Saints
1 Partick 0 Saints
1 Partick 0
Team :: Main,McQuillan,Il
Biscotti,Kane,Weir,Kernaghan,Scott,O'Neill,Roddy,Georgio,Jenko
Subs :: McCluskey,Tosh,Wright
Well thank Christ thats over - surely one of the most disappointing Saints performances (despite the result), this season with only Mains saves and a Kernaghan header 3 minutes into the match giving the fans any sort of entertainment at all.
Its not as though we didn't have a strong side out there with only Davison and Dasovic missing out through injury. However their replacements in Legend and Jenko showed just how much complacency is setting in at the club with the team seemingly happy to sit back after Kernaghan bulletted home a header from a Jenko corner after 3 mins. Even Partick hitting the bar in the first half and forcing Main into a world-class stop in the second didn't affect the total apathy certain members of the Saints side showed for most of the match.
First of all Jenko - after Il Biscottis performances in the left wing over the last few weeks its becoming more and more obvious that apart from corners and free kicks Jenks the Taff has nothing to offer Saints any more. Added to this his total lack of teamplay with Preston (whos just as guilty) and we have a left flank that is basically crap. Too many times today Jenko either held back for the ball or when he did get forward, either tried to cut in and lost the ball or else put over a crap cross.
Next the forwards - for too long Georgio has been carrying the sole threat up front - hell, even the program notes that we need a striker. Today showed that when hes off form then the team is basically crap on the attack. Legend is I hate to say it past it for a 90 minute match. Why El Luggino didn't take him off I'll never know. Roddy has a tendency now to just shoot no matter how slender the chance of hitting the target when only a few years ago he would have tried to make room for himself.
The midfields next for the rant - Scott and Kane just don't seem to gel together. Both players are too similar in style with the effect that the midfield didnt spread out enough and was either all in defence or in attack leaving us exposed. Kane was awarded sponsors MoM but why I dont know - too often hes giving the ball away at crucial times. As for Phizzy he needs a spell in the reserves. When he was replaced by Tosh, the difference in the midfield was all too obvious. Tosh is playing for the jersey and a place in the team and as such shows the keenness and aggression that too many of the first team are missing.
Even the defence wasn't too hot today - all had good games (esp McQ who was my MoM), but Kernaghan and Weir were too often just clearing their lines. Still another clean sheet might help the confidence.
As for the Wegies - they had a fairly young team out and were very well organised in defence (especially the man-marking). Up front they weren't too dangerous, thank God else we would be looking at another Ochilview.
Still at least we're in the next round.
Remember to vote on todays ref Willie Young (Clarkston) - send marks out of 10 to refvote@grange.demon.co.uk