Match report

Sunday, 24 January 2010
Ten man Saints take second half battering

Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League
Saints (1) v Celtic (4)
Attendance [7,743]

ABOVE: Liam Craig celebrates after putting Saints 1-0 ahead in the first half.

For our first home game since the 19th December. Derek McInnes made one change to the side which defeated Forfar in the Scottish Cup on Monday evening, Peter MacDonald dropping to the bench to allow Murray Davidson to come into the middle of the park.

There was the welcome sight of Andy Jackson taking a place on the bench.

The under-pressure Glasgow side, looking to take advantage of Rangers dropping two points yesterday, tried to grab the initiative from the start and although they saw plenty of the ball, Saints keeper Graeme Smith was able to usher long range shots from Zhi Zheng and Niall McGinn wide and high of the goal.

However, the travelling support had a shock in store in the 12th minutes when Saints took the lead from a penalty kick.

Saints had hinted that they were getting into their passing game and it was a lovely move which led to the award by referee William Collum. Murray Davidson provided a lovely lay-off to Steven Milne and when challenged by both Darren O’Dea and Glenn Loovens it was clear he had been impeded and the spot kick award was a formality.

Liam Craig stepped up to take the kick and sent Boruc the wrong way to make it 1-0 to Saints.

Tony Mowbray’s side tried to get back on level terms quickly and it took some determined defending from the home side to keep them at bay. In particular, the Glasgow side’s Chinese recruit Zhi Zeng had to be denied and Jody Morris was the first to Saints’ rescue, scooping a low drive off the line and then moments later Danny Grainger provided a great block to deny the Celt.

A delay of some four minutes followed after Celtic’s Glenn Loovens had to be strechered off the field after picking up an injury.

Saints played some nice football in the remainder of the half but, in truth, it was Celtic who were asking most of the questions going forward with McGinn, Samaras and McGeady all prominent in their promptings.

Chris Millar provided a great tackle on one occasion while Graham Gartland picked up a yellow card for halting McGeady but while the visitors probed, Graeme Smith was relatively untroubled, called only to watch as a couple of efforts disappeared into the Ormond Stand behind him.

The second half started in brighter fashion – literally. A problem with the floodlighting had been identified prior to kick off and the first half had been played out under lights only one third effective. However, engineers had been summoned and quickly identified that a power surge had caused the problem and they were able to ensure the full set of lights were up and running for the start of the second half.

It may have been bright but things quickly turned dark for Saints when they were reduced to ten men less than twenty seconds after the restart.

Marc Antoine Fortune tried to burst through straight from the kick-off but was clipped by Graham Gartland just outside the box and referee Collum immediately showed the red card. It looked as if there might have been covering defenders but the referee was unmoved and Saints faced more or less the whole of the second half a man short.

Steven Anderson came on, with Steven Milne be sacrificed but it was always going to be an uphill struggle and so it proved.

McGeady, Samaras and McGinn all scorned channces as Celtic turned up the heat, with Saints keeper Graeme Smith providing the first of what was to be a succession of great saves to deny Darren O’Dea.

However, the visitors made the breakthrough in 64 minutes and never looked back.

Marc Antoine Fortune provided what would prove to be the goal of the game when he lashed an unstoppable shot high into Graeme Smith’s right hand side.

The Saints keeper continued to provide heroics, making three great saves but he was was powerless to stop Samaras volleying Celtic into the lead in 76 minutes.

Four minutes later, Fortune grabbed his second of the game, pouncing on a loose ball from close range and the scoring was completed by substitute Paddy McCourt who cut in from left and produced a clinical finish with five minutes remaining.

Saints were rarely able to break out of their half for much of that second period and Boruc was a spectator for much of the game although he had to be alert as substitute Kevin Moon fizzed in a shot on goal which went wide.

A sore one for Saints and we will never know what the pattern of play would have been had Gartland not received his marching orders. Celtic’s quality eventually told and man of the match Graeme Smith prevented a worse scoreline.


SAINTS: Smith, Irvine, Grainger, Mackay, Gartland, Morris, Millar, Davidson (Moon), Craig, Deuchar (MacDonald), Milne (Anderson).
Subs: Main, Morais

CELTIC: Boruc, Hinkel (McCourt), Samaras, Fortune, McGinn, Crossas, Loovens (Caddis), Zhi (McGowan), Thompson, McGeady, O’Dea.
Subs: Zaluska, Mizuno, Lafferty, Forrest,

Referee: William Collum

Att: 7,743

PHOTOS:
Top: Chris Millar battles for possession with Paul Caddis
BOTTOM: Graham Gartland (right, No 18) protests his innocence but he is about to receive his marching orders for a foul on the grounded Fortune.