GOODY COULDN’T SAVE SAINTS FROM STEELMEN
WITH FOOTBALL IN COLD STORAGE WE TAKE A LOOK AT OLD ST
Premiership, September 1, 2013
St Mirren............1 Partick Thistle ...2
The boos said it all at full time as ailing Saints passed up a chance to collect their first SPFL win of the season and ease the pressure on beleaguered Danny Lennon.
They were outplayed in the first half but they stung the Jags with Kenny McLean’s opener after 50 minutes.
Saints then pushed the self destruct button and succumbed to two late goals in the space of four minutes through Kallum Higginbotham and substitute Ross Forbes.
French striker Stephane Bahoken, who signed a season-long loan deal from Nice just 24 hours earlier, won a start at the expense of winger Gary Teale.
Fellow new signing Jake Caprice was handed a place on the bench.
Before the match there was a minute’s silence for St Mirren Scottish Cup winning legend Gerry Baker, who sadly passed away recently.
Higginbotham cut in from the left side early on to fire a shot well over from distance for Thistle.
After 11 minutes, new boy Bahoken saw an effort hoofed off the line after Steven Thompson sent a headed pass into space for the Frenchman 12 yards out – but Conrad Balatoni was there with the clearance.
At the other end, Higginbotham saw a right foot shot deflect behind for a corner but goalkeeper David Cornell took the resultant cross with ease.
Gary Harkins picked up a cushioned headed pass from Thompson in midfield but his second touch saw possession run away before he could pull the trigger.
James Craigen saw a first- time effort 22 yards out fly over target for the visitors, before Conor Newton brought keeper Scott Fox to his knees with a distance effort.
It took a timely intervention from Danny Grainger to prevent Stephen O’Donnell from testing Cornell inside the penalty box, before Bahoken slashed a left foot shot low and wide after McLean intercepted Craigen’s pass and pinged the ball up to him.
Former Saint John Baird won the Jags a corner on the right hand side at the expense of Grainger after 39 minutes.
Balatoni, Aaron Taylor-Sinclair and Aaron Muirhead all saw headers fail to make a impact before the Buddies managed to scramble it clear.
Craigen, unmarked in the box, saw a free header from Stuart Bannigan’s cross slip just over in what was Thistle’s best scoring chance after 42 minutes.
Before the break, Steve Lawless passed up a great chance to score, sending a low drive inches wide of the right hand post when Saints were posted missing at the back.
Teale replaced Bahoken at the start of the second 45 as Saints boss Lennon freshened things up.
Thistle should have opened the scoring three minutes after the restart as Baird contrived to send a shot high and wide of goal with just the keeper to beat.
After 50 minutes, though, it was 1-0 as McLean stabbed home David van Zanten’s cross, sending a right foot shot under the body of Fox, but credit to Teale for holding up the ball and playing it at exactly the right time.
Paul McGowan replaced hard-working Harkins after 61 minutes as Lennon made his second personnel change of the afternoon.
After 67 minutes, Craigen brought out a great save from Cornell, smashing a volley from 25 yards towards goal but the big Welshman parried it away strongly.
Teale won a free- kick in a good position after he was impeded by TaylorSinclair.
The former Scotland star crossed into the dangerzone where McLean came in late to sidefoot a shot just over from 14 yards.
Saints skipper Jim Goodwin was penalised for a foul on Higginbotham 23 yards out slightly right of goal but Forbes, seconds after coming on, could only send a low drive trundling into the arms of Cornell.
John McGinn dragged a shot high and wide after Thompson found himself crowded out in the penalty box, before Cornell was forced to parry a Kris Dollan powerful effort.
Thistle levelled after 80 minutes through Higginbotham and it was a great strike from the Jags man, playing a one-two with O’Donnell before firing an angled rocket in at the near post from 22 yards.
The game turned on its head after 84 minutes when Dollan combined with Forbes on the edge of the box and the Jags sub smashed a nice drive past Cornell’s left hand side and in for 2-1.
Jake Caprice made his home debut, replacing McLean after 86 minutes, before striker Thompson headed a tame effort into the arms of Fox from Teale’s free-kick.
Thistle passed up a chance to make it 3-1 as Doolan just failed to connect with O’Donnell’s lovely cross from the right hand side.