The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Saints kick drawing habit
AT A TIME of year renowned for kicking unwanted habits, St Johnstone have managed to stop drawing. They also achieved a rare home win. For Dundee though, the knack of losing in the SPL has been carried from one calendar year into the next.
And to compound the new year misery for Barry Smith’s men, their captain Stephen O’Donnell’s season could be over after he was taken to hospital with a serious knee injury.
This was anything but a classic derby, with Saints far from their best and the Dark Blues lacking confidence and a cutting edge.
It was perhaps fitting the game was settled by a scruffy goal, which came on 33 minutes when Rab Douglas coughed up the ball under a challenge from Peter Pawlett and Liam Craig had a simple finish.
There were two changes to the Saints starting line-up following the weekend draw with Inverness Caley Thistle, with Rowan Vine and Chris Millar in for Steven MacLean and Paddy Cregg.
Pawlett was able to play after his loan from Aberdeen was extended to January 20 earlier in the week.
Barry Smith went even further by making four alterations to the team which was convincingly defeated by Aberdeen. Iain Davidson, LewisToshney, Brian Easton and Steven Milne all returned to the side.
Toshney was deployed at centreback, and on four minutes he and Declan Gallagher were caught out at the edge of the box by Gregory Tade.
The Frenchman fed the ball into the path of Vine, who crossed to the back post where Douglas gathered after nobody got a strong head to it.
Saints nearly dropped themselves in trouble on 12 minutes.
First Alan Mannus mishit a routine clearance, and then when it fell to Millar he miscontrolled. Iain Davidson pounced on the loose ball but his attempt at lobbing Mannus flew over the bar.
The first time either side got in behind the opposition defence was on 14 minutes, when Pawlett picked out Dave Mackay on the overlap down the right.
Unfortunately the cross did not match the quality of the through ball, as it was sliced over the Dundee bar for a goal-kick by the full-back.
The best chance of the match so far came two minutes later, and it fell to the visitors.
Jim McAlister sent a corner over from the right aimed at Gallagher.
The central defender was unchallenged around 10 yards from goal but he misjudged the flight of the ball and ended up missing it completely.
Ex-Saint Gary Irvine made a full-blooded tackle on Vine on the Saints left which left the Englishman floored.
No free-kick was awarded and Vine’s team-mate Craig did not hang about to argue otherwise, drilling a ball across the face of goal.
It was perfectly placed but struck just too hard, meaning Tade could not get a boot to it.
Just after the half-hour mark Vine did well to work himself some space in the box to put another low cross into the danger area.
Tade was again the target. He got a bit closer this time but still not close enough and Easton cleared at the back post.
Saints did not have long to wait for the opener however, which arrived on 33 minutes.
Tade scuffed a cross from the right and it took a touch off Gallagher en route to Douglas. Pawlett slid in to challenge the Dark Blues keeper and the ball popped out of his grasp into the path of Craig, who was presented with a simple sidefoot finish from 12 yards.
On 35 minutes Callum Davidson left the pitch injured and was replaced by Tam Scobbie.
Seconds later Dundee loaded the back post for a McAlister free-kick.
Iain Davidson rose highest but he could not keep his header down.
Another man to miss the target with a free header was Tade on 42 minutes.
He has not scored since Saints last played Dundee in September and his effort from a Craig corner on the six yard line was yards away from the far post.
Dundee started the second half well and on 49 minutes Milne sprung the Saints offside trap after being put through by Nish.
If his first touch had been better, the former Perth man would have been one on one with Mannus but he got the ball