First Team
Chris Millar Testimonial: Saints 2-2 Aberdeen
8th July 2018
Sunday 8th July
Saints and Aberdeen drew 2-2 on a very warm afternoon in Perth today for Chris Millar’s Testimonial match.
Saints took the lead on 5 minutes when David Wotherspoon converted a Richard Foster cross.
However, The Dons were level on 8 minutes courtesy of a Stevie May effort. The visitors then took the lead on 28 minutes as Scott Wright converted after going on a great solo run.
However, Saints drew level on 73 minutes when Greg Hurst curled a great strike past Joe Lewis.
MATCH REPORT
A decent crowd turned up this afternoon as Saints fans were given the opportunity to say farewell to former midfielder Chris Millar as McDiarmid Park hosted his testimonial match against Aberdeen. The Scottish Cup winning midfielder left McDiarmid Park at the end of last season after spending the last 10 years in Perth, making 323 appearances, scoring 8 goals.
Both sides fielded strong starting elevens as they prepared for the new season.
Before the match got underway Chris received a standing ovation and a guard of honour as he made his way onto the pitch.
Midge got the match underway before making his way off the pitch. Saints took the lead after 5 minutes as Richard Foster delivered a good ball in from the right picking out David Wotherspoon. The midfielder took one touch to control the ball before unleashing a great strike past Joe Lewis.
However, the Dons were not behind for long as 3 minutes later Lewis Ferguson played a through ball to Stevie May and the former Saints striker produced a neat lob over Zander Clark to bring the visitors level.
May then turned provider on 12 minutes as his ball from the right picked out Sam Cosgrove whose header from 15 yards went wide of the post.
On 20 minutes a Stephen Gleeson shot was easily held by Clark and the Saints goalkeeper was called into action again 4 minutes later, this time gathering an Andy Considine effort.
Aberdeen took the lead on 28 minutes as Scott Wright picked up the ball in midfield, turned his man and went on a great run through the middle and into the box before firing a low shot past Clark and into the corner of the net.
Before the game could get back underway both sets of players had a water break due to the hot weather.
On the half hour mark Saints were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Aberdeen box after Mikey Devlin had fouled Stefan Scougall. The free kick was taken by Wotherspoon however, his curled effort was put behind for a corner at the back post that didn’t come to anything.
Saints created another chance on 39 minutes as Drey Wright curled his effort wide of Lewis’s left-hand post. David McMillan came close to levelling the match 4 minutes later as Foster’s cross from the byline picked out the striker whose header went inches wide.
Both sides made a change before the second half got underway. Liam Gordon came on for Jason Kerr for Saints whilst Aberdeen brought on Adam Rooney for Sam Cosgrove.
On 49 minutes Scott Wright went on another good run through the middle before setting up Ferguson whose effort went narrowly over Clark’s goal.
Saints were awarded a free kick on 63 minutes which was taken by Liam Craig and his ball into the box was met by the head of McMillian who directed the ball towards goal however, his effort was cleared off the line by Andy Considine.
Saints though were level 10 minutes later as a ball into the box picked out Greg Hurst and he found space to send a curling effort past Lewis for a great finish.
With 15 minutes remaining the man of the moment Chris Millar came on for Greg Hurst to make a cameo appearance.
The closing stages saw both teams make changes as they aimed to give as many players as possible game time ahead of the new season. The closest Saints came to netting a third was on 86 minutes when Aaron Comrie setup Callum Hendry however, his effort went narrowly over.
Saints: Clark, Tanser, Anderson, Davidson (G. Hurst 56) (Millar 75), Wotherspoon, Wright (Comrie 84), Kerr (Gordon 45), McMillan (Hendry 65), Craig, Foster, Scougall (Trialist 72)
Unused Substitutes: M. Hurst (GK), McCann, McClean
Scorers: Wotherspoon (5), G. Hurst (73)
Aberdeen: Lewis, Logan (Anderson 84), Devlin (Reynolds 90), McKenna, Considine, Gleeson (Ross 76), Shinnie (Campbell 87), Ferguson, Wright (McGinn 69), May (MacKay-Steven 69), Cosgrove (Rooney 45)
Unused Substitutes: Rogers (GK), Harrington
Scorers: May (8), Wright (28)
Referee: Alan Muir
Attendance: 1,554
Match Report by Daryl Scott