Saints reeling after sore loss
MacKenzie fury at Mikkelsen tackle
THeY stalked each other for the duration of the 90 minutes. All pointy elbows, sharp edges and sly kicks; like two men performing a drunkenly aggressive version of the Gay Gordons at a ceilidh.
The tone was set after only seven minutes, with one of them left to check that the old family jewels were still intact after being poleaxed, while the other wheeled away in wild celebration.
The offending party was Dundee United striker Thomas Mikkelsen, who later admitted he had fouled St Mirren centre-half Gary MacKenzie in the build-up to the opening goal. Before lashing a terrific left-footed volley into the roof of the net, the Dane had clattered into MacKenzie with his studs at waist height.
it might well have merited a red card let alone a foul, but ex-Dundee player MacKenzie was shown little sympathy as he lay stricken on the turf. Least of all by referee Craig Charleston, who bizarrely waved play on and allowed the goal to stand.
it was the latest chapter in a personal battle that can be traced back to last month’s irn-Bru Cup Final when Mikkelsen got the better of MacKenzie to head the winner. There was no silverware for United this time but the outcome was equally painful and damaging for Saints.
Jack ross’ team were on a seven-match unbeaten run but now find themselves back in the relegation play-off spot after Blair Spittal’s 90th-minute winner saw United edge a five-goal thriller.
in their final two fixtures, St Mirren host fellow strugglers raith rovers before facing champions Hibs at easter road on the final day of the season.
MacKenzie is under no illusions about what is now required against raith if Saints are to avoid the nightmare of third-tier football.
‘we can’t feel sorry for ourselves — we just have to get on with it,’ he said. ‘everyone believes in each other that we can do it.’
On the controversial opening goal, MacKenzie said: ‘i’ll show you exactly where he hit me (lowering the waistband of his tracksuit bottoms to reveal the uppermost part of his nether regions had been left scarred by stud marks). ‘it was nearly my b***. Fortunately, i already have kids! i was in total disbelief the ref never gave it. even their player (Mikkelsen) came up to me and admitted it was a foul.
‘i didn’t even know the goal had been given. i was lying on the deck and thought all the noise was for the foul. Then i got up and realised the ref had given it, so the red mist just totally came over me and i ended up getting booked for having a go at him.’
MacKenzie would gain some measure of revenge by heading the equaliser on 38 minutes.
Tony Andreu put United ahead again on 66 minutes, drilling the ball past Billy O’Brien from an indirect free-kick.
Josh Todd looked to have earned St Mirren a deserved point with a left-footed finish into the top corner in the 86th minute, only for Spittal to snatch it at the death by arrowing a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Andreu said: ‘we didn’t play very well. They played better than us. But we showed good spirit to keep going and get the victory.’
Honest words from the Frenchman but no consolation to St Mirren, who must now hope those Gay Gordons don’t turn into a Danse Macabre over these final two games.