SUPER STOPPER
United can’t find any way past inspired keeper Clark
THE first big save was a good one. Four of the next five were out of this world.
Zander Clark was just so good yesterday that even Dundee United centre-half Ryan Edwards, denied by three of the St Johnstone goalkeeper’s amazing interventions, felt obliged to give him a cuddle and a few kind words between the posts at full-time.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke will surely now be under pressure to hand him a recall when he names his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying double-header against Moldova and Denmark on Tuesday.
Saints were no doubt helped by the fact it took United so long to get going in this game — with manager Thomas Courts having made four changes from the midweek draw with Livingston — but it was Clark, their colossus, who saw a muchneeded victory against a United side that hadn’t lost in its previous eight games over the line in the end.
Where to begin with his influence on a game that never really got going until the home side started throwing the kitchen sink at him in the second half? His first save from Edwards in the first 45 was admirable. The other two, the last of them in time added-on, were sensational.
He also denied Peter Pawlett with some real acrobatics and produced a double save from Pawlett and Nicky Clark as it looked inevitable that relentless pressure would bring some kind of joy eventually.
These have been thin times of late for St Johnstone, compared to the trophy-laden Xanadu of last season, and a win most certainly eases any pressure in the lower reaches of the table. However, they actually opened this affair in bright form and came close within four minutes when Chris Kane sent a first-time flick into the side-netting from a Cammy MacPherson corner.
MacPherson, who played well in midfield, was involved again in the opener on 17 minutes.
He dispossessed Jeando Fuchs inside United territory and Ali Crawford moved onto the loose ball in space, advancing to around 20 yards out and bending the most beautiful, curling effort round Edwards, to the left of goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist and into the net.
Crawford, on a short-term loan until January, has always been a player of undoubted technical ability. Yet, he never progressed from Hamilton Accies in the way of some of his contemporaries — with a short stay at Doncaster followed by a similarly unproductive spell at current club Bolton.
You watch him put the ball in the net with this kind of aplomb, though, and wonder why.
Maybe the fact both he — and Saints, as a whole — started to lose their grip on things from that point onwards.
Clark’s first telling involvement came just before the half-hour when he got both hands to a powerful Edwards header from a Dylan Levitt corner to palm the ball over. It was a good save.
What he delivered after the interval, though, was nothing short of a goalkeeping masterclass.
Michael O’Halloran did blaze an early effort after the restart high and wide for Saints when Scott McMann had been caught out on the flank, but that was really the visitors last telling contribution as an attacking force.
With Courts utilising his subs well and Ilmari Niskanen, Pawlett and Kieran Freeman all impressing after their introductions to the game, this became something of an onslaught. One which Clark proved more than big enough to stand up to.
Just before the hour, Levitt delivered a dangerous free-kick to the back post, Edwards got his head to it from point-blank range — and looked on in horror as Clark got both hands to the ball to turn it wide.
From the flag-kick, Edwards won the ball in the air again, Ian Harkes had an effort blocked and claims that a Charlie Mulgrew shot then hit a St Johnstone arm went unheard by referee Grant Irvine.
Clark would have saved the penalty anyway. Just as he kept saving everything United threw at him.
With 19 minutes to play, Freeman chipped the ball back from the bye-line to fellow substitute Pawlett and Clark got down low to deliver a one-handed stop.
By then, it was beginning to descend into madness. A Pawlett effort was saved by Clark and, with Edwards finally looking like he would get his reward, 29-year-old sprung back to his feet like a bearded jack-in-the-box and pawed the ball away through pure instinct.
By the time he had got the better of Edwards again in injury-time — throwing his body at the ball and blocking another close-range effort after a proper stramash in the Saints penalty area — the United players didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Edwards just held his hands up and gave the keeper a hug. Even United’s backroom staff put an arm round him to offer congratulation as he made a jubilant walk along the main stand touchline.
Sometimes, you just have to give a man his due.
DUNDEE UTD (4-3-3): Siegrist; Smith (Freeman 67), Mulgrew, Edwards, McMann; Levitt, Fuchs, Harkes; Chalmers (Niskanen 46), Clark, Appere (Pawlett 46). Subs (not used): Newman, Hoti, Glass, Biamou.
Booked: Fuchs.
ST JOHNSTONE (3-4-2-1): Clark; Muller (Ambrose 80), Gordon, McCart; O’Halloran (Devine 76), Bryson, MacPherson, Booth; Crawford, Middleton (May 80); Kane. Subs (not used): Parish, Davidson, Vertainen, Northcroft. Booked: MacPherson.
Referee: Grant Irvine. Attendance: 7,580