Match report

Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Saints and United share spoils in a cracker

Clydesdale Bank Premier League
Dundee United (3) v Saints (3)
Attendance [6,634]

Left: Liam Craig fires home to give Saints a 2-0 lead despite the attempted interception by Darren Dods.

Derek McInnes rang the changes for our third game against United this season. Out went Murray Davidson, Kenny Deuchar, Steven Milne and the suspended Graham Gartland and in their place came Kevin Moon, Peter MacDonald, Steven Anderson and there was a debut for Cillian Sheridan.

The game opened brightly with Saints clearly intent on putting Sunday’s defeat behind them and there was only six minutes on the clock when we made the breakthrough.

Jody Morris knocked the ball into the box and Kovacevic only cleared it as far as Kevin Moon who was quick to head it into the path of Peter MacDonald and Peaso showed his best striker’s instincts by firing home with his right foot while the United rearguard appealed in vain for offside.

It was a superb start for Saints and they went looking for more right away and MacDonald came within a yard or so of doubling his and his team’s tally when he fired a volley across goal and just wide of the far post – his chance coming after debutant Cillian Sheridan had beautifully laid off a Chris Millar ball.

United tried to get back into things and Danny Swanson always looked a danger when he ranged forward but the Perth defence performed well in mopping up a lot of the danger.

Graeme Smith was called into action in 14 minutes but it was a relatively straightforward save for him after Swanson’s 20 yard free kick clipped the top of the Perth defensive wall and rose into his gloves.

The Saints keeper – so impressive against Celtic – made two good saves soon after as United pressed and he moved quickly to deny Conway and Daly.

Saints sent the good travelling support into raptures in 21 minutes when they doubled their lead and it was Liam Craig who added to his Scottish Cup goals against Forfar and his penalty success against Celtic with a clinical finish.

Danny Grainger’s long throw-in created the chance, the ball taking a nick off Morgaro Gomis and breaking to Liam who was in acres of space and as Darren Dods closed in he glanced up before clipping the ball over Pernis and into the far corner.

Liam was maybe the darling of the Saints fans but he became the devil in the eyes of the United fans moments later when he clipped Danny Swanson as the pacey United man raced by him on the wing and it is maybe just as well for Liam that the offence was at the centre line rather than further upfield – a yellow card sufficed when the home fans were wanting a red.

The United fans were on their feet incensed again when Swanson went down in the box under a challenge from Grainger but he appeared to be the only United player looking for the penalty and referee Stevie O’Reilly wasn’t interested.

Peter MacDonald had a half-chance before the break but his shot after Kevin Moon had failed to get a good connection on a Sheridan ball was across the face of goal.

A deserved lead for Saints who looked relatively comfortable at 2-0.

Where do we begin with the second half?

Well, it was only seven minutes old when United reduced the deficit and you have to feel sorry for Gary Irvine. He challenged Conway for the ball right on the byline and he appeared to land on top of the ball which got trapped under him. While he was trying to get off the ball it struck his hand although how he was meant to avoid it is anyone’s guess. Nevertheless, the free kick was awarded and Conway’s free kick was headed powerfully into the net by Daly to make it 2-1.

United looked to build on that, the early secind half goal having given them and their fans confidence and they came close on a couple of occasions with Smith a rock in the Perth goal. However, he was utterly powerless to stop the equaliser which finally came in 69 minutes – Danny Swanson pouncing on a loose ball 22 yards from goal and sending a super looping volley well out of Smith’s reach and into the net.

Saints were on the ropes now and they received what might have been a knock-out blow just three minutes later when United completed the turnaround by making it 3-2. There was an element of fortune about it with substitute Myrie-Williams breaking down the right and trying his luck from 25 yards and the ball took a wicked deflection off Steven Anderson to take it out of the reach of the diving Smith.

A remarkable turnaround and the United fans were in raptures at what they were seeing but their joy lasted only 75 seconds before Saints bounced back to make it 3-3.

Filipe Morais and Kenny Deuchar had just replaced Liam Craig and cramp-troubled Cillian Sheridan immediately after the United equaliser and the two new boys combined to set up Kevin Moon who produced an intelligent finish off the far post and into the net – cue delirium from the Perth support.

The remainder of the game was almost tame in comparison to that three-goal-in-five-minute spell.

Both sides had chances to win it and in truth United maybe looked the more likely of the two to nick it but in the end both sides looked like they were not too unhappy with a share of the spoils given what had gone in the preceding 90 minutes.

Deuchar and Morris picked up bookings – the captain for coming to the rescue of Deuchar after an injury time melee sparked by a clash between the Saints striker and the United keeper as they went for a ball which Deuchar was perfectly entitled to challenge for. It was a high-octane end to a remarkable game and a well deserved point for Saints.

SAINTS: Smith, Irvine, Grainger, Morris, Millar, Craig (Morais), Mackay, Moon, MacDonald, Anderson, Sheridan (Deuchar)
Subs not used: McLean, McCaffrey, Milne, Reynolds, Hemsley

DUNDEE UNITED: Pernis, Dods, Conway (Myrie-Williams), Daly, Swanson, Buaben, Gomis, Kenneth, Kovacevic, Dixon, Goodwillie (Casalinuovo).
Subs not used: Banks, Dillon, Robertson, Shala, Cameron

Referee: Stevie O’Reilly

PHOTOS
Top - Kevin Moon celebrates after making it 3-3
Bottom - Jody Morris gets involved in the melee which followed a clash between Kenny Deuchar and Dusan Pernis. United's Paul Dixon had reacted angrily to Deuchar's challenge on the United keepr.