IT’S ALL HANDS ON DECK
Saints dig deep to pinch a point with 10 men as Liam make amends for penalty
Liam Craig admits he was relieved to make amends with a stunning strike to earn 10-man St Johnstone a point after his helping hand gifted Dundee United their penalty opener.
The midfielder’s sweetly-struck second- half volley spoiled the Tangerines’ Championship flag day after they were set for a winning top-f light return thanks to Nick Clark’s sixth-minute spot kick.
Clark converted after Craig was penalised when the ball hit his raised arm, with the Saints man harshly booked by ref Kevin Clancy for deliberate handball.
And the Perth side were left with a mountain to climb when Clancy sent off Michael O’Halloran for two bookable fouls.
But Craig was the goal hero with
a brilliant strike 10 minutes after the restart.
The 33-year- old joked he didn’t know how to celebrate with the stands empty – but he was delighted with the spirit his side showed in new boss Callum Davidson’s first game in charge.
Fellow dugout debutant Micky Mellon was forced to settle for a share of the spoils.
But after his f irst goal in 18 months Craig said: “There was a bit of relief on a personal level after giving away the penalty. I’m just glad I was able to make amends.
“I didn’t know what to do when I scored because of a l l the empty stands. It has been so long since I scored – never mind in front of fans!
“It’s never going to be the same without them. The noise that goes with it is what makes a good goal look like a very good goal.
“When you’re down to 10 men you have to take chances. It was a poor clearance and I caught it as sweet as I’ve caught any goal. “For the penalty my arm was up but the ball hit my side first.
“I can see why he has given it but it was a harsh booking for deliberate handball. The key thing was how we responded after not starting the game well and the pleasing thing
for the manager is the character the team showed.”
Streetwise Saints showed all their top-f light experience to dig out a result – and it’s something United will have to learn as they adapt to life back at this level.
After a summer of bitterness and a legal f ight to prevent their promotion being reversed, United finally ended their wait to return to the Premiership.
Saints players gave the home side a guard of honour before skipper Mark Reynolds unfurled the Championship f lag – a momentous occasion that would have been shared with thousands of supporters in ordinary circumstances.
But it was the armchair Arabs watching at home who were on their feet just six minutes into their top-flight return when the home side took the lead from the spot. Peter
Pawlett played a lovely ball forward for Ian Harkes.
He couldn’t get a shot away and shifted the ball to Liam Smith whose shot struck Craig’s raised arm.
Clancy had no other option but to point to the spot and up stepped Clark to smartly convert despite Saints keeper Elliot Parish going the right way.
Parish then pulled off a fine save to prevent his side falling further behind with Clark this time the provider to set up Jamie Robson who was denied from close range.
O’Halloran’s booking for a lunge on Pawlett was a sign of Saints’ frustration as they struggled to get a grip on the game.
And he left his side facing an uphill task when he was sent off for a second foul on Calum Butcher just before the break. Saints gaf fer
Davidson revealed he was already considering taking O’Halloran off after fearing he would get sent for an early bath and had no complaints over the decision.
Davidson said: “It was a sending off, he got away with one a few minutes before and we were actually debating whether or not to take him off.
“We decided to wait until half-time but I turned around and he was sent off. Mikey is desperate to do well but it’s something you have to curb – we can’t afford to be losing players.”
Sandwiched between those two cautions was St Johnstone’s f irst chance of note.
David Wotherspoon was a whisker away from levelling with a powerful 20-yard drive after showing neat control to give himself space.
United continued to dominate after the restart and Lawrence Shankland
fired just over after slaloming his way through the Saints defence.
The Perth men needed something special to get back into the game – and that’s exactly how you would describe the 55th-minute strike that drew them level.
On-loan Millwall full-back Danny McNamara impressed on his debut and he swung in a corner from the right that Mark Connolly tried to hook clear. But it went straight to Craig who struck a sweet first-time volley beyond Benjamin Siegrist.
It was a goal out of the blue yet Saints had their tails up after that and Siegrist was forced into a double save to deny Wotherspoon and McNamara.
But United could still have won it when the McNamara made a superb last-ditch challenge to deny Pawlett after his one-two with Shankland.