Victory was so close for Saints
WITH FOOTBALL IN COLD STORAGE WE TAKE A LOOK AT OLD ST
Paul Behan
Saints snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as they left Tannadice empty handed on Saturday – with their travelling support sickened and shell shocked.
Paul McGowan conjured up a lovely headed opener after 20 minutes, before Steven Thompson extended the lead with a somewhat fortuitous effort that he knew very little about.
But, in the second 45, United came storming back, and goals from Brian Graham and Stuart Armstrong pulled it back to 2-2.
Keeper Cierzniak was out smartly to deny the industrious McGowan a glimpse of goal after 16 minutes, before Josh Magennis saw his powerful effort from distance blocked by the body of Gunning, the United skipper requiring treatment.
Saints took the lead after 20 minutes played when McAusland whipped in a free-kick from deep inside his own half of the field and McGowan was on to it like a flash, peeling of Johnny Souttar and sending a backward header from 10 yards high into the net.
Ciftci sent a tame header in the box wide of the mark as the Arabs sought a rapid response.
Buddies midfielder Conor Newton sidestepped a couple of challenges after taking a Sean Kelly pass, before his effort was blocked by United, then McGowan picked up the rebound and unleashed a low drive that brought Cierzniak down to his left to make the save.
This was an extremely good spell for the visitors and, given their performance up until this point, their slender lead a deserved one.
McAusland was the first player cautioned after 32 minutes as he entered referee Craig Thomson’s notebook for a foul on MacKay-Steven over on the far touchline.
Thompson then sent a glancing header wide from a Josh Magennis cross as Saints sought to increase the lead.
If the first goal was special for the visitors, then the second one was comic cuts from a United point of view.
Midfielder John McGinn worked his way down the left, then fired in a cross to the near post, where Gunning tried to clear it.
But the unfortunate United skipper could only smash a clearance off the lower body of Thompson and into the net for 2-0.
For United, forward Farid El Alagui hoofed an effort from eight yards over.
Saints entered the tunnel two goals to the good, while United had much to ponder.
Not even a minute into the second half, it took a combination of Darren McGregor and Kello to stop Ciftci from going all the way and prodding a shot
Star Saint:
Paul McGowan
The creative midfielder pulled all the strings for St Mirren at the weekend in his new advanced position. He also capped a great performance with a fine headed opening goal.
Nominations so far- 4-John McGinn; 4-Kenny McLean; 3-Steven Thompson; 2- Marian Kello, Gary Teale, Darren McGregor, Paul McGowan; 1- Jim Goodwin, Chris Dilo, Lee Mair, Jason Naismith, Gary Harkins, Marc McAusland.
Match Facts
Score - Dundee Utd 3 St Mirren 2
Scorers - McGowan (20), Thompson (40), Graham (79), Armstrong (85), Ciftci (90+2)
Bookings - McAusland (32), Robertson (78)
Red Carded - No-one
Referee - Craig Thomson
Attendance - 6,524
Teams: Dundee Utd (4-3-3): Cierzniak, Watson, Souttar, Gunning, Robertson, Paton (Graham), Rankin, MacKaySteven, Gauld (Armstrong 59), Ciftci, El Alagui (Dow 59). Subs not used- McCallum, Dillon, Wilson, Gomis, Graham.
St Mirren (4-1-3-2): Kello, McLean, McAusland, Newton, Kelly, Naismith (Wylde 53), McGregor, McGinn, Thompson, Magennis, McGowan (Teale 85). Subs not used - Dilo, Hughes, Reilly, Brady, Campbell.
from an angle into the net.
The chance represented United’s determination to get back on track in this clash.
Back came the visitors, though, and McGowan stabbed a shot over as he ran on to a Thompson low cross from the left hand side.
Moments later, Thompson himself blazed an angled shot over from 14 yards as a space in front of goal opened up.
United had an urgency about their play but Saints stood up to the increased tempo well.
Defender Jason Naismith succumbed to a first half knock to his knee and Wylde replaced him after 53 minutes. The change resulted in Magennis going to the right-back position to fill the void.
McGinn saw a low drive easily taken by Cierzniak as the Buddies embarked on a counter- attacking move, then Kenny McLean got in on the act, taking a loose ball, waltzing into the United box and firing a low shot that Cierzniak collected.
The chances continued, with McLean and Wylde both working the United
keeper.
Kello saved brilliantly from MacKaySteven, the big Slovakian tipping the United star’s powerful shot over for a corner.
After 79 minutes, United pulled one back when Saints looked for an offside flag that didn’t come and Cifti played in Dow.
The United man cut it back to fellow sub Graham and he could not fail to miss as he side-footed home for 2-1.
Armstrong made it 2-2 six minutes later when he latched on to McAusland’s partial clearance from a MacKay-Steven cross and sent a right foot shot into the top right hand corner from 16 yards.
The Saints goal lived a charmed life in the latter stages, with one or two near misses as United threatened to pull off an unlikely victory.
And, sure enough, that unlikely victory became a reality when, two minutes into stoppage, Kello failed to hold Dow’s angled effort and Ciftci was there to pick up the loose ball and prod home the winner.