Super Stevie’s the Mallan of the match
MIRREN MATCHES AS THEY WERE REPORTED AT THE TIME
Slowly but surely, things appear to be turning down Greenhill Road way.
Saturday’s 1-0 win at home to Queen of the South was neither pretty nor at times convincing, but Saints showcased a grit and desire to secure the three points, which it could be said they probably wouldn’t have managed earlier in the campaign.
Stephen Mallan’s 25th minute winner would have brought a smile to the face of even the most downtrodden spectator watching in the freezing cold.
Only now, can those of the black and white persuasion begin to dream. There is a new lease of life in Paisley. Two home wins in two? Unthinkable a few weeks ago.
Mid-table mediocrity would have been accepted a month ago, and to be fair it probably should still be considering the miserable start to the campaign.
But that makes it all the more exciting. Can they reach the playoffs? There’s only four points to make up.
Manager Alex Rae elected to make two changes to the afternoon’s lineup, with Gary Irvine and Alex Cooper coming on to replace Sean Kelly and Cameron Howieson.
However, Kelly would be called upon early in the first half as Andy Webster limped off with a calf complaint.
Queens started the tie in whirlwind fashion and could have been ahead had Kyle Hutton managed to get the decisive touch on Alex Harris’s hoisted ball into the box.
Iain Russell then blasted wide of the target as the visitors cranked up the pressure on the St Mirren back line.
Despite all that was thrown at them, Saints seemed to grow into the encounter as the first half wore on.
And when referee Crawford Allan pulled back play for an alleged shove on Calum Gallagher, up stepped Mallan to curl home a sensational strike from the edge of the box and send the home fans into raptures.
Mallan’s dead ball skills are becoming a common occurrence, and with the fans singing his name before he even hit the strike, there is an expectancy for him to at least hit the target each time Saints are awarded a set piece near the opposition goal.
The midfielder almost doubled his tally with another free-kick after Queens keeper Robbie Thomson was booked for handling outside the area – but this time his effort drifted wide.
Queens rallied and Russell was proving the visitors’ most dangerous outlet, forcing Jamie Langfield into a diving save on the brink of half time with a vicious volley from the edge of the area.
James Fowler’s men regrouped and came out fighting in the second half.
Jake Pickard had the pick of the bunch with a header from a corner, but his goalbound effort struck Keith Watson who was covering on the goal-line.
Another two headed chances fell to Pickard, but he was unable to breakdown the defence.
Ryan Conroy clipped the crossbar with a free-kick from the edge of the area, but his strike deflected behind for a goal kick.
Mallan almost put the tie beyond doubt with a strike from the edge of the area with 10 minutes remaining, having been teed up by substitute Steven Thompson, who had replaced Cooper minutes beforehand.
St Mirren seemed more than happy to wind the clock down in the dying minutes, with Thompson, Gallagher and Cameron Howieson impressing with their time wasting skills in the corner.
There was no panic on the defensive front as Saints comfortably thwarted Queen of the South at every turn.
Frustrations boiled over in stoppage time as referee Crawford Allan failed to award the visitors a free- kick for a blatant shove, so much so that a Queens coach took out his anger on the trackside advertising board, taking a considerable chunk out of it before being led back into the dugout.
But things remained cool on the St Mirren front, and with Allan’s full-time whistle came a loud cheer as Saints’s charge up the table continues.