Match report

Saturday, 27 March 2010
A bad day at the office

Clydesdale Bank Premier League
Hamilton Accies (1) v Saints (0)
Attendance [2,245]

Saints returned to the scene of their first SPL win of the season today. It was back in October that a 2-0 win eased some nerves and the task today was to try and repeat that success and close in on a top six place – Hearts had already gone down to Rangers by the time this one kicked off.

Derek McInnes sprung a surprise for the game. Loan Bolton defender Mark Connolly has had to be patient since joining the club in January but he finally got his chance today, slotting into the right back role in place of Gary Irvine.
That was one of two changes from Tuesday’s draw with Falkirk – Kenny Deuchar had recovered from his ankle knock and replaced Cillian Sheridan up front.

The weather forecast would indicate that we are headed back to winter next week and this was certainly no spring day with a cold wind whipping around the ground. The strength of the wind was probably a factor in the poor fare which was offered up in the first half and while it wasn’t at all pleasing on the eye, you have to say that it was the home side who enjoyed the best of it and apart from the opening 15 minutes the play, when it wasn’t bogged down in a dour middle of the park battle, was a fairly regular procession towards Graeme Smith and the Saints fans behind his goal.

That opening quarter of an hour had seen Saints come close and when Kenny Deuchar headed the ball back across goal from a cross and it was flicked on by the head of Morais, Michael Duberry was just beaten to it by Martin Canning whose header behind for a corner kick was only inches wide of his own goal.

The home side’s best chance of that opening spell came when Antoine-Curier headed just wide from a cross from the right – it was the closer of two headed efforts he had in that first half.

After that fairly bright opening, the game descended into a poor affair with the ball being battered around the middle of the park and the whistle of referee Crawford Allan a regular feature of the game.

Prompted by the likes of Paixao, Mesning and Wesolowski, the home side took the game to Saints and good defending was required to keep their scoring chances to a minimum although passes carried by the wind were also a factor in that.

The best chance Accies had was from a free kick just a yard outside the Saints area after Murray Davidson had brought down Wesolowski. Former Perth man Simon mensing fired his kick straight at the defensive wall but when the ball was knocked back in there was a hearts-in-the-mouth moment as Curier found himself onside but he couldn’t get a touch with just Smith in front of him.

Mark Connolly and Michael Duberry were yellow carded within minutes of each other and while the debutant could have no complaints, Duberry had every right to feel aggrieved as he clearly got the ball ahead of the player.

With rain added to the equation of inclement weather it looked like Saints might survive until the break but it was not to be because within seconds of a rare Perth attack, the home side were ahead.

Deuchar found a Liam Craig cross too hot to control and the ball went for a goal kick and when that kick reached the middle of the park, Simon Mensing released James Wesolowski and he glanced up before firing an effort just inside Graeme Smith’s right hand post.

Kenny Deuchar and Martin Canning had clashed heads after 25 minutes and the Saints striker didn’t reappear for the second half, his place being taken by Collin Samuel and there was a change in defence at half-time too. Mark Connolly’s debut proved to be of just 45 minutes duration and he was replaced by Steven Anderson who paired up with Michael Duberry in the centre of defence and Dave Mackay moved to right back.

The opening ten minutes or so of the second half were as dull as much of the first half had been but Saints finally picked things up just after the hour mark.

The first of four successive corner was sparked by Liam Craig getting on the end of a long ball from the back by Dave Mackay. Liam got in behind the defence but had to go wide and that allowed Cerny to push his parting effort behind for a corner.

The first three corners were handled by the home defence but when the last one came in it flew right across the six yard box with no takers – Samuel just failed to get a touch and Steven Anderson at the far post seemed to be flummoxed by that and he headed wide.

It turned out that was to be the best chance of the game for Saints and although it was a better second half performance, we created little else and Accies once again became the more likely side to add to their lead.

The closest they came to doing that was in 69 minutes when Graeme Smith produced a brilliant tip over the bar to deny Paixao who had got his head to a Mensing cross – the Saints keeper back peddled quickly to push it over.

The same Accies player looked to have a good appeal for a penalty turned down when he was clipped by Steven Anderson and that got the temperature of the home crowd rising.

The closing stages were far from pretty on an increasingly grey, wet day and with that home support sensing victory they were baying for blood as Saints lost their discipline in injury time.

Three players were booked in quick succession – Jody Morris and Danny Grainger for fouls and Liam Craig for booting the ball away just as referee Crawford Allan blew the final whistle.

This was poor stuff from Saints today and we have not been able to say that very often this season. We were second best to an in-form home side who deserved their win and who played with confidence throughout.

Saints created virtually nothing – Liam Craig’s second half effort was as good as it got.

On a day when Falkirk, St Mirren and Kilmarnock – and in terms of a top six finish is concerned, Hearts - lost, this would have good one to win but it was not to be.

SAINTS: Smith, Connolly (Anderson), Grainger, Duberry, Mackay, Morris, Millar, Davidson (Sheridan), Craig, Deuchar (Samuel), Morais.
Subs not used: Main, Irvine, Sheerin, Swankie

ACCIES: Cerny, Canning, McLaughlin, Wesolowski, McArthur, Antoine-Curier (Thomas), Neil, Easton, F Paixo, Imrie (M Paixo) Mensing.
Subs not used: Murdoch, McClenahan, Evans, Elebert, Kirkpatrick

Referee: Crawford Allan