Points go South
WITH FOOTBALL IN COLD STORAGE WE TAKE A LOOK AT OLD ST
Craig Ritchie
There was no love lost between St Mirren manager Alex Rae and referee Barry Cook at the weekend as Saints’winning run came to an end.
The bitterly cold Dumfries afternoon could have taken on an altogether different complexion had Cook awarded St Mirren a stonewall penalty with the scores locked at 0-0.
With his whistled pursed to his lips, it seemed clear the referee was about to point to the spot after Stephen Mallan was crudely halted in his tracks by Lewis Kidd.
Instead , Cook waved play-on as Gary Irvine’s follow up was blocked behind for a corner.
Incensed by the call, Rae would come charging out the dugout, before he was later warned about his conduct and told to calm down by the referee.
Cook would tell the St Mirren manager afterwards that he never seen the challenge.
But being positioned a matter of yards away, it is fair to see why the Saints camp were aggrieved.
The decision would prove crucial as Alex Harris fired home a stunning winner, before Mallan was dismissed in the dying seconds, having picked up two needless bookings.
Rae was forced into one change for the trip to Palmerston, with Sean Kelly coming in to replace the injured Andy Webster.
Apart from that, Saints fielded the same starting 11 which defeated Queens the previous week at the Paisley 2021 Stadium.
The experienced Rocco Quinn took the captain’s armband for the first time in the wake of Webster’s absence, with the midfielder returning to one of his former clubs.
Queen of the South had the better of the opening exchanges as Ryan Conroy stung the palms of Jamie Langfield following a clever one- two from a short corner.
Jake Pickard was the next to have a go for the hosts but his angled header failed to hit the target with just 13 minutes on the clock.
The first half was an all-round scrappy affair, littered with poor passing and a lack of cutting edge from both sides.
Saints striker David Clarkson was putting himself about up front but was struggling to get just rewards for the effort he was putting in.
Jack Baird was in sensational form at the other end, clearing every lofted ball towards his box and launching himself in the way of every attack.
And, the young defender almost turned provider, when his quick freekick found Lawrence Shankland free in the box.
The on-loan Aberdeen man brought the ball down but his lob evaded the goal and landed on the roof of the net.
Conroy had another effort screech wide of the target, but it was St Mirren who were coming more into the game and looking the more composed.
Alex Cooper was coming into his own on the left flank, and produced a mesmerising turn of skill to deceive his marker before squaring for Shankland, but again he failed to convert.
Cooper was looking dangerous again moments later, this time crossing for Clarkson, but the big man couldn’t get his header on target.
And just as the half was petering out,
Langfield had to produce a world-class save to prevent Derek Lyle from heading his side in front.
Langfield was somehow able to claw the ball back from seemingly nestling in the back of the net, with Kyle Hutton nodding off the bar from the resulting rebound.
The penalty drama burst the second half into life just short of the hour mark as Saints dominated possession and chances from the get-go.
Calum Gallagher’s diving header had the St Mirren support on their feet, as their vocal support continued throughout, while referee Cook was quick to hear their frustrations from the stand.
Despite getting the half off to encouraging start, St Mirren would be made to pay in the 65th minute when Alex Harris rifled home from the edge of the area.
The Queens midfielder’s effort appeared to take a deflection on its way past the sprawled out Langfield but it was a cruel twist for Saints who had seemed in the ascendancy.
Now chasing the game, Rae elected to inject some athleticism by handing 17-year-old midfielder Kyle McAllister his first-team debut as a replacement for Calum Gallagher.
Keith Watson would then spurn a glorious opportunity at the far post with the goal gaping at his mercy.
He somehow managed to fire the ball over the bar as it increasingly seemed like it was going to be one of those days for the Saints.
Harris came close to doubling his tally, but it was Saints who piled on the pressure in the closing stages.
Substitute Steven Thompson came close to netting his second Palmerston goal of the campaign with a later header which required a fingertip save from Jim Atkinson to put it behind for a corner, while Clarkson hit the post with a dink from the resulting cross.
And to rub salt into the wounds, Saints were then reduced to 10 men, as Mallan picked up a second yellow for a needless challenge in stoppage time to round off a disappointing afternoon for Saints.
However, it must be said, the supporters waited until the full-time whistle to sound their appreciation for the Paisley side, who gave it their all throughout the 90 minutes, and on another day would have come away with all three points in the bag.