Clark unlucky in glove as Wright and Co suffer
AS milestones go it did not quite trip off the tongue but St Johnstone’s 132nd anniversary turned into one to forget as they succumbed to defeat against Kilmarnock.
Festivities for the young home fans included goodie bags, flags and face painting but it was the Saints players who were left with red mugs as they produced a strangely subdued display.
None will have been as embarrassed as Saints keeper Zander Clark. The 24-year-old has been impressive this season, even leading some to push his case for a Scotland call-up. But the Perth custodian was at fault for both Rory McKenzie’s audacious early opener and Conor Sammon’s second-half header, and his display summed up a desperately poor afternoon for the home side.
“I said to them it was probably the worst 45 minutes I’ve seen, taking away just being here for six years,” said Saints manager Tommy Wright. “It was brutal.
“I can’t believe the first half. The number of mistakes, non-tackles, not winning second balls, misplaced passes, players caught in possession. You have to give Killie credit but I’m looking to my team and we didn’t do the basics well.
“The first goal is a comedy of errors, but it summed up our first half. It was comical, brutal, and I’m sure it left fans numb, because it certainly left me numb. Someone said you know after a minute how your team will play, but we knew after 15 seconds.”
By contrast, it was an afternoon that gave Kilmarnock much to be pleased about. Interim manager Lee McCulloch has stepped into the breach since the departure of Lee Clark for Bury and has been asked to hold the fort for the time being. This pressed his case for a more permanent appointment.
The Rugby Park men prowled McDiarmid Park with more zest and zeal than their hosts, who could not contain their visitors’ enthusiasm in the opening spell. Captain Kris Boyd stung the palms of Clark with an early free-kick and Gary Dicker speared a drive over the bar before they made the breakthrough with a magnificent strike from their point of view and a comical goal from St Johnstone’s in the 11th minute.
Clark made a hash of clearing a Steven Anderson pass back outside his box and the ball fell for McKenzie 40 yards out. Though the calamitous defending created the opening, the Killie midfielder deserved huge credit for the awareness and skill he displayed in finding the empty net with a brilliantly executed lob.
The opener gave Killie great belief and boosted their energy levels further still. Sammon saw a drive beaten away by Clark, a feat repeated by the Saints keeper when Sean Longstaff fired a shot on target in the 27th minute.
Wright’s half-time words appeared to have worked as Saints came out for the second half in better fettle.
However, they failed to create anything meaningful in attack and Sammon’s header in the 71st minutesealed the three points as Clark allowed it to squirm through his grasp at his near post.
“I don’t know what will happen, I was just thinking about today,” said McCulloch when asked about his caretaker role. “I don’t know if it’s getting the management bug but I have loved it.
“It’s an honest group of players and I’ve enjoyed working with them. It doesn’t harm the chances when the boys play like that, but I don’t really see it as having chances, I just want to see the boys playing well.”
Led by the front pairing of Sammon and Boyd, Kilmarnock could be well satisfied with their performance as they drew on the disappointment of last weekend’s ‘kick in the teeth’ in losing in the last seven minutes against Aberdeen. None caught the eye more than McKenzie and his brilliant opener.
“It was great technique,” said McCulloch.
The first goal summed up our first half. Comical, brutal and I’m sure it left fans numb