Temple Of Saints - Another soft goal

Bells League Division One 29/03/2008

Saints 1 Pars 1 League Table Here

Team : Main, Irvine, Stanic, Morris, Rutkiewicz, McManus, Peaso, Savo, Jacko, Craig, Sheerin
Subs: Cuthbert, Anderson, Wilson, Moon, Weatherston

It had been a long time coming but unfortunately today finally saw the first meaningless game of the season. Our promotion chances finally died last weekend at Firhill and were buried with the loss of the home record on Tuesday night - both games showing the sort of lacklustre play at times which has really been what's led to the disappointing league campaign. At the start of the season, this had arguably been seen as one of the big games that would make or break a campaign but the Pars if anything had under performed even more than Saints over the season and despite a change of manager were still languishing in mid-table and planning for next year. For us, there was at least still a bit of pride to play for and the need to show the fans that we hadn't totally burnt out in the recent two-games-a- week schedule - the semi-final team was also still to be decided on and Del's final selection would no doubt be influenced by the attitude shown by the players over the next three league encounters.

Based on today, there's still a bit of work to be done in that department. The game itself was a fairly entertaining affair given the dreich conditions but yet again Saints were guilty of failing to kill teams off when they had the opportunities and yet again we were punished for some slack play. Not as disappointing a result as the Fissel or Clyde games in the last week but if anything it backed up the opinion that this current Saints side lacks the motivation to go up.

We'd welcomed back new daddy Jody Morris to the side. Midweek had seen Jacko, Goran and Rocco all miss out through injury while Peaso had been relegated to the bench. Of those, only Rocco missed out although there were changes on the bench as Cameron was out injured and Hardie returned to the rehab clinic. The only other decision Del seemed to be worried about was who would take over spot-kick duties given the misses from Sheerin and Craig recently - of course he failed to realise that as a Saints manager, this season has been more of the exception to the rule than anything with regards to Saints penalty awards - things being as they are (and the potential of a clash with one of the Bigot Brothers in a semi-final beckoning), the odds on another spot-kick being given our way between now and Gretna coming out of administration (or hell freezing over whichever comes first) are possibly in the same region as those of finding a James Traynor report on Saints which wasn't insulting or patronising to the Perth faithful.

We've been crying out for Saints to look hungry and attack teams straight from kick-off - indeed the failure to do so was possibly our undoing over the last couple of games. Today saw us even win a first-minute corner as the boys, especially Liam Craig pressed a shaky Pars defence from kick-off. That was headed behind but with the rain pouring down onto the sacred turf, it took less than a minute for another great piece of build-up play as Jody and Irvine linked to set up Craig who passed it to Jacko for a run and shot that went wide of goal. The Pars were on the back foot in the opening stages but managed to force a corner of their own in the 5th minute with the ball coming out at the back post where Harper had the beating of Morris to get a shot in - it too went wide of the target.

Saints won another corner after Savo had released Craig into the box but it was all too easily cleared. Our best chance came in the 9th minute when a good Sheerin ball forward found Craig in the box. He flicked the ball on for Savo who blasted a volley just wide of goal. A minute later and Savo was on the end of an Irvine cross to try a narrow angled shot which also went into the side netting. The Pars had little in the way of response with their only chance coming in the 13th minute after a soft foul was awarded against Gary Irvine. The freekick from the corner of the box found McIntyre given too much room for a free header that thankfully went over the crossbar. We were almost punished again minute after that after McManus was caught in possession on the edge of his penalty area but luckily the referee came to his rescue as the Pars attack was ruled offside.

It was the home side that was creating most of the chances though and some of the build-up play from the midfield and front men showed that we can be entertaining when we want to be. Morris was spreading the ball about well while Craig and Savo were all over the park to create space and options for the attack. The pair combined in the 20th minute when a Savo cross found Craig but his shot from just inside the box was easily held by Gallacher. Craig tried to set up Jacko just after that but when the Pars defence cleared the danger, Craig won the ball back and played it over for Sheerin who played a neat one-two with Peaso before passing the ball through the defence to find Savo on the edge of the six yard box. The striker had loads of time to turn and shoot but as he did against Clyde in midweek, Savo seemed to rush the shot and fired it just wide of the goal. If anything, we seemed to be guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net and some of the attacking moves were a tad over-engineered. Morris was at the heart of a lot of the moves but it seemed that at times we just lacked the final spurt to finish things off.

The Pars had little threat to offer with their only real chance coming in the 29th minute as they won a freekick in the middle of the park. The ball was played long into the box and when the Saints defence cleared their lines, Shields was there to try his luck with a powerful drive straight at Main. A minute later and another Pars freekick was played forward into the box where it was headed clear only as far as Harper and he tried a dipping volley that saw Main make a good reaction save to, tipping the ball over the bar. Play switched back up the other end of the park where Craig was fouled out near the right touchline. That was cleared but two minutes later we had another freekick in almost the same position as this time Savo was downed. Craig sent the freekick deep into the box and reached the back post where Alan McManus came in like a stealth ninja to sneak in and head the ball into the back of the net to give us the lead.

Dunfermline tried to get back into the game with a McIntyre headed held easily in the 37th minute. But Saints looked more dangerous coming forward and within a minute, Savo and Liam again linked well before the latter sent a good cross over for Peaso but he headed wide of target. Goran, who was having a quiet afternoon tried another deep cross for Jacko in the 40th minute. He was fouled though and from the freekick from Sheerin we won another corner, Peaso heading this one behind. The Fifers had the last chance of the half though as Harper was given far too much room on the left and was able to cut inside and try a curling right-foot shot that went just wide of the goal.

The second period started quietly but three minutes after the restart we should have increased our lead. Sheerinho latched onto a slack ball in the middle of the park and played a great through ball for Savo to outpace the Pars defence. Through on goal with just Gallacher to beat he should have tried to round the keeper but instead tried to place a shot round the goalie - unfortunately for him, Gallacher manager to just get a leg out to deflect the ball just wide of his goal. Savo was in the thick of it a minute later after the took the pish and nutmegged Shields on the wing - the Pars defender didn't take too kindly to that and up-ended Savo with a nasty knee-high challenge earning him a booking.

Saints kept the pressure up and Peaso was next to break through on the left beating the offside trap. Gallacher again did well to come out and block the ball but it still broke to Sheerin following up - his lob shot though was headed off the line with Gallacher nowhere. Scott Wilson got the next booking after Savo skinned him on the wing and was again upended for his trouble. The freekick into the box was a good one but Ruti headed it wide of goal. Simmons should arguably have gone into the book five minutes later - he'd just been warned for dissent by referee McCurry before deciding to barge Craig off the ball. Saints have plenty of pressure but little real chances to show for it. A Morris cross after we got a corner was headed over by Savo (just wasn't his day unfortunately) while Pars boss McIntyre showed where his players got their mentality from as he picked up a booking just after the hour mark after clashing with Ruti.

The next chance for Saints came in the 64th minute as Irvine set up Jacko down the right wing. He did well to keep the ball in and his cutback for Savo saw the striker go for an Ibrox-esque spectacular overhead kick - this time he completely missed the ball. The conditions on the park were getting worse as the rain kept pounding down and gradually the Pars began to get back into the game. A good break by them in the 66th minute saw McManus claim in vain for offside (wrongly as well). That allowed them into the box but Ruti got over to cut out the cutback for the cost of a corner which we cleared. Sheerin was the next Saints mug as he was conned into fouling Harper on the touchline. McManus headed the freekick behind for another corner and Ruti and Peaso were on hand to clear it.

Del made his first change just after that with Mooner on to replace Stanic. That meant Craig dropping back to left-back and three minutes after the change it cost us. Mooner seemed to be caught in two minds on the edge of the Pars box and was robbed all too easily. A simple pass up the park found Crawford with only McManus and Ruti back defending. Crawford went down the right wing and outpaced McManus even finding time to cut inside him. He got into the box and as McManus came over to try a last-ditch tackle in the six-yard area he fired in a low shot that also went under Main and into the net. A goal they barely deserved and yet another kick in the teeth for the fans as again we had to witness a Saints side caught on the hop far too easily.

Saints tried to get back into it but the heavy pitch had taken its tool on the legs and there were some tired players out there. Mooner tried to set up Peaso but his shot was blocked. Wilson and Weatherston replaced Jacko and Peaso in the last 10 minutes but it was Craig who was involved in setting up the last chances. A run up the wing saw him caught by Wilson in the 86th minute but the referee chickened out of the red card the offence merited and then two minutes from time a long ball from Main found Craig cut in from the left. A ball in from him was headed on by Savo for Mooner. His shot was blocked but it rebounded for Wilson and he tried a curling shot from about 15 yards that went inches wide. Close but no cigar - bit like the season really.

Yet again for two-thirds of the game we dominated and at times some of our play was a joy to behold with the midfield and front line linking well and the ball actually played on the deck for long spells. MoM for me is a close one but Savo just edges out Liam Craig. The striker was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet and put in a power of running for the whole afternoon. The game had the air of an end-of-season encounter about it but Del needs to get the players gelling properly and get their sharpness and fitness up ahead of the semi-final.

We've still got something to play for.

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