SAINTS LOOKING TO MAKE CAPITAL IN EDINBURGH
26th July 2016
Tonight brings yet another chance for Saints to jump up a couple of places in the league, to boost their chances of a top six finish, in the SPL this season. Saints head to Edinburgh to face the Scottish Cup champions Hearts at Tynecastle. A win would see us “leap-frog†both of the highland teams Ross County and Inverness and therefore would move us up to second place in the “best of the rest†battle for European places, writes Aidan Smith
The game is a potential milestone for two of our players. Dave MacKay could make his 150th appearance if he is involved, whilst Steven Anderson could make his 250th appearance. Dave MacKay and Steven Anderson have totalled thirteen goals between them over the years.
Team wise for Saints, Murray Davidson will return after his suspension was served against Dundee. Callum Davidson is back to full fitness as he suffered illness on Wednesday night but Michael Doughty misses out through illness.
New signing Marcus Maddison was on the score sheet during the week when the Saints U20’s beat Hamilton U20’s 2-1. The other goal for Saints came from Chris Moffat. The win moved Saints above Hamilton leaving them 8th in a fifteen-team league.
Hearts have added two more names to their long injury list ahead of Tuesday’s game. Scott Robinson and Dylan McGowan both join Danny Grainger, Marius Zaliukas, Callum Patterson and Jamie Hamill in the stand, injured.
For the second week running Saints will play a team that have just got rid of their manager. John Mcglynn left Hearts by mutual consent during the week. Gary Locke will take interim charge of the maroon half of Edinburgh on Tuesday.
Gary Locke will look to guide his Hearts team to their first win in seven matches. Hearts sit second bottom of the SPL at the moment, fifteen points behind Dundee. In total Hearts have won seven games, drawn six and lost thirteen. They have scored twenty-eight goals and conceded forty-one.
Hearts have come out on top this season picking up four points out of a possible six. The opening game of the season finished 2-0 to Hearts with Gregory Tade getting sent off early in the game. The return fixture at McDiarmid Park ended 2-2. An entertaining game saw Saints pull back level twice through Rowan Vine and Steve MacLean.
In total Saints and Hearts have met 143 times, Hearts come out on top with seventy wins, Saints have won on thirty-seven occasions. This leaves thirty-six draws.
A match to remember for Saints fans was back on the 28th October 2000. A penalty from Keigan Parker and a double from Paddy Connolly sunk the Edinburgh side and sent the Saints fans home with a smile upon their faces.
Tonight’s game is a 7:45 kick off at Tynecastle. The referee is John Beaton.