POETRY IN MOTION
Buddies toast Ronan’s belter on Burns Night
DEJECTED
CONNOR RONAN served up a Burns Night special to give St Mirren a result for which they can really be thankit.
Jim Goodwin spent this week bigging up Aberdeen’s great chieftain Scott Brown after his controversial role in last Tuesday’s fiesty Rangers clash.
But the Dons captain had the grin wiped off his sonsie face by a strike that will live long in Saints’ immortal memory.
A Man’s a Man for a’ That but when you can strike the ball like Ronan, you’ve got to be pretty confident you’re going places.
And the on-loan Wolves kid most definitely looks like a player heading in the right direction.
His strike plunged through Aberdeen hearts like a knife splitting open a freshly prepared haggis, denying the Dons the chance to move up into the European slots.
He’s scored four goals for Saints since his summer switch from Molineux, three of them against Stephen Glass’ Reds to go with the stunner he netted against Gers back in October.
A game that was about as lively as neeps and tatties was settled by a caviar moment as Ronan swept in a beautiful curling effort.
And it tasted even sweeter for the Paisley public by the time the whistle blew, with their side up to eighth place – nine points clear of the relegation places.
It’s been a far brighter start to 2022 for the Buddies than their 11-game run without a win at the tail end of 2021.
Last Tuesday’s Tannadice triumph over Dundee United was followed by a Scottish Cup stroll against Ayr and there was further welcome news for the Saints faithful when the teams were read out before kick-off as Jamie McGrath returned.
The soon to be out of contract Irishman had been left out after complaining his head was in a spin amid ongoing speculation over his future. He may well have found himself in the Dons line-up last night, had talks on a Pittodrie switch not broken down last week, but the Saints support were happy to have him back after clear-the-air talks with Goodwin.
Eamonn Brophy and Alan Power returned after sitting out the weekend, with Ethan Erhahon, Kyle McAllister and Kristian Dennis dropping to the bench. The only change to the away line-up from Saturday’s fourth-round win over Edinburgh City saw Dean Campbell replace the injured Jonny Hayes, with red tape denying Vicente Besuijen – Glass’ six-figure recruit from ADO Den Haagfrom – his debut.
Both sides could have done with a touch of Dutch courage during a first half, which at times looked promising yet ultimately lacked a stand-out moment. It took just 30 seconds for Saints to get the home support off their seats as Greg Kiltie’s trickery saw him stick the ball through Brown’s legs as he burst into the box.
But the punters were soon slumping back into their chairs as his cross was turned behind by David Bates.
Marcus Fraser was left with a head in hands moment later as his header from a McGrath cross skipped wide.
Brown then failed to spot the danger behind him as he was robbed on the edge of his own
box by Kiltie, only for the former Kilmarnock ace to crash his strike into the side-netting.
The Buddies were more than happy to let Aberdeen bring the ball out but as soon as the Dons hit halfway, Goodwin’s team were all over them like a rash.
It didn’t help the Aberdeen midfield’s attempts to keep possession that Davids Bates and Ross McCrorie’s build-up play lacked zip and purpose.
But as soon as Dons’ defensive duo upped the tempo, Aberdeen began to cause St Mirren some real problems. Lewis Ferguson let fly with a left-foot ping, which just drifted wide of Jak Alwnick’s left-hand upright.
Christian Ramirez had a couple of efforts blocked before Alnwick was forced to palm away a Calvin Ramsay cross, which threatened to drift under the Saints keeper’s bar right on the half-time whistle.
Ramirez’s instant control put Saints on the back foot again two minutes after the change of ends but Brown leaned back as Ryan Hedges teed the ball up and the Reds skipper’s strike soared over.
He came even closer moments later as both Ramirez and
Alnwick failed to get on the end of Campbell’s wicked cross from the left.
Instead it dropped to Brown at the back post but Charles Dunne read the danger and was back on his goalline to rescue St Mirren.
It was a crucial intervention as the home side stormed in front after 62 minutes.
Jay Henderson fed Kiltie in the box but his ball across the danger area missed everyone.
Ronan, though, had time to retrieve it as Ramsay failed to get out quick enough and the £3.5million Bologna target was made to pay for his lack of urgency as Ronan whipped a sublime goal high past Joe Lewis.
Goodwin threw on his new signing from New Zealand Alex Grieve with 20 minutes left and the pacy striker was soon bearing down on the Dons goal.
But when he failed to get his strike off, the Dons were just as quick to get bodies back and smother the danger.
It would have been fitting for Kiltie, Ayrshire born and bred, to have put the seal on celebrations but Bates got a block in to stop a mazy stoppage-time run.