Temple Of Saints - Oh Happy Days!!

Scottish Premier League - 25/03/2000

Gloriously Victorious Saints 2 Scumdee Losers 1 League Table Here

Team : Robbo,Danny,Bollan,Weir,Dods,Kane,Chief,Del,Jones, Gerry,Frail
Subs : Cuthbert,Paddy,Pope,Millar,Nosey

Now this is a nice feeling. Sitting typing up a report after watching Saints snatch victory in injury time over a bunch of diving, cheating, soap-dodging rat-munchers. Sure there were some crap performances today (although some folk in the East Stand should be ashamed of themselves the way they barracked the players from the off), and the team isn't exactly playing confident passing football but all that fades into the background when you bask in the knowledge that we totally shafted those Coagies with a couple of brilliant goals.

There were three changes from last weeks bores. Nathan dropped out through injury and Pope and Paddy were moved to the bench with Frail back in midfield and the Corporal and Karaoke King taking the striking slots. Nosey got a spot on the bench, whilst new signing Marc Millar (we need a nickname for him) joined him there.

To say the least the first 10 minutes or so were not the best I've seen at McD. Scumdee all over us with Saints unable to pass a ball, kick a ball, head a ball or do anything positive. Of course the jeers from the East Stand didn't help matters either. Still at least Scumdee proved to be inept in front of goal as well.

The Karaoke King had Saints first shot but his weak drive went wide on the quarter hour mark as the game settled down to a boring midfield battle. Gerry had another shot over as Saints tried to play the ball on the ground (such novelty) and gradually got back into the game. Chief and Del both had headers although the lack of sharpness from the Corporal didn't help matters as to say the least, he laboured on the ball and looked slow off it.

Our best chance came when Del was upended by a thug - up stepped Danny and his 100mph shot was only palmed away by Rab the Scab - as usual nobody from Saints was in a position to take advantage of the rebound.

We had the now traditional blatant penalty denied when one of the Scumdee thugs handled in the box (probably trying to nick the ball knowing our Tayside neighbours), whilst Jones saw a weak drive go wide on the half-hour mark. Scumdee broke upfield and had a couple of shots but nothing to test Robbo who looks more and more confident in goal each game (although this wasn't helped by some inept defending from Weir, Griffin and Dods at times).

Just as it looked like heading for a goalless half-time score Blaster got the break of the ball on the half-way line. He ran up the left, beating a coagie before letting fly with a rocket of a shot. All of 30 yards out and Rab the Scab barely moved in the right direction before it was in the net - an absolute cracker of a goal and the coagies in the North Stand should just be grateful the net stopped it making an improvement to their already ugly mugs.

So with confidence high you'd think that we'd come out all guns blazing in the second half. Wrong. 48 minutes gone and the tinks break down the right. With the defence posted missing Wee Tink Grady gets the cross over to OAP Tink Fuckinwhoer (or something like that) who has all the room to turn and tap a low shot past Robbo from 2 yards. With typical Scumdee upbringing the goal was an absolute steal.

After that Saints lost their shape for a bit with Dods and Kane seemingly intent on settling for the long-ball game. On the other side though the tinks were fired up and Robbo had a couple of good saves. We got back into it though and Gerry, Chief and Del all had shots although it looked like being a repeat of last weeks boredom with nothing likely to trouble the keeper. Even worse was the attitude of the bench where St Sandy couldn't see that the front area needed freshening up. It got worse as well - 72 minutes gone and Gerry had an age to turn on the ball in the box but missed his shot. A minute later and Weir picked up the first booking of the game for what looked like dissent - but given the way that both he and Danny were fired up it at least provided some hope that there was a bit of passion left in the team.

Saints continued to press. Three minutes later Gerry missed an almost identical sitter (you just knew it wouldn't be his day). Then Del had a penalty claim turned down by ref Tom Brown who looked to be losing control. Jones caught Barry Smith (as in ex-TFOE Tink). Accidental but the tink then decided to play up by clutching at his face as though shot (which seemed like a good idea actually). The ref warns him off for playacting then books the Corporal. Like I said lost control.

Sandy finally made a couple of changes with Lazarus on for the Karaoke King and new boy Marc Millar on for Frail who to be honest was totally shite for the whole game. With 10 minutes to go Danny became the third booking for Saints again for a nothing offence as Annand practised his playacting. By this time Saints were fired up and despite facing a couple of corners still managed to move the ball back up to the Coagie end although our corners amounted to the usual nothing.

93 minutes and justice was done. Jones had the ball on the edge of the box and he fed it in to Lazarus. Paddy couldn't get a shot in but he fed it out right and found Marc Millar who blasted a 20 yarder in off the crossbar past a stationary Scab in the Scumdee goal.

Scumdee kicked off again but Brown spared them further humiliation by blowing the final whistle immediately and we had the novelty of a Saints side being cheered off the park at full time.

MoM for me was Cap'n Jim. He showed some fight for the 90 minutes and even managed some wing play as well. Mentions to for Danny and Del who both looked up for the game whilst Kane and Chief had solid displays in midfield. Unfortunately Dods, Frail and Jones were just crap. Bollan was caught out a few times and as for Gerry....you keep on feeling that he's just unlucky but there's something about him and the first team which doesn't gel. Marc Millar had some nice touches when he came on and didn't get red-carded which was a change. And he saw his first game in a Saints shirt end up with him scoring the winner in injury time against the tinks...that might be enough to keep the moaners off his back for a couple of weeks anyway.

Nice to be in a good mood on a Saturday night.

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