O’halloran’s masterclass dazzles Dundee to give Mcpake the blues
Wherever Dundee finish in the league at the end of the season – and on this performance, no-one can be surprised if it is where they are now – then they will not look back on this game and wonder, if only?
If anything, the 3-1 loss flattered the team in bottom spot.
Unlike on several occasions this term, they could not begin to muster an argument that fortune deserted them or that finishing let them down.
A double from Chris Kane put St Johnstone firmly in control before half-time and Stevie May made it 3-0 within a minute of the restart.
Dundee defender Ryan Sweeney scored his side’s first goal since August, but it was too little, too late.
Michael O’halloran had already delivered a masterclass from his new role at right wingback.
Is it too rash to deliver a ‘O’halloran for Scotland’ judgment on this evidence?
Perhaps. We know the difficulties players from Perth have where this subject is concerned.
But May, who benefited from one of his teammate’s two assists, was full of praise for the 30-year-old.
“His sheer pace alone and directness makes him hard to play against,” he said. “We all know when he gets down that line we need to be in the box because more often than not he’ll get a cross over.
“It must be hard to defend against – I know how hard it is from trying to do it in training.”
Visiting manager James Mcpake was not in the mood for excuses afterwards. He agreed with the supporters who booed his side off at halftime and again at the end – those who had remained until then at least.
He was also not taking seriously any suggestion that the colour clash – bizarrely, referee Greg Aitken allowed both teams to wear their home blue tops together with white shorts – was a factor in the outcome. Of course, St Johnstone also had to deal with whatever problems this presented.
O’halloran proved the main reason for Dundee’s evident confusion.
Cillian Sheridan was the only Dundee player to receive pass marks after his lively showing as a second-half sub.
The former Celtic striker has only started one league game for his side – a 6-0 defeat at his former club.
It would be no surprise to see him restored to the team following the international break as Dundee look to come up with a blend that works.
Right now, as Mcpake acknowledged, it is not happening for whatever reason.
And with the currently injured Leigh Griffiths likely to begin a ban soon, Sheridan has one less rival for a shirt.
“I would have liked to have contributed a little bit more, maybe get a goal and maybe get us back into the game,” said the 32-year-old Ireland internationalist. “I’m not going to be sitting around sulking or anything.
“I think we’ll have a big week now, in the international break.
“It’s the worst we’ve been this season. We just have to take what’s coming our way in now in terms of analysis of the game and what we didn’t do.
“It’s the first time (this season) we can’t say anything positive about it.”