Match report

Saturday, 19 December 2009
Millar goal nets vital win

Clydesdale Bank Premier League
Saints (1) v St Mirren (0)
Attendance [2,993]

ABOVE: Chris Millar drills home the only goal of the game.

There was a fresh face in the Saints starting eleven for today’s match against St Mirren with Peter MacDonald starting a competitive match for the first time since August 2008.

He teamed up with Kenny Deuchar up front while defender Gary Irvine also came back into the side at right back with Dave Mackay moving into the centre of defence alongside Graham Gartland. Alan Main was ill and unable to take his place on the bench.

There had been a heavy twenty minute snow shower two hours before kick off which left a dusting on the pitch and although referee Mike Tumility opted for the yellow match ball there were few problems on a pitch which was soft thanks to the undersoil heating.

The first clear cut chance of the match came at the St Johnstone end and after the traumas of last weekend’s match at Ibrox, the Perth defence was glad to see Billy Mehmet drive an effort just wide of Graeme Smith’s right hand post after he found himself in acres of space during a quick St Mirren attack.

Perth Saints went looking for an early goal and soon after Kevin Moon had tested Paul Gallacher from 25 yards, Jody Morris should have done better than drive the ball over the bar after getting on the end of a Filipe Morais cross which had eluded Peter MacDonald by inches.

The 17th minute saw Graeme Smith come to our rescue when he found himself one-on-one with Craig Dargo and the big Perth keeper won the battle of the nerves as he blocked the Paisley man’s shot. It proved to be a pivotal moment because just two minutes later Saints were in front with what was to prove the only goal of the game.

If we had been the architects of our own downfall at Ibrox, St Mirren will feel the same way about this one. David Barron gave possession away cheaply and Chris Millar needed just one touch to tee himself up for a 25 yard dig at goal and his shot was low, powerful and unerring in its accuracy as it flew under Gallacher and into the far corner of the net.

St Mirren were lively in attack with Higdon and Mehmet keeping the Perth defence on their toes. Danny Grainger and St Mirren’s Michael Higdon picked up yellow cards and that was to prove costly later for the visiting player.

In terms of goal scoring chances, neither goalkeeper was overworked before half-time although Smith had to get down quickly to a Higdon effort and Gallacher would have been powerless to prevent a goal had Peter MacDonald’s deflected effort from a Chris Millar shot not gone just the wrong side of the post.

Higdon and Deuchar had chances for their respective sides before the break but both were wayward with their efforts.

The second half was only a couple of minutes old when Peter MacDonald had to be replaced due to receiving a knock and his place was taken by the returning Steven Milne.

St Johnstone were playing the better football and on the hour mark forced three successive corners without troubling Paul Gallacher and that almost proved crucial when the Buddies broke to the other end and only a great headed interception by Danny Grainger stopped a probable equaliser with two St Mirren players attacking a McGinn cross.

Liam Craig replaced Filipe Morais on 63 minutes and just four minutes later there was a talking point when St Mirren were reduced to ten men. It wasn’t a malicious foule but Michael Higdon was needlessly late on Graham Gartland after the Irishman had released the ball and the second yellow card was inevitable.

Gary Irvine was the next man into Mike Tumilty’s notebook and rightly so for a crude stop on Craig Dargo as the St Mirren man burst down the left.

Jody Morris lashed the ball high over the goal for the third time in the afternoon soon after but Kenny Deuchar was unlucky to see a quick-thinking lob drop over the bar after a mix-up in the Paisley side’s defence had left Paul Gallacher stranded.

The remainder of the half saw Saints play a lot of good football but without creating anything in terms of clear cut chances – the final delivery often letting us down but at the other end, St Mirren lacked the cutting edge to get through a solid and confident Perth rearguard.

Injury time did cause flutters in Perth hearts as St Mirren looked to grab an unlikely equaliser and Gary Irvine and Liam Craig were both required to provide important clearances in that time.

A deserved win for Saints who played good football for long spells in the game but lacked the cutting edge and final delivery to make Gallacher in the St Mirren goal work hard. The Perth defence – so beleaguered at Ibrox last week – performed well with Graham Gartland rediscovering the form he had come onto prior to his injury at Pittodrie in November.


SAINTS: Smith, Irvine, Grainger, Mackay, Gartland, Morris, Millar, Moon, Morais (Craig), Deuchar, MacDonald (Milne).
Subs not used: McLean, Anderson, Davidson, Durnan, May

ST MIRREN: Gallacher, McGinn (Robb), Mair, Potter, Murray (Ramsey), Mehmet, Thomson, Higdon, Dargo, Barron (O’Donnell), Innes.
Subs not used: Howard, Camara, Brady, McLennan

Referee: Mike Tumilty

PHOTOS -
Top: Graham Gartland lies crumpled after a late challenge by Michael Higdon - the St Mirren man was about to receive his marching orders from referee Mike Tumilty
Bottom: Kenny Deuchar fires an effort over in the first half