Saints beat County... but not the weather
WITH FOOTBALL IN COLD STORAGE WE TAKE A LOOK AT OLD ST
St Mirren............2 Ross County.......0
(Match abandoned after 52 minutes)
Controversy poured down, much like the soaking wet weather, at St Mirren Park as Danny Lennon’s side were robbed of a home win that would have seen them leapfrog ninth-placed Ross County.
Leading 2- 0 thanks to first- half goals from Paul McGowan and Steven Thompson, referee Willie Collum called a halt to the game after 52 minutes.
Standing rainwater left the playing surface sodden.
And following a half hour delay – with supporters left in the dark – the announcement came through that the match would be scrapped.
It was greeted with a chorus of boos from the home support, understandably too, as their team had the measure of their Highland opponents.
There was a first start of the season for Jason Naismith, the young Buddie replacing right-back David van Zanten in St Mirren’s only change.
Midfielder McGowan was desperately unlucky not to score after seven minutes, placing a shot off the crossbar as he picked up Naismith’s pass inside the penalty box and weaved his magic.
At the other end County forward Kevin Luckassen sliced a shot wide from Ivan Sproule’s cutback.
Saints goalkeeper Marian Kello held an awkward downward effort from Luckassen on the edge of the box after 15 minutes, before Thompson guided a shot agonisingly wide at the other end. Kello looked pretty assured between the sticks on his home debut, taking a searching corner from Graham Carey, before picking out McGowan some 60 yards upfield.
Unfortunately for the Buddies midfielder he could not control the ball in the difficult conditions.
County skipper Stuart Kettlewell cut in from the left and sent a low drive wide of the left-hand post, moments after former Saint Richard Brittain replaced Melvin De Leeuw in midfield.
McGowan made it 1-0 after 25 minutes when County failed to deal with a cross and Conor Newton’s flick-on.
Possession stuck in the wet turf but McGowan was first to turn back, take it confidently, then prod it into the net from six yards.
John McGinn takes some of credit for the second goal after 32 minutes. His pass found Thompson on the edge of the box and the experienced frontman showed great composure to take it in his stride, get in between backtracking defenders, then place a shot beyond Mark Brown to make it 2-0.
Early in the second 45 Kello earned his keep, coming out of goal to deny Sproule what should have been a County goal with a brave block at the midfielder’s feet.
But Saints did have a free- kick to defend on the edge of the box moments later, although Carey’s free-kick struck the wall.
McGinn sent a shot agonisingly wide after he picked up a McLean slide-rule pass in the pouring rain with the surface taking plenty of standing rainwater.
Then referee Collum called a halt to proceedings and the players were called in after 52 minutes with the playing surface still taking heavy rainwater.
Enter an army of support staff armed with forks.
Despite the best efforts of the support staff at the stadium and several inspections by Collum, his assistants Martin Cryans, Willie Conquer and fourth official Kevin Clancy, some patches of the pitch just didn’t hold up to scrutiny – and it led to the inevitable abandonment.