2016 is a winner already for Saints
WITH FOOTBALL IN COLD STORAGE WE TAKE A LOOK AT OLD ST Buddies start the year the way they mean to go on, with derby victory
Morton ...............0 St Mirren............1
St Mirren got 2016 off to a flier, thanks to a derby defeat of rivals Greenock Morton on Saturday afternoon.
New boss Alex Rae made it two wins from three, and will have been delighted with the reaction from his players, following the loss to Livingston the week before.
Rae elected to make only two changes to the side beaten by Livi, with Jack Baird and Cameron Howieson replacing Craig Reid and Calum Gallagher.
The first half may have had little in the way of quality but it was a pulsating affair at Cappielow.
The hosts easily had the better of the opening 45 minutes, but it would be Alex Rae’s St Mirren who would go in ahead at the interval, courtesy of a Lawrence Shankland’s header six minutes before the break.
Ever dangerous, Saints’ Paul McMullan carved open the game’s first opportunity after seven minutes.
The Celtic loanee burst through the Morton midfield, threading in Cameron Howieson, but the midfielder’s effort was well blocked by the covering Luca Gasparotto.
However, it was Morton looking the more threatening. Ross Forbes sparked panic in the St Mirren backline when his long-range effort was spilled by Jamie Langfield, but the ball was eventually cleared.
And ’ Ton’s Thomas O’Ware was next to try his luck with a speculative effort, but Langfield was untroubled as it drifted wide.
Slack passing appeared to be the order of the day, with Buddies boss Alex Rae visibly upset by the manner of his side’s use of possession.
O’Ware again went close to breaking the deadlock but his header from Forbes’ corner couldn’t find the target.
As the half wore on, it seemed like Morton were the only side capable of mustering an attack and they would probably have the ball in the net after 39 minutes,
Forbes fired home Mark Russell’s low ball across the box, but the home fans were dismayed to see the main-stand linesman flagging for offside.
And Morton were made to pay for their slackness in the final third as the
half drew to a close, with Shankland heading into an empty net, after Denny Johnstone’s attempted clearance had cannoned back off his own crossbar.
Into the second half, and St Mirren looked to put the game beyond doubt.
However, once again both sides struggled to create any chances of real note.
Jack Baird almost gifted Morton an equaliser, with 20 minutes of the second half on the clock, as his back-pass to
Langfield put the keeper into all sorts of danger.
But, much to the relief of the Saints fans behind the goal, the keeper managed to get enough on the clearance that it rebounded off the chasing Alex Samuel and behind for a goal kick.
Gasparotto then had Saints hearts in their mouths when his header crashed off the bar, following Lee Kilday’s flick on from a Joe McKee free-kick.
And lady luck appeared to be shining on Saints when Denny Johnstone’s scuffed strike hit the outside of Langfield’s post just two minutes later.
Despite all of Morton’s possession they seemed incapable of troubling Langfield in goal.
The hosts had a number of half-hearted efforts, which would trundle wide of the target as the half wore on.
And St Mirren once again almost made them pay with five minutes to go.
Stephen Mallan’s cross into the box found Baird unmarked, but the youngster’s header hit the far post.
The onrushing Shankland could only head straight at Gaston as Ton hung on for dear life.
And with that, Dallas’ full-time whistle sparked mass celebration among the large travelling Paisley in the Wee Dublin End.
Supporters and players alike joined together as the Buddies kicked off 2016 with a win.