SAINTS ARE HAUNTED BY HORROR SHOW
FOR a nation that is home to fictional serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecter, Lithuania certainly has a long history of chilling the blood of Scottish football supporters.
Ask the Tartan Army after Gordon Strachan’s side narrowly avoided a humiliating defeat in a World Cup qualifier at Hampden last October.
Or the Rangers fans whose team were knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by FBK Kaunas just weeks after contesting the 2008 UEFA Cup final.
While it is no surprise to see a Scottish team lose to a Lithuanian counterpart, St Johnstone’s home defeat to FK Trakai last night was nevertheless a truly deep disappointment.
Even the most ardent Saints fans would admit that their team were second best for large parts of the contest.
Slick and technically gifted, Trakai, like Dr Lecter, were more than capable of sticking the knife in where it hurts.
The damage was done in the first half by Maksim Maksimov and a stunning goal from Vaidotas Silenas, either side of centre-back Joe Shaughnessy’s equaliser.
Saints’ hopes of a likely secondround trip to Sweden to face Norrkoping now hang by a thread.
However, despite watching his side squander a host of second-half chances, defiant boss Tommy Wright insisted they are not dead and buried yet.
‘It would be foolish to write us off,’ he said. ‘There’s more to come from us. Yes, there are things we need to be better at but we can go over there and win the game.
‘We created chances and the way we got in behind them gives me encouragement.’
Trakai were stronger right from kick-off, with Modestas Vorobjovas dictating play in midfield. It was no surprise when the visitors grabbed the opener. Valdemar Borovskij broke down the right-hand side and his cross into the box was cleverly dummied by Oscar Dorley. That left Maksimov in space to roll a low finish beyond home goalkeeper Zander Clark.
St Johnstone had been nervy and unsure but, to their credit, reacted well.
Blair Alston’s shot from a Steven MacLean knock down was saved by Ignas Plukas. Liam Craig and then Graham Cummins both tried and failed to tuck away the loose ball.
A deserved leveller arrived when Shaughnessy rose highest to head home a deep corner by Craig.
But there was little anyone could do to stop Trakai regaining the lead four minutes later.
There seemed no danger when Silenas picked up the ball 25 yards from goal but he lashed home a ferocious shot.
‘We should have been tighter,’ sighed Wright. ‘We were naive and there was a lack of communication and responsibility in the build-up before his wonder goal.’
As frustrations started to boil over, Cummins was lucky to escape with a yellow card after kicking out at Borovskij.
On the hour mark, Wright handed a debut to Stefan Scougall and he made an immediate impact.
First he sent over a cross that Craig shanked over the bar. Scougall then saw a left-foot drive hit the post and rebound off Plukas for a Saints corner.
It took a good save from Clark to stop Maksimov making it 3-1 on the break before Alston’s deflected 18-yard shot went narrowly wide.
From the resulting corner, the Perth side had the ball in the net but Cummins was ruled to have fouled the keeper.
Wright’s men were boosted with eight minutes left when scorer Silenas was red-carded. Booked for shoving MacLean in the first half, he was dismissed after a high tackle on Scougall.
But Cummins was left holding his head in his hands when he blasted a glorious chance straight at Plukas with only the keeper to beat from six yards.
Wright was in no mind to make excuses for the striker. ‘It was nothing to do with fitness,’ he said. ‘I don’t buy that — that doesn’t make you miss from six yards.
‘But I was encouraged by his overall performance and we were the better team in the second half.
‘With the opportunities we created, we should have scored. Going into the second leg, every man in my team knows he can play better.’