Is it back to the future for Saints?
MIRREN MATCHES AS THEY WERE REPORTED AT THE TIME
Partick Thistle ...5 St Mirren............0
St Mirren’s League Cup dreams ended in despair as they were embarrassed by Partick on Saturday, bringing back memories of the club’s poor start to last season.
Saints simply never got near their hosts as they failed to make any impact, even when Thistle were reduced to 10 men.
But it proved to be a clinical first-half display that made all the difference, with four of Partick’s five goals coming in an action-packed 45 minutes.
In the end, doubles from Steven Lawless and Blair Spittal added to Kris Doolan’s opener to ensure that Abdul
Osman’s second-half red card proved meaningless.
For St Mirren, the result brings back memories of the club’s poor start to last season.
And with Alex Rae sitting in the stand on BT Sport duty, it was all a little bit too close for comfort for some.
Jack Ross refused to criticise his side too much come the full-time whistle, but he could have been forgiven for blowing a gasket in the dressing room having seen his side fail to turn up.
But take nothing away from Partick, the play of Lawless and Chris Erskine was a masterclass at times, with Gary Irvine and Darren Whyte both enduring afternoon’s to forget.
Saints boss Jack Ross elected to make four changes to the side that fell to defeat to Livingston on Tuesday night.
Goalkeeper Ross Stewart came in at the expense of Craig Samson. Jack Baird came into the defence for Gregor Buchanan, while Darren Whyte slotted in at right back in place of the suspended Stelios. Completing the changes was Jordan Kirkpatrick in for the other Ross Stewart on the flank.
Kirkpatrick registered the game’s first shot on target 10 minutes in.
Cammy Smith robbed Danny Devine 25 yards from goal, before teeing up the midfielder to strike a vicious drive from distance that forced Tomas Cerny to parry.
But St Mirren’s habit of losing early goals would continue as Partick raced up the park to secure the opener their early possession deserved on 12 minutes through Doolan.
A lofted ball towards the backline put the defence under pressure. Baird’s attempted clearance bounced off of Blair Spittal into the path of Doolan, who was never going to miss from 12 yards as he slotted into the bottom corner, although replays showed the striker was indeed offside.
Saints seemed spooked from the goal and almost conceded a second moments later when an Erskine cross caught out the defence but Spittal was unable to find the crucial touch at the far post.
Partick were simply in control of the game as the chances continued to flow towards the home support. Erskine was next to try his luck after bombing clear of Gary MacKenzie, but Stewart was on hand to clear behind for a corner.
But it proved to be a stay of execution for the Buddies as Steven Lawless drilled home the second following a one two with Erskine at the edge of the box, all stemming from Saints failing to clear their lines from the original corner.
The hosts’ performance was a joy to watch for neutral as they simply sprayed passes about with ease, while Saints struggled to play a five yard pass at times.
Their third goal of the afternoon, coming in the 33rd minute, could be an early goal of the season contender following a fine passing move which started in their own box fell to Lawless on the edge of the Saints box to curl an unstoppable drive beyond the stranded Stewart.
And just when the travelling support thought things couldn’t get any worse, up stepped Spittal to fire a fine curling free-kick from 20 yards to put the seal on a stunning first-half performance.
Ross rolled the dice at half time, with Conor O’Keefe replacing Jordan Kirkpatrick at the break.
And things appeared to take a turn for the better for Buddies shortly before the hour mark as Partick Thistle captain Abdul Osman was dismissed for two bookable offences in the opening exchanges.
But literally seconds after Osman was off the park, the ball was in the St Mirren net again following another great attack from the hosts.
It was that man Erskine again carving open the Saints defence, playing a stunning ball across the box for Spittal to hammer into the bottom corner, giving Stewart no chance to compound the woes of those associated with the Paisley side.
John Sutton was brought on for Gavin Reilly in a bid to shake things up for St Mirren over the final half an hour but the Buddies were clearly running out of ideas, despite having an extra man.
Ian McShane would force Cerny into a fine diving save seven minutes from time but that was as good as it got for the Buddies in a second half that proved to be meaningless following a first half hammering.