A day Saints will want to forget
WITH FOOTBALL IN COLD STORAGE WE TAKE A LOOK AT OLD ST Buddies lucky to cling on to top-of-the-league spot
Craig Ritchie
It’s been three long weeks since St Mirren last mustered a league win – October 14 to be precise.
And, unfortunately, they never looked like replicating the result they had back at Dumbarton as they travelled to take on managerless Dundee United at Tannadice on Saturday.
Managerless though they may be, United looked to have more direction, grit and determination than their visitors over the course of a sorry 90 minutes for the Saints.
No manager, no problem, as former Buddies defender Laurie Ellis masterminded his ex-side’s downfall in his guise as caretaker. On the week of Halloween, Ellis mustered up a very good impression of a real boss in the United dug-out.
Billed as a top-of-the-table clash, the Tangerines looked the heavyweight challengers against a side punching above their weight at the top of the division.
Saints remain league leaders, on goal difference alone. But they know, as well as the supporters – again resplendent in their support – that they need to get
Star Saint:
Adam Eckersley
Hard to pick a victor this week, but Eckersley’s stunning strike sees him just clinch it. Looked assured enough at the back, while a moment of magic befitting of a winner will be cruelly overlooked due to the scoreline. waved one of his own that he brandished from his pocket in the Main Stand.
Durnan rose highest 12 yards from goal to glance a header into the far corner to open the scoring.
The defender’s effort from Fraser’s free kick appeared to catch out Craig Samson in the St Mirren goal, with the stopper seemingly thinking the ball was going wide before it nestled just inside the post.
From the first whistle, St Mirren had adopted a more unfamiliar long ball approach in a bid to catch out the United pairing of Durnan and Tam Scobbie at the back.
The Arabs appeared to mop up each attack with relative ease, but one long ball over the top from Liam Smith almost found Kyle Magennis, but his first touch was left wanting.
With that approach clearly favouring the hosts, Saints abandoned the long ball game in favour of getting the ball on the deck for the closing stages of the half.
Saints improved – but not enough to register an equaliser.
Calls for a penalty fell on deaf ears after Cammy Smith was bundled over by Durnan on the edge of the area, while Lewis Morgan dragged an effort wide as Saints mounted something resembling a revival as half-time neared.
They would have been hoping to carry that little spark into the second half, but the lights would eventually go out on them, despite it taking until the closing stages for United to find their second.
Prior to that, Billy King’s quick feet and trickery on the left flank caught out Liam Smith before he arrowed an effort on the angle aimed for the top corner, shortly before the hour.
Saints then almost proved their own worst enemy and almost shot themselves in the foot. Morgan’s reckless back pass was seized upon by Fraser as he darted between Jamie McCart and Jack Baird to find himself one-on-one with Samson.
But his low strike never looked to have enough on it as Samson got down low to block.
One positive that can be taken from the game was the impact Dale Hilson made in the final 20 minutes after being pitched in to replace Gavin Reilly.
A nice twist and turn caught out three markers at one point as he looked to leave a lasting impression in a Saints jersey, despite having been besot by injuries throughout his Paisley tenure so far.
But in truth, the action continued to be geared towards the other end of the pitch, with United looking the more likely to double their advantage.
The hosts would have the ball in the back of the net in the 76th minute. Scobbie slid in at the far post to prod home Fraser’s free-kick - only the far side linesman to flag him offside.
However, the second of the afternoon finally followed 11 minutes from time, and it was a fine team goal from the hosts to double the lead.
Fraser Fyvie picked out a stunning pass to Fraser, who was loitering at the far post. The midfielder, at the centre of everything throughout an impressive performance, bought the ball down on his chest before pulling back for Sam Stanton to rifle it into the back of the net from 12 yards.
And that was that ... or just about. Into the third minute of injury time, the ball fell to Eckersley 30 yards from goal.
Spotting Harry Lewis off of his line, the full back pinged a stunning volley over the head of the stopper, clipping the crossbar on its way down as it crashed off the turf and back into the roof of the net.
If he cracked a smile, when no-one saw it, but it proved to be the highlight on an otherwise disappointing afternoon for the Saints.
Next up? A welcome respite from the league. The international break means that St Mirren have next Saturday to rest with their feet up before a David vs Goliath encounter with Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale the following Saturday in the Scottish Cup.
Plenty of time to lick their wounds from a frustrating few weeks.