Temple Of Saints - Almost an easy win

Bells League Division One 15/09/2007

Saints 2 Partick 1 League Table Here

Team : Main, Irvine, Stanic, Pamela, Rutkiewicz, McManus, Quinn, McInnes, Deuchar, Jackson, Sheerin
Subs: Cuthbert, Weatherston, Daal, Stewart, McCluskey

It seems like ages since we actually saw Saints play (well those of us who didn't make it to Dingwall can probably argue that it's been about four months) and with the enforced gap due to reminding our Gallic cousins that we do indeed always win one-nil, there was at least some enthusiasm for the visit of the Jags today - although of course the catering staff had to bring in extra security in case Jobbie McCall fancied another scooby snack. And while large chunks of the game won't feature in the most memorable moments of the season collection we fully deserved our win and managed to score a couple of excellent goals and even add some drama to the closing stages as the defence returned to their shoddy form of last month. As for the team spirit it seemed to have returned to the side although yet again it was only when some of the substitutions were made that the Saints luck changed on the park with more movement and creativity. Either way though, it was a well-earned three points and nice to see Saints cheered off the park for a change.

With no football being played it had been left to the training ground to deal out the injuries to Saints midweek with the Mad Mental One in the doubtful category going into this game. Add to that we had the absence of Peaso after his clash with Goran and Andy "Lucky Mascot" Lawrie with a neck injury (no I don't know either) while Jamie McCluskey had been on the treatment table during the week (some puberty problem no doubt) and while we weren't down to the bare bones Owen didn't have his problems to seek. At least some of our strikers had rediscovered the seemingly lost art of scoring and both Doctor Goals and Jacko were set to start as the form pair up front. Elsewhere in the side and Owen went for three across the back with Goran and Irvine playing as wing-backs with Rocco, Sheerin and McInnes in the centre of midfield, which meant Weatherston and McCluskey had to settle for places on the bench.

Partick enjoyed a good spell of pressure in the opening stages although the Saints defence were pretty much in command at the back.It wasn't until the third minute that we created anything with Jackson laying the ball of for Rocco but his shot from the edge of the box was a weak one. A minute later and Partick managed their first shot with the ball breaking nicely for Rowson but his effort was well wide of target. Saints were soon back up the park and an Ando run laid the ball off for Goran who sent a great cross into the box. Dr Goals went up for it only to lose out to a Jags defender. Two minutes later and Quinn had another good run through the middle only to be brought down 25 yards out. Sheerinho opted for a chip for the freekick and found Deuchar who headed the ball on for Ando and his back post header was just over the bar. Our first corner came a minute later and a short ball was fired over quickly only for the keeper to get out and punch the ball clear.

So far, so good and there was some good signs that Saints were out to play football. We struggled to create any clearcut chances after that. Sheerin found himself with no room to make the shot after getting on the end of a good cross from Goran. Kenny Deuchar tried his luck in the 14th minute with a cracking rocket of an angled drive which flew across the goal and finished only just wide of goal. Deuchar turned provider three minutes later but his cross for Jacko was put behind for a corner. Partick rarely got forward with the three-man Saints defence rock solid and at the back and comfortably mopping up the loose balls, while both Irvine and Goran covered plenty of ground as they dropped back to help out on occasion.

The chances kept coming for Saints though. In the 23rd minute, Quinn had another good run before passing to Deuchar in the box but the good Doctor was well tackled. A minute later Stanic found Deuchar and he broke free only for the referee to stop the play for a head injury to a Jag. Sheerin tried his luck from the edge of the box with a freekick after Jacko was shoved but the shot was aimed straight at the keeper. Our best chance of the half came eight minutes from the break with a long ball finding Deuchar cutting in from the left. He got into the box and managed to chip the keeper only for a covering defender to get back and head the ball into the keeper's arms. While the goals weren't coming, there was certainly more movement and challenges from the strikers that we saw from any other pairing this season. Partick had the final chance of the half in the last minute after Roberts was adjudged to have been fouled on the corner of the box. The freekick came straight back off the two-man Saints wall and Quinn cleared the danger.

Jobby decided to freshen up his luvvies at half-time with two changes including Buchanan coming on for di Giacomo. The first controversial moment of the second period wasn't long in coming and only two minutes had gone when a good ball forward found Rocco cutting into the box where he was bundled over - the referee refused to even give us a foul never mind a penalty. As it was though, Partick had the best of the opening stages of the half and forced an early corner which Main half- cleared with one of his trademark punches only for the ball to be headed back in and the Saints goalie forced to dive to save at the feet of Buchanan. We won a corner of our own at the other end but Ando's header was blocked in the 6 yard box. The Jags forced another soft corner n the 55th minute and this time won the header but the ball was flashed across an empty goal before Goran cleared the danger.

Our first shot came in the 62nd minute after an Irvine cross was headed clear. The ball was cleared and played back in to Rocco and he tried his luck with a shot that was blocked. A minute later Jackson was put through only for a defender to get out and clear the danger. With McInnes after starting fine, returning to making the sort of stupid mistakes that would get you dropped from a schoolboy side, Owen decided to ring the changes in the 65th minute with McInnes going off (to a lot of cheers from the East Stand) to be replaced by Davie Weatherston, with Rocco moving inside to the centre of midfield.

The pace of the game began to pick up as both sides chased a goal. Sheerin showed some initiative by taking a quick freekick in the 70th minute from the edge of the box. His short ball found Deuchar coming in from the right but with a shot looking like a better bet, the Doc opted for a cross to the back post which Goran failed to reach. Two minutes later though and Archibald picked up a warning for a foul on Jackson (how the hell he avoided a booking for most of the game escapes me). The freekick was headed on by Deuchar for Weatherston on the overlap and he sent a great low ball across the box which was put behind for a corner. Up stepped Sheerinho with a great inswinger which was clinically headed into the far corner of the net by Deuchar leaving the keeper stranded. Excellent goal and good to see the spirit showing up more with the celebration.

And if that goal was good it got even better three minutes later. Irvine released Weatherston down the right and he skinned two Jags defenders before cutting in at the edge of the box. He encountered a heavy challenge though and was left down but managed to release the ball back where Rocco was coming forward and Quinn went for power with an absolute screamer of a curling drive from fully 22 yards out which rocketed into the top left corner of the net to make it two-nil.

Suddenly Saints looked more like the team from last season with the movement going forward turning into some good attacking plays. Jacko got onto the end of a Deuchar header but the Jags keeper managed to get out and clear the danger. Stewart came on to replace the knackered Jackson in the 85th minute but the applause for Jackson showed that the fans at least appreciated his effort today.

Within a minute though the nerves were back. A harmless cross into the Saints box found Ando getting up to pass the ball softly back to Main. The keeper's clearance didn't come off properly with the ball rebounding off the alert Buchanan who poked it into the net to make it 2-1. That meant the nerves were all over the place in the Saints defence for the closing stages although Partick didn't help their cause much by some blatant diving that would shame even a Lithuanian with Murray the prime culprit. Even then we still had a great chance to restore the two-goal margin two minutes from time when Stewart chased a long ball. Our came the keeper to try and dribble the ball clear but he hesitated on the ball allowing Stewart in to nick it from him. Unfortunately the Saints sub went for the spectacular long-range shot into an empty net rather than try to take the ball forward with the result that the ball sailed miles wide of goal.

Deuchar was replaced by Daal for injury time and Main had to look sharp in the final minute after another defensive mix-up allowed the Jags in for a shot that Main spilt but managed to collect at the second attempt. The final chance came for us though with a good Weatherston run ending with him trying an angled shot across the goal which just failed to connect with a Saints boot. By that time though the points were in the bag and we didn't care.

Plenty of good performances on the park today with both strikers and all the defence on top of their game. MoM for me though was Rocco Quinn who topped of a solid display of running in the middle of the park with a cracker of a goal. There has to again be questions around sticking with the policy of playing McInnes in the middle of the park from the start when for the 2nd league game in a row it was his removal that rejuvenated the Saints side.

Still who cares tonight, when at least the old Saints seemed to return to form.

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