross into the box where Wilson seemed to be shoved in the box. Either way there were few complaints from the home fans when referee Smith pointed to the spot. After last week's failure to net a spot kick, Sheerin stepped up once more and fired a powerful shot ......right over the bloody bar. You could sense it might just turn into one of those nights. The discipline and shape seemed to go a bit and Rutkiewicz picked up a warning from the referee for a soft foul.

Ten minutes from the break, Wilson fired in a cross for Craig. He played it in for the fairly anonymous Cameron who headed it on for Weatherston but his challenge in the six yard box was cleared. Two minutes later and another good Sheerin run ended with a cross only half-cleared and Savo got on the end to fire in a great volley just over the bar. If our night could be summed up by one player Greg Cameron was that man. Fresh back into the side he looked like he hadn't met any of the team before. He was constantly caught on the ball and like his teammates, the midfielder looked like he had been coached in his passing by Mr Morse such was the telegraph-like quality of the balls. Another loss of possession in the 39th minute was at least recovered when Rutkiewicz took the ball back and went on a run finishing with the sort of rocket that would have had Albertz applauding - pity the ball was palmed clear by Hutton and there were no white shirts there to follow up, with Savo the closest and unable to finish.

Gibson got the first booking of the game for handling the ball on the ground. Craig took the freekick and fired in a rocket of his own making from 25 yards out only for the ball to go out for a corner - that turned into a back post header from McManus that Hutton held. A minute from the break and Weatherston had another good run and cross for Craig but his header was cleared. Irvine sent the ball back in but there was again no takers in the box. The half finished off with another good run from Mooner but that was ended by a perfect tackle on the edge of the box from Albertz.

The second period started much as the first finished off with Craig having a good run down the left but hesitating over the cross and being easily robbed of the ball. Saints had switched things about a bit with Weatherston going wide and Wilson through the middle as a makeshift front man. But in midfield we still had the same problems and Cameron lost the ball a minute into the half. The tackle was fair but left the midfielder down injured and play was only halted by a soft foul on the edge of the box inside the "D" as a Clyde pair collapsed like a sack of spuds. Cameron received some treatment but was eventually stretchered off and replaced by Peaso. The delay only postponed the inevitable. Eighteen-yard freekicks for a player like Albertz only mean one thing - a rocket hit low seemed to go through the wall and into the bottom corner of the net with Main motionless - not that it's likely he'd have been able to do anything about it.

If the two-goal deficit wasn't cruel enough, there was more to come. Craig had moved to left-back as Sheerin went to midfield. Five minutes after the goal and a lovely through ball for Mooner found Savo in the box - he got in and chipped the keeper. The ball was cleared off the line but Hutton's late challenge on Savo could only mean one thing. A yellow card for the keeper and the second penalty kick of the night for Saints (gee I remember when we got that many in a season). Liam Craig was the man given the spot kick duties this time and while his penalty was well struck, Hutton, like Smith last week at Love St, guessed correctly and put the ball out for a corner. Now we all knew it was going to be one of those nights.

Clyde understandably began to defend deeply as we began to press and, God forbid, create some chances. A Wilson cross in the 58th minute found Mooner but his header was well blocked. Two minutes later and a good run by Weatherston forced a corner. Craig took the inswinger from the left and found Wilson at the back post and his header went into the net to pull one back from us, with Ruti's attempts at getting the ball from the net to get the game underway again not going down too well with some of the Cumbernauld players. The chances began to come thick and fast now. Peaso won a corner that the charmed Hutton was able to spill with no takers. A Peaso cross found Savo but his first touch was poor and he couldn't find the room to turn. A freekick or two were wasted and then in the 66th minute Weatherston and Craig linked well on the left with a cross flicked on by Irvine for Wilson in the box but his shot somehow went wide. Four minutes later and Craig, Mooner and Weatherston all linked well on the left for another good cross into the box which beat the keeper but again found no white shirts in the middle.

Rutkiewicz picked up his traditional booking for a high challenge as a rare Clyde counter-attack was broken up. But most of the play saw us press forward time and time again. Irvine had a shot go wide while a long-range Sheerinho effort was deflected out for a corner. Wilson sent that out for Savo but the striker's shot off the deck was held. A minute later and a good Weatherston run ended in a cutback for Peaso who was downed but this time the referee decided against the freekick (although it was possibly the strongest claim we had all night). A Craig freekick in the 78th minute saw the ball sent deep. Sheerin laid the ball off for Peaso who played a good low cutback across the goal for Savo in the 6-yard box but his quick shot was held by Hutton - the keeper in the right place at the right time.

Craig picked up a booking as he got back to defend a counter in the 81st minute. The freekick came to nothing but a minute later Weatherston (who had been fairly solid all night and certainly deserves a start more than Wilson or Cameron) was replaced by Ando with Ruti moving forward as a stand-in striker. Rusty had a chance within a minute as another freekick into the Clyde penalty area found his head - pity his head couldn't find the target. Following a Clyde corner, Craig had another break up the park but just failed to reach Savo with a through ball as the tired legs in the Saints players started to show. Ruti tried a minute after that with a ball for Savo but this time a Clyde defender was there to head back to his keeper.

The last five minutes saw Sheerin go off to be replaced by Mad Mental Martin but even the introduction of our favourite psychopath couldn't turn things round. In injury time, a Saints freekick ended with a Peaso cross for Rusty that was headed just wide and the last chance came for us with a long freekick finding Savo and Peaso who forced a corner. That was played into the box again but this time Moon and Savo failed to make their headers count. It was that sort of night when frustrations boiled over and there were plenty of boos for the players as they left the park at full-time.

In retrospect, we probably made more chances tonight than we have in our last three or four league games but the poor finishing sort of sums up our season and is really the difference between a title-winning side and the current Saints side. There were a lot of tired legs tonight but the fact it that the cracks in the squad were more apparent with the lack of quality in the likes of Cameron and Wilson more apparent while the lack of sharpness and fitness in the side is as big a worry. On the plus side Weatherston had a decent game but again lacked the service to take advantage of his pace. Defensively we were solid enough. My MoM goes to Mooner who showed a lot of maturity on the park and rarely wasted a pass - but praise too for Liam Craig who showed plenty of fight.

The league is over but it's time the players realised that there is still a lot of pride at stake for the fans.

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