Temple Of Saints - Boring and Unimaginative

Bells League Division One 10/11/2007

Saints 0 Pars 0League Table Here

Team : Main, Irvine, Stanic, McInnes, McManus, Anderson, McLaren, Sheerin, Deuchar, Jackson, Quinn
Subs: Cuthbert, Peaso, Weatherston, Lawrie, Stewart

This was the first of a double-header against the Fifers and with the wee matter of a cup final to come in a couple of weeks, it was vital that we got ourselves back on track after the poor displays in the last couple of matches against Clyde and the Scum. Almost as important though was the psychological impetus that a win today would give us going into the game at Dens. Of course the Pars haven't had their own troubles to seek in recent weeks with a series of humiliating defeats to Accies, Stirling and Livi piling the pressure on the manager and his squad of high-earners. And after we should have taken all three points at East End Park earlier in the season, Saints had every right to go into this one as favourites although most of us in the stands were still more than a tad nervous given the amount of complacency that's crept into our play in recent weeks.

So it was that after 90 minutes of a pretty turgid affair, there's still very little to pick between the teams with our ineptitude in attack and midfield matched by the Fifers similar pishiness in defence. There wasn't much to be optimistic about and with Accies notching up another win the draw did neither team any favours. And it has to be said that sticking by the same starting eleven is starting to wear thin amongst the fans in the stands as several of the Saints players continue to play below the standards we expect of them while the tactics employed on a blowy gusty day of continuing to pump high balls forward for the Doc to little effect should also be brought into question. God knows we have the ball players at the club to play a simple passing game along the deck yet for some strange reason, we continue to persist in doing everything to avoid playing to our strengths (and more often than not playing straight into the opposition's). Owen has a lot of thinking to do ahead of the cup final in a fortnight and to be honest there should be more than a few of the players on the park today looking over their shoulders as to whether they will be allowed to participate in it.

After fielding the same starting lineup for the last five games, the big question was whether or not Owen would ring the changes after the dip in form or stick by the tried and trusted formation and players in an attempt to recover some confidence. Savo and the Mad Mental One were nowhere near fit enough to be considered for exposure to the Fifers and most of the other knocks from last weekend at Dens had been recovered from thanks to added tetanus jabs administered to the Saints squad before setting foot in Coagieville - but in the end the boss went for the tried and trusted in a hope to recover from last weekend's defeat. For the Pars, there had been an attempt to boost their squad with a Celtic loan signing McGinchey who went on the bench while they started with Burchill and McManus up front.

From the start, the conditions had a big part to play in the game with the wind swirling round a subdued McDiarmid pitch. The Pars got first blood with Gary Irvine forced to head the ball behind for a first minute corner to the opposition - the ball was put behind though. Saints hit back within a minute with a freekick of our own (yes it was that sort of scrappy affair) which set up Wullie for a run in and his shot was wind-assisted and punched clear by the Pars keeper. The referee's control of the game was poor throughout and he fell for a dive by Simmons in the fourth minute but the freekick by Glass came straight back off the wall. Three minutes later and Jacko was on the receiving end of a bad foul by Wilson after a neat one-two released him down the left. Rocco took the freekick but the ball went a mile over the bar.

A minute later Irvine set up Jacko for a run but this time Bamba decided to bundle the Saints striker over. The freekick was headed clear. Goalmouth chances were at a premium and neither side seemed to be able to settle into any sort of rhythm never mind play anything like reasonable quality of football. Irvine saw a decent cross cleared while at the other end a Pars corner was easily held by Main. Then a long ball in the thirteenth minute was headed on by the Doc and Wullie for Jacko and he tried a volley that went over the bar - only to be pulled back for offside. A Saints freekick in the 17th minute was also mucked up and a quick Pars break up the park ended in a shot by Muirhead which went over the bar.

Saints by now were resorting to the high ball came with the same effect that we had at Dens last weekend. It left us wide open to the counterattack and a good flowing move from the Pars in the 19th minute cut us wide open with a cross from the left finding McManus but luckily he pulled his shot wide although most of us in the seats were more concerned at the way in which the midfield vanished and the defence was split wide open. Saints tried to get back and a minute later Rocco had a run inside and a shot which went out for a corner. Sheerin fired in the inswinger and with the wind helping again the ball almost curved into the net only for the keeper to tip the ball over the bar. Another corner a minute later ended up with the Pars breaking up the park with Saints all over the place again and the ball broke to Glass who scored only to be ruled offside.

The fans became even angrier at the referee in the 23rd minute when a slack passback allowed Jacko in to break through only for a nice tug from Bamba to haul him back - no freekick said Mr MacDonald. Two minutes later Jacko was on the receiving end of another Wilson challenge. The freekick was easily cleared again. Back up the other end another dangerous Pars cross was put behind by Main. From the corner the ball floated past the Saints keeper and a Pars player rose up to power in a header that rebounded back off the underside of the bar before breaking to Wilson who shot over. Saints seemed to be struggling to hold onto the ball and two minutes later there was another Pars attack to deal with. Alan McManus went in on his namesake and won the ball but the referee pulled the game back for a foul as the Pars striker went down with what looked like an ankle injury while the Saints defender picked up a booking. A delay in the play while he was stretchered off (being replaced by another money pit in Crawford) ended up with a freekick that Ando headed clear.

The game became a lot scrappier after that with the referee (and his linesmen who seemed incapable of raising their flags) failing to clamp down on some of the other challenges. Bamba went in on the Doc and Jacko but escaped punishment as the referee began to wind up the home fans more and more. It was even worse in the 43rd minute when a good move down the left saw Sheerin and Goran get their act together for the first time in the half with the latter sending a great cross over from the corner flag for the Doc and he headed down and into the net only for the referee to chalk the goal off saying that the Doc had indulged in some imaginary climbing. The Fifer's no7 picked up a booking next for a nasty late challenge on Rocco. The freekick into the box from Rocco again targeted the Doc but despite being blatantly held by Bamba (the arms around his chest gave that away), he still managed to turn and get a shot in that was saved. The half ended with another dangerous Pars attack after Stanic and Sheerin losing the ball - that ended up in a corner after McManus tackled Glass but the corner was easily dealt with.

After a poor first half, there was some hope that we might come out of the traps running for the second. And there was a lively start from Saints with a good Jacko run into the box three minutes into the half ending in him being up-ended again but by now we knew there would be no joy with this referee. Rocco set up the Doc in the box next but he was ruled offside. It wasn't long before the manager decided to ring the changes and McLaren (who had a poor game although suffered from a lack of service) being sacrificed in place of Davie Weatherston. Five minutes later he was clobbered by Wilson (who managed again to escape any punishment). The freekick was taken quickly with the ball played through for Jacko only for Bamba to get back and catch him - still no decision from the referee.

Glass managed to get his share of the fouls in with another in the 59th minute also seeing the Fifer get a sneaky kick in on Rocco after he brought the player down . The freekick forward into the box was laid back by Jacko for Del who managed to get his zimmer frame moving long enough to try a shot which went miles over the bar. Saints were getting plenty of balls into the box from crosses and corners but we weren't turning this into shots on goal although Rocco and Jacko did their best.

There was another delay in the play in the 65th minute after Jacko was felled by with a head knock but it was only when Saints had the ball that the referee stopped play but the striker was able to continue after treatment. Burchill had a good break which ended with a shot going over the bar. Another break in the 70th minute ended in a shot wide of target but the play was again brought back to allow the referee to book Irvine for a nothing challenge on Murphy as he broke forward. The freekick again went well over the bar. A minute later Weatherston won a corner at the other end of the park. The ball went deep and found Sheerin and Del who tried shots that were blocked in the box as the Pars defended in numbers. The Pars broke up the park again and this time their number eleven managed to go for a spectacular dive after Ando got across to cover and win the ball. The freekick was again cleared.

Our best chance of the half came with fifteen minutes remaining on the clock as a good move saw McInnes and Weatherston link on the right to release Rocco on the overlap and his cutback fell beautifully for Gary Irvine but his placed shot was blocked en route to goal. Murphy was the next Pars player to be booked as he clattered into Weatherston on the touchline. The freekick was about as constructive as any Saints effort recently. Weatherston set up a decent cross next for the Doc but he headed over. Then Rocco was fouled at the edge of the box (Owen taking advantage of the stop in play to bring Peaso on for Jacko). Sheerin took the freekick but it was blocked - the ball bounced around the penalty area though and a Deuchar shot seemed to be handled.

Another Saints freekick seven minutes from time (after Wilson went in on Ando) saw Rocco's cross punched clear before the last five minutes or so saw the Pars threaten as Saints seemed to run out of ideas. Hamilton tried a cheeky lob and in the closing stages another Pars freekick was headed down by Hamilton but with neither Main nor his defence coming to claim the loose ball Crawford still managed to stick it wide. Weatherston rounded off a poor afternoon for Saints with a yellow card in injury time for coming off worst in a 50-50 challenge with Simmons.

The good work that was done on the recent unbeaten run is rapidly vanishing as Saints seem to be returning to the poor form we showed at the start of the season. It was the pre-Xmas run-in that killed us off last year and unfortunately it doesn't look like being any different this year. McManus gets my MoM ahead of Rocco but there weren't too many candidates and the likes of McInnes, McLaren, Sheerin and it has to be said the strikers need to really buck up their ideas if we're to stand a chance of getting some silverware in a fortnight. Dunfermline have been poor but they threatened our goal more than we did theirs today and that just won't do for a side with any ambition in this league. Still at least we're guaranteed a goal next time they meet - even if it is a penalty after extra-time.

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