Temple Of Saints - Saints Show Fighting Spirit

Bells League Division One 11/03/2008

Saints 2 Queen of the South 1 League Table Here

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

With the league apparently dead and buried and only the cup replay to look forward to in a week's time, there was still a lot of pride to play for tonight as the division's form team (and already qualified semi-finalists) Queen of the South came to town. Of course, there was also the matter of making up to the fans for what had to be one of our worst performances of the season at Palmerston a few weeks ago as a poor Saints side collapsed to a three-one defeat. Added to that though, thoughts were starting to move towards next season and while for some the future was already certain, there were still some players who had a point to prove to the manager and fans to show they were worth a new contract in the summer. Plus we were only four points clear of fourth-placed Queens and while third was being looked on with disappointment as a league placing this season, there's no doubt that dropping further down the league might trigger an earlier squad rebuilding exercise.

The game itself though turned out to be almost one of those frustrating affairs that leaves supporters despondent. We dominated for long spells before doing the usual and losing a stupid goal, a bad injury to Jacko before we hit back with a couple of cracking goals for a well-deserved win - just the sort of confidence-boosting victory that can trigger anew the hopes of the faithful for the rest of the season. We easily deserved the points and while it may not be enough in the long run, the overall performance was enough to send the fans home happy.

We had no real injury worries from the cup-tie with the usual suspects still taking up beds in the McDiarmid intensive care unit that the physio's room has turned into in recent months. There was a question as to how tired the players would be after their weekend exertions, although Jody Morris was apparently fully-prepared for an extra half-hour's work. At least we had some good news with Kevin James managing an interim striker's role from the bench and the strikers surviving the thuggery inflicted by the normally mild-mannered Iain Maxwell now suffering from being under the influence of the Millen Psycho Philosophy. Pamela was available again after his two match league ban but Liam Craig was forced to sit in the stand for the final game of his ban. None of the other injury victims were available and Alan Main had been a doubt in the morning with a calf strain. He made it but one noticable absentee was Goran Stanic which meant Ando deputising at left-back while Rocco and Sheerin came into the side to start as well. Their places on the bench were made up with Mooner and Weatherston recalled to the dugout. For the Doonhamers, Steve Tosh was suspended (which nicely counterbalanced Craig missing out) but the weekend goal heroes in Dobbie and Ryan "Piss off the Dundee fans" McCann were both in the starting lineup while the bane of Falkirk residents John Stewart was on the bench.

No FIFA or UEFA bigwigs either and strangely enough Gordon Smith hadn't turned into a follower the diddy teams tonight. But the game started with Saints looking well up for it despite the drizzly blustery conditions. Within a minute of the kick-off, Peaso won the first of about a million corners for us. Rocco sent the inswinger over, McManus headed it back and Peaso headed it over the bar which turned into the story of the first half as the final touch was lacking for the home side. Queens were well pressed back into their own half with the Saints defence comfortably mopping up any punts up the park. It wasn't until the eighth minute though that we created a clearcut shooting opportunity with a good break seeing Savo release Peaso on the right. He got into the box but his shot was blocked by his namesake in the opposition goal. Even then the rebound fell kindly for Jacko but his shot went inches wide of the goal.

The midfield wasn't quite firing on all cylinders. Rocco was playing well but Jody seemed to be struggling for pace at times although as usual when he got the ball, he wasn't wasting a pass. Even so we should have been making more of the pressure that we had. Jacko was on the end of another hefty challenge from the Queens defence in the 13th minute. Rocco took the freekick which rounded the wall but McDonald did well to get down and tip it wide. That led to a series of corners but the best effort from those was when the ball broke to the edge of the box and Rustybitz sent a wayward lob well wide of the target. Jacko was clobbered by Aitken in the 15th minute but the freekick was wasted and then the next corner won by Savo a couple of minutes later ended up with a Queens player sending a looping header back to his own keeper who only just held it.

Saints next move came down the right with the impressive Gary Irvine making a run and sending a ball forward which Jacko headed down for Rocco but he failed to control the ball properly in the box - summing up the frustration the East Stand was beginning to feel at the lack of composure and concentration on the park. Suddenly Queens managed to get their first real attack of the game and after a poor Rustybitz clearance in the 22nd minute, Dobbie managed to put down his extra-large whopper long enough to take the ball for a run into the box managing to squeeze his enormous bulk between several Saints players before firing in a low drive that Main held. Four minutes later and Ryan McCann proved he was in the mood for more goals with a good run allowed to go unchallenged down the right before trying a shot that again the Saints keeper held. Two minutes after that and another Queens break tore us apart down the middle with Ando left floundering and O'Connor through on goal - this time Rustybitz was there to make the tackle and concede the corner - Irvine clearing the danger eventually.

With thirty minutes gone, we had our best move of the game with a clearance finding Rocco in the middle. He released Savo who played the ball wide right for Peaso and his cutback found Jacko only for a defender to get in and block the shot. Play switched back to the other end of the park with a sudden Queens counter finding Main coming well out of his box to clear the danger. As the half wound down though, Saints were struggling to create any real chances with the opposition defence playing the offside trap and too often decent balls wasted (Sheerin's freekick straight to the keeper in the 33rd minute being a prime example). Queens had their chances with a good spell of pressure ten minutes before the break finding the Saints defence all over the place in their own box before Rusty eased the pressure with some good control in the six yard box before dribbling clear. The midfield had at least come back more into the game as we chased the first goal with Rocco very impressive at the heart of the play including some skill to twice rob McQuilken leaving the Queens player on the deck wondering where the ball had gone. But for all that our finishing and final ball were very poor while the defence looked decidedly shaky at times.

The second-half saw Del switch things about with his first substitution as Ando was taken off and Wilson introduced. Not sure why Ando was removed - he seemed fit but it could have been tactical. As it was Paul Sheerin, being about the only left-sided player on the park moved back to left-back. Even then there were more worries soon after the restart as Rustybitz seemed to pick up a nasty thigh knock and then we had the wonderful sight of Main dribbling the ball past Dobbie and out of the Saints penalty area - wonderful showmanship but a bloody nightmare to watch. Wilson was playing up the left-midfield as Rocco moved to the middle and Bazza managed to get a decent deep cross into the box in the 50th minute but Peaso could only head the ball over the bar. The goal kick went straight to Jody and his header for Jacko was cruelly ruled offside. Even worse a minute later Wilson set up Savo who, spotting Jacko offside played the ball left to the miles onside Rocco only for the referee (who had a decent game overall) to pull him back for offside again. It was almost enough to get the Saints fans riled if we weren't so cold and wet.

Queens made their first change just after that with O'Connor withdrawn in favour of Stewart (strange as even a one-legged, blind, headless O'Connor would have been more use than Stewart). Saints were still enjoying most of the pressure and in the 54th minute some Savo persistence won the ball out wide and his cross for Jacko was missed by the striker but the ball broke out for Sheerin but his 20yarder was held. That was kiss of death time and a minute later Queens were up the park. A clash on the left had most of us looking for a freekick but with no whistle forthcoming, Dobbie decided to get his revenge on Main with a Swankie-esque chip shot from the edge of the box which went (yup you've guessed it) over the stranded Main's head and in under the bar to give them the lead. It just seemed like it was going to be one of those nights again.

Saints lost their shape a bit after that with too much urgency in our play leading to slack passes and too many balls going astray. Wilson tried to set up Savo with another of his trademark crosses but the final header went over the bar. We forced a corner thanks to Jacko but Rustybitz sent a header in which was too easily cleared. Savo had a low drive go wide of goal while for Queens, their third substitution saw Dobbie off as they went even more defensive.

With 21 minutes remaining, the game had its first real moment of controversy as Reid went in heavily from behind on Jacko as both players challenged for a high ball. He recovered to be yellow-carded but Jacko was floored and unconscious and it wasn't long before the doc and the paramedics were on the park. There was a delay of about five minutes as the striker received treatment before being stretchered off up the tunnel but ironically the nature of the challenge seemed to spur both the fans and players into life.

The game resumed with Weatherston on for Jacko while Jody Morris was also replaced by Mooner as we went for broke. Play had only been underway for about another minute when a good deep Sheerin cross in from the left found McManus and he had a decent low shot that was cleared off the line for a corner. That was played out and then chipped into the six yard box where Wilson rose up for a header that was cleared off the line but this time only as far as Peaso and from about three yards out he made no mistake to make it one each.

The goal fired us up and we began to press with the Doonhamers chances not really helped much by the defensive nature of their substitutions. Even so time was running out (even if there was about seven or eight minutes of injury time to play). Queens were limited to speculative crosses although at times we seemed to be our worst enemies with Main slipping ten minutes from the end as a cross came in only for Sheerin to get him out of trouble. Two minutes later and Wilson played a neat one-two with Peaso to be set up for a long-range shot that their keeper held. We won a corner just after that and Weatherston played the ball in where it bounced around the box for Rusty and Rocco to try their luck but both saw their shots blocked and held. We seemed to be sending loads of balls into the box and as the opposition visibly tired, Rocco, Savo and Peaso were managing to find a lot more room to move on the attack.

Wilson had another cross into the box in the 84th minute but a defender managed to just beat Weatherston to the ball. Then two minutes later another ball into a crowded box was headed on for Peaso and he somehow managed to bring it down, control it and surrounded by yellow shirts, turn and fire an unstoppable shot past McDonald to give us the lead - to be honest it was nothing more than we deserved given the way we'd dominated the game. Even then it seemed we weren't done as we chased the game to try and finish it off. Peaso played a cross into the box that Savo just failed to control as injury time beckoned but it was Queens who had the ball in the net two minutes beyond the end of normal time only for the referee and linesman to correctly chalk it off for offside against McCann - although there was still a bit of a concern that the Saints defence and keeper were relying on the referee's whistle.

Back up the other end and Saints had a decent effort from Rocco from about thirty yards out sail over the bar. That was followed up by Mooner playing a neat one-two with Savo at the edge of the box before trying to play a low shot that McDonald got down to hold. Queens last chance came in the 96th minute when McCann again got into the Saints box and took the ball to the byeline where he managed to beat Main only for that man Sheerin to clear the ball when it went across the goalmouth. The game finished with Saints on the attack with Peaso and Savo linking to set up Rocco for a shot deflected out for a corner. That turned into more skill as Peaso left two Queens players standing at the corner flag before cutting along the goalline and trying a cheeky shot that was held by the keeper.

Despite some nervy moments this was a game we thoroughly deserved to win and should have done so by a bigger margin. The loss of Jacko was a sore one but seemed to spark the team into life and as we've seen so often, when we get the first goal the confidence just grow. The biggest disappointment tonight was losing yet another soft goal due to what seemed to be poor positioning from Main. However, the rest of the players all played their part tonight with the defence as solid as ever (Irvine seems to be improving each game). Morris was quiet but effective in midfield but he was helped by the return to form of Rocco and even when Moon replaced him, the Saints youngster was more than up to the task. Up front all three strikers (plus sub Davey) did their part and if Jacko is ruled out at the weekend then perhaps it's time to give Weatherston a starting jersey. As for MoM I can't see past Peaso - he's been criticised for his lack of goals recently but two crackers tonight made up for that.

At least the dream's not over yet!!!!!

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