Home is where the hurt lies
Fans disappointed yet again – but Saints go down fighting
St Mirren ...........0 St Johnstone .....1
The pressure continues to mount on St Mirren manager Tommy Craig after his team lost yet another home game.
Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to St Johnstone means the Buddies have now taken just one point from eight league games at St Mirren Park this season.
However, Craig’s men can feel unlucky not to have secured a draw in their latest outing, having produced a battling second-half performance that saw them carve out a number of good chances.
Prior to kick- off, all 22 players posed for a mixed team photograph to mark the 100th anniversary of the ‘Christmas Truce’ matches of 1914 – and then proceeded to declare war on each other in a keenly-contested battle which, while never dirty, saw seven men receive a yellow card from referee Kevin Clancy.
Craig made three changes to the team that had been hammered by Inverness Caley Thistle in the midweek Scottish Cup replay, with young guns Steven Mallan and Jack Baird making a return and Adam Drury restored to the right wing.
Jim Goodwin missed out through suspension, with Thomas Reilly and Sean Kelly dropping to the bench.
Just 2,720 fans braved the wild weather to watch the action – and the vast majority of them were left disappointed after just eight minutes, when St Johnstone took the lead.
The Buddies failed to deal with a Brian Easton free-kick and Chris Millar set up Michael O’Halloran, whose shot from the edge of the box whizzed past Mark Ridgers with the aid of a deflection off Jason Naismith.
That early setback seemed to drain any remaining belief from a St Mirren team that already looked woefully short of confidence and, for the rest of the first half, they huffed and puffed, without giving their opponents any serious cause for concern.
In the 22nd minute, Drury found space on the right-hand side of the box but his tame shot was easily gathered by St Johnstone goalie Alan Mannus.
Four minutes later, the visitors almost extended their lead as James McFadden latched onto a pass inside the penalty area but, after dancing round Ridgers, he fired a curling shot over the crossbar from a tight angle.
Kenny McLean, who was doing his best to pull the strings from midfield, then had a go from long range but his ambitious effort sailed wide.
The first booking arrived in the 33rd minute as David Wotherspoon was penalised for a foul.
St Johnstone appealed for a penalty, five minutes later, as O’Halloran and Isaac Osbourne collided in the box but whistler Clancy wasn’t interested.
Dave Mackay picked up a yellow card in the 40th minute for a foul on John McGinn and, just before the break, McLean had another pop from distance but failed to find the equaliser.
St Mirren made a change during the interval, with Callum Ball replacing Steven Thompson, who had been starved of service in the first half and was no doubt feeling the effects of playing three games in a week following his return from injury.
And there was a definite improvement in the home team’s performance as the second period unfolded.
Naismith powered forward to get on the end of a loose ball in the 51st minute but his powerful shot was palmed away by Mannus. Three minutes later, Baird found his way into the book for a foul on Steven Anderson.
St Mirren had a lucky escape, after 56 minutes, when Brian Graham did well to control a pass from Millar and fire in a shot that cannoned off the right-hand post and bounced away to safety.
Back came the Buddies and, when they won a free-kick 30 yards out, McLean leathered a shot at goal but it was dealt with by Mannus.
Just before the hour mark, the first chants calling for Craig’s removal could be heard floating from the West Stand.
And, back on the pitch, Millar became the latest player to be cautioned after he brought down McGinn.
Once again, McLean took the free-kick from long range and, this time, Mannus pushed his effort round the post for a corner.
That man Mannus was at it again in the 62nd minute, when he produced the save of the match.
A great run from McLean led to a cross from the left, which was met powerfully by Ball from close range, but the Northern Irish goalie reacted well to maintain his team’s slender lead.
Another chance for Ball came and went soon afterwards as he was again set up by McLean but fired over from inside the box.
St Johnstone almost made it 2-0 in the 73rd minute when a Wotherspoon corner was allowed to drift across the St Mirren box before falling to centrehalf Anderson, who shot tamely into Ridgers’ arms.
The latest booking arrived seconds later, with Jeroen Tesselaar punished for tangling with O’Halloran.
St Johnstone then made a change, with Murray Davidson replacing McFadden, and St Mirren responded by sending Kelly on for Drury.
With 10 minutes to go, Kelly came close to grabbing the equaliser but his shot was saved by Mannus.
Clancy was kept busy as the clock ticked down, with McGinn and Simon Lappin both going into the book.
And, right at the death, St Mirren almost bagged the point they deserved when Naismith galloped forward to collect a cross from Kelly, only to blast his shot wide.
The final whistle was the cue for more boos and chants from a section of the home support, who made their feelings about Craig abundantly clear.
And the bad news for the Buddies boss is that his team’s next match is away to champions Celtic on Sunday.