Hearts Cup Replay

Heart Sick

The Scottish Cup replay took place in front of a vocal band of hardcore supporters. The overhead conditions were good and the pitch, despite looking horrendous, played reasonably well. Callum Davidson missed out with a hamstring injury and Dave Mackay missed out because Craig Thomson is a wankstain on Scottish football. Lee Croft was dropped to the bench because he husnae been very good at Saints.

With Alan Mannus Saints first choice goalkeeper until next season, it was an unusual back five with a the defence lining up as Anderson-McCracken-Wright-Maybury, midfield saw, Millar-Morris-M Davidson-Craig and up top came Fran and Cillian.

The game was a horrendous pile of dross until Murray Davidson amazingly found the target with just a few minutes remaining. Until then, there had been feck all in the way of entertainment which the exception of the Saints Neanderthals bellowing at Danny Grainger. Some of our fans are quite incredible pieces of DNA.

Brian Winter, or Winters as Saints fans probably know him, was the referee and it is a sad reflection of our game that he is easily our best referee. The top flight official made quite a faux pas when he tried to book Murray Davidson for a foul committed by Cillian Sheridan but other than that he had an admirable game. I’m not castigating him for the penalty because, despite watching numerous replays, I cannot be 100% that it wasn’t a penalty.

Other than that, there’s nothing to say about the game. It was an even affair, though with better finishing we’d have won it in the first period of extra time. The loss of revenue is a massive blow to Lomas plans for next season, he’s already missed out on 2 goalkeeping targets and the third is now less likely to come to fruition with the budget under threat.

The good news is that Stevie May has signed a new deal so we have at least one good striker on the books and certain to remain with us. That said, he couldn’t score past Zander today... Chris Millar has been offered new terms, but I can’t imagine he’s in any rush to sign. Its little secret that clubs are coming up to watch Midgie despite the little man being well off-form. I guess that if he keeps Lee Croft out the team, he’ll have thoroughly deserved his new contract.

Jack Compton’s ankle tear is likely to keep him out until 17 March and that doesn’t give him much time to win a new deal. I have every confidence in his skill and hopefully Lomas does too. The tricky little foreigner could well be the find of the year.

Another injured star is Steven Anderson and his loss will make some of the Delophiles realise how important the centre half is. We have to hope that he’s only out for a few weeks because without him, top six will be a tough ask. Speaking of Del, despite my dislike of the man’s techniques and player treatment, all Saints fans must hope beyond hope that he keeps his job until the summer, Saints stand to make a tidy profit from Bristol and Del being a couple come June... August would be a great time for him to get sacked.

So we journey to Aberdeen tomorrow for a match against the in-form Dons. Craig Brown is clearly relishing the game, especially as it looks like Moon could be out for a long time and Adams is still on the sidelines. The Dons have a strong centre midfield and they’ll try hard to make that count against us. The game isn’t of massive importance in terms of points, we remain on a par with Hearts and the top six is still perfectly feasible is we lose.

What’s important is to break the losing streak. We haven’t played poorly, indeed we’ve played very well in our last four games, but both winning and losing are habits; we want to break this losing habit. It should be a good game, I’m looking forward to it, but I’d take a point right now.

Two wins this month will almost clinch the top six; win the next three games and Lomas will have achieved the target. It’s been a wonderful season; I don’t want it to end. We’ll reflect on this season for years to come. Pivotal in so many ways. Make sure you pick up a copy of the current Saints magazine, it’s gonna be something to treasure when we’re looking back. The enormity of getting rid of McInnes (and for serious dough) the brilliance of Geoff in appointing Lomas, the generosity of the man in allowing the club’s management to be passed to his son, the emergence of Steven Anderson as a leader and a player worthy of international recognition.

Enjoy Aberdeen, savour the season, support the Saints.

United at Home 11022012

A bad day at the Office

If ever we needed proof that being a football manager is a perilous business, Saturday provided it in spades. Steve Lomas and Tommy Wright got everything spot on in terms of preparation; shape, selection and tactics were absolutely fine. We dominated the first half, prompting the wee rat that is Peter Houston to call his team “rubbish”. Incredibly, we left the park having suffered, and yes it was hurtful, a five one reversal at the hands of our nearest rivals. Here are some thoughts on the game and the possible repercussions.

Before we look at any aspect of the game, it is important to clarify some issues. I launched into a very public tirade against our former goalkeeper, Graeme Smith, at Falkirk’s Westfield Stadium. It followed a run of games where he gave away three points. The circumstances were completely different from what we currently experience.

Firstly, Smithy never played well for St Johnstone in all the time he was here. He was signed by Derek McInnes who stupidly and lazily signed him as cover for an aging club hero. McInnes should have been looking for a replacement for Alan Main, not a back-up. Secondly, he tried to justify many of his mistakes, often seeking to blame his defence – a spineless man, really. Thirdly, my outburst was not only directed at him, but also at our hopeless manager who refused to pick Alan Main due to a clash of personalities. Those childish days, which so nearly cost us Steven Anderson, are now long gone; Steve and Tommy will select teams based on professionalism alone.

When discussing our goalkeeping targets for next season, a small discussion about Mannus came to fruition. I noted that Enckleman performs better than Mannus in training, but pointed out that being good technically means nothing. Euan McLean was a great goalkeeper in training but he wilted under the spotlight.

All football players are like plants; some grow and flourish under the stage lights, others simply wither and die. Enckleman is an enigma, he has had good games; Parkhead, Ibrox and our first visit to Tynecastle spring to mind. He’s also had horror shows; Aberdeen twice, Motherwell home and yesterday. The trouble is that the last line of defence can’t be of variable quality. It’s an obvious fact that keepers will tend to play well against big teams as they have more saves to make. I’m certain that Mannus has the gloves for the next few games; both he and Lomas have my full support. Nevertheless, Enckleman has been far than I expected; “thanks, Pete!”

The guys in front of him played well as a group, though Callum Davidson will want to forget his part in the second goal. A ball was played across the goal mouth and Davidson simply run it into his own net. Regular readers will know that one of the reasons I don’t rate Enckleman is his inability to communicate with his defensive colleagues. This looked like yet another debacle of silence.

Nevertheless, Callum needs to have the presence of mind to look right when he’s lost the race to the front post. It was a shocking goal to lose and the brilliance of the goalmouth cross should not excuse poor defending. Having said that, we should note that Callum was brilliant for the rest of the game and I can only think of Rangers second (first home game of the season) where Callum has been clearly at fault for costing Saints a goal; that’s a mark of his vast contribution to this great club.

He’s coaching the young lads with regularity and the boys respond well to him. He is a calming influence both on the pitch and in the dressing room. Like Gavin Rae at Aberdeen, he’s a top influence on the players around him. I was disappointed that both he and Mackay failed to rally the boys, but given that the third, fourth and fifth goals came so late in the day, we hadn’t a chance. With hindsight, I guess it was harsh to expect any player to try and urge the boys onwards. In summary, Neilson created very little.

Anderson and McCracken were once again rocks in the heart of the defence and they must have needed chauffeur driven home after that game, they’re heads would have been shaking in disbelief all night. They worked so very well together and on their own to keep some of the league’s best frontmen quiet.

Gary Mackay-Stevens is a great player who we missed out on. He’s got most of the attributes needed to play at the top level, including a ned like appearance and a Jedward-esque sense of fashion.

Jon Daly is the unsung hero of the SPL and a man we should make moves to bring to Perth. A true captain; brave, versatile, committed and low key – we would do well to ensure he leads our line next season... A three year deal could sign and seal the transfer. His goal was only the third time this season he’s beaten Anderson in the air.

Johnny Russell is a pocketful of tricks. His goal was lucky, but he won his header and sent the ball in the right direction. His pace and strength are hard to combat yet we kept him quiet for most of the game.

The fact that those guys were kept at bay for most of the afternoon speaks volumes for our defence

Mackay, who will serve his first ever suspension on Tuesday night against Hearts, also had a strong game but also had a mix-up with Enckleman. That our two most dependable players had situations with our goalkeeper is perhaps the answer to the riddle. I expect that both goals could have been prevented with better communication. Mannus will surely offer that when he comes in to the starting line-up.

He was again lacking in defensive support from a guy that I’ve nailed recently, including in the heated aftermath of the game on Saturday, Lee Croft. He played much better on Saturday, certainly in terms of going forward, but still left Mackay with too much to do. Dundee United are always strong down the left; remember this is a club that managed to select a team without Danny Grainger whilst we played Liam at left back and a club that manages to keep Barry Douglas on the subs bench.

Folk keep boring me with stories about Dixon’s pinpoint crosses. The truth is that a full back should not be allowed to rampage forward in such a fashion.  If Midgie had been on the the right wing, we’d have controlled that area in a much better fashion. We’d also not have to witness Lee Croft’s dive. The man looked a far more determined player against The Arabs and certainly created more than in his previous outings, but the dive not only tarnished our reputation, it also affected Brines judgement when Liam Craig was illegally impeded in the box.

It says much of Scottish referee standards that Brines didn’t stand out as being particularly hopeless. Indeed, credit where it’s due, he was utterly clear and decisive in booking Crofty who’s now been booked in 75% of his appearances. If Compton and Mooner were fit, I’d play a midfield of Midge-Moon-Craig-Compton against Hearts. Unfortunately, neither player will make it and Jamie Adams remains sidelined. It leaves Lomas with little in the way of options to change things. That made his official comments very smart indeed. Players are now fighting for their place in the Lomas revolution. Competition breeds improvement.

Speaking of which, Jody Morris put in one of his worst performances for Saints. Midgie was always gonna play deep yet it appeared that Jody didn’t change his game accordingly. They both sat deep and sprayed balls wide, this left a gap for Dundee United to exploit albeit Fran and Cillie took turns at dropping deep and making good runs. If we use the same midfield pairing on Tuesday, we need to ensure that Jody moves further forward by at least 10 yards. He also needs to pass the ball better. Not that underfoot conditions are helping matters.

The surface at McDiarmid is no worse than many SPL pitches in use this season but it’s undoubtedly in poor condition. I simply can’t agree with club officials when they say that the grass isn’t cut too short. It’s no coincidence that the pitches used in the SPL can be directly linked to expenditure. It’s time to bring back Jimmy Hogg and a protégé. DC need not apply...

Aside from losing out to Johnny Russell and being fouled in the box, Liam Craig had a quiet game. Always liable to score, the wide man was involved in plenty of the play but most of it in the middle third of the pitch. He remains a great player and is still the only player at the club with worse hair than Dolly! He’ll be involved against Hearts and will need to work hard to deliver telling crosses.

Up top saw Sheridan and Sandaza re-united in the starting eleven. Sheridan, so brilliant at Tynecastle was once again a shadow of that player. It’s inexplicable to me how he can be so much slower when running and so weak in the tackle. The man confuses the tits off me. He is infuriating to watch and Lomas must be baffled by having guys like him and Haber in the dressing room. So much talent, so many prospects and yet so little focus. Lomas described the capture of Sheridan as the result of fighting “tooth and nail” with Steve Brown, Sheridan would do well to repay the faith shown by both manager and chairman. At least he’s guaranteed his wage from Saints... Realistically, Haber could be the only first team striker to continue into next year, he’s much work to do if he wants to earn that accolade.

Fran Sandaza had another good game, making frequent strong runs as he exploited gaps between midfield and defence. His miss was a very tricky shot and I applaud him for taking it on, rather than trying to offload the ball under pressure. He’s done very well for us and I expect him to score for us on Tuesday against Hearts.

I mentioned this run of games as being the biggest week of our season and boy how it has turned out that way. As a group of fans we failed our team on Saturday and I’m glad we only have two league games left at home before the split. I hope we have two cup games at home too...

Steve Lomas has earned our trust. He has signed good players, he is looking at players that will excite the fans and he has done well to persuade Fran to remain a Saintee.  He is angry about Saturday and has spent the last two days working hard to ensure our cup progression. We have a great manager, a super board, excellent commercial folks and wonderful background troops. The only weak link in our great club is our Tannoyman who again wittered on during a match. Compare that to the professionalism of Hearts announcer and you’ll see my problem with our incumbent. If he’s our only failure, we’re doing very well.

This is a squad of players I believe in. This is a manager I trust. This is a club I love. We break Hearts on St Valentine’s day. The prices are steep, but the victory moment will be priceless. Let’s continue to dig deep for as long as the dream remains. We’re on course for the Scottish Cup semi final if we take care of Hearts and the top six is looking ever more like becoming a reality. This has been a momentous season and  there are more great memories to be created. Miss a game at your peril.

A Learning Curve for Lomas

Having dominated Motherwell using a 4-4-1-1 formation, Steve Lomas tried the same stunt against Hearts and almost came a cropper. The tactic wasn’t necessarily wrong, but trusting David Robertson was. Lee Croft had a much better game but still let us (specifically Cup Tie Mackay) down. We looked in bother at half time but Lomas is a man of conviction, passion and integrity; he transformed the game with a great subbie and we were unlucky to be held to a replay. Here are my thoughts on the day out.

With Elliot, Templeton and Skacel in the starting eleven, Hearts were always going to prove a real handful to contain. I can certainly understand the temptation to go defensive but we are a team that works best when we attack. We should play to our strengths; playing high up, moving the ball smartly yet simply whilst defending with courage, vigour and experience. Fran had no support from Robertson and neither did the midfield gain from his inclusion. Quite what he brings to the team is beyond me. I do understand why Lomas likes him; he has a great touch, fantastic awareness and, for a lightweight, he gets involved in some meaty tackles. Sadly there is much more to being a good footballer.

Something is badly missing from Robbo’s game. I can’t put my finger on it. I’ve previously referred to him as enigmatic. I suspect he’s maybe not bright enough to understand his role; perhaps lacking the discipline required to play a certain position. Whatever his problem, he is no good in games and he costs us dear. I very much doubt that he’s ever played in winning 45 minutes for Saints. It’s time to pull the plug on his time at Saints. He’s let Lomas down too often.

I slated Croft for his performances against Hibs and Motherwell; he was a bit better against Hearts. Nevertheless, he still doesn’t offer us enough and I can only imagine the frustration that Midgie is feeling. The wee weegie has been an exquisite acquisition and was very close to agreeing terms with us on two year deal; that’s gotta be in the balance whilst a lesser player keeps him on the sidelines.

That said Croft created a few chances with some lovely weighted balls, he is s excellent at putting the right amount of speed on a ball. He also spots runs and runners with great skill. However, as in previous games, he wasted a good chance in front of goal and his hunger for the game seems to have been left in Derby. Lomas spoke well on the BBC about how players like Sheridan need to work every single day, without ceasing, to make it to the top of their game. There is no better example of a player slipping down the ladder than Lee Croft. His skill is far beyond our league, yet he seems to be unwanted by better clubs and that must be because of his attitude. I sincerely Lomas can work on him, I have my doubts though.

It was down Croft’s side that Hearts made their goal. The fullback was given the freedom of Gorgie and had time to play a strong pass to Mr Templeton. The winger ran at Cup Tie and turned him well, hit a shot which Enckleman saw very late and ran off to celebrate an easy goal. The goal was slightly lucky in the sense that we all thought Mackay had done enough to force him round the outside, then when he came inside, you’d expect McCracken to help out, but the ball appeared to sneak under his boot and if anything his presence only impaired Enckleman’s line of sight. As at Fir Park, it was a real sickener and we didn’t really recover from it despite Anderson and Morris doing a great job of rallying the troops.

Enckleman had a fine afternoon, plucking crosses and communicating far better with his defence. His kicking was generally of a high standard despite being asked to kick to Craig rather than Mackay. I don’t think was anything to do with Hearts full-backs, rather Crofty can’t be trusted to cover for Cup Tie. Liam did okay, but ultimately he’s not as good at heading as Dave Mackay and we were weaker as a result.

Perhaps a testament to the way Saint played in the second period is that Enckleman only had one real stop to make. I’m pretty sure Jamie MacDonald wished he was playing for us in the second half; he might have similar thoughts on payday.

Of course for a goalkeeper to have such a quiet afternoon, the back four have to play well and they all did just that. Anderson and McCracken are a super pairing and I’m delighted that Lomas has resisted the temptation to recall the blunder that can be Frazer Wright. The former Killie man was exceptional against Celtic and has played reasonably well at other venues, but as a rule he drops three or four clangers in every game. McCracken has brought great composure to the team and it’s clear that he and Anderson hit it off. When Wright and Ando play there’s always a niggle, always an argument; there’s almost a telepathic silence when Cracks and Ando are paired up.

What’s beyond doubt is that if Ando moves to the championship, not Bristol City for obvious reasons, he’ll immediately be in the Scotland squad. He’s better than anything we have at the moment and it’s a real hurt that he’s not been included to date. Maybe he’ll be involved in Wales; maybe we need a real manager in charge of the Scottish national team.

The fullbacks both played well too. Callum played the captain sensible role, rarely bursting forward, but using very well weighted passes to open up the Hearts right side. He and Ando are generally on the same wavelength and he’s always a safe pair of feet when a tight ball needs to be played. He’s clever enough to know that where a ball is too risky to be played, there are large areas of structures in which to play the ball. These areas are often referred to as the stands.

It was into such an area that Dave Mackay planted a ball at the end of the first half. Whether any of the officials noticed, I can’t be sure; what I can be sure of is that Dave Mackay was red-carded without just cause. The first booking was allegedly for dissent. Hard to be a silent dissenter, eh Craig? The second booking was for clearing a ball despite a Hearts player trying to cheat by using his wrist to move the ball away from Mackay. I don’t the laws of the game particularly well, but I’m struggling to know which of them Dave broke when trying to clear the ball. Still, McInnes tells us that Thompson is a good referee and always explains himself, that’s fine then. Must just be me that thinks he’s an incompetent dickhead. I’ve certainly no proof of any St Johnstone staff implying that Thompson is hopeless...

Let’s make no bones about the fact that Scottish football is in a terrible state. Our players aren’t doing well abroad, our clubs are almost all out of financial control, our facilities are tragic – so much so that Steve Lomas can’t find anywhere for us to train – and our referees are worse than those in Malta and Israel. To paraphrase Renton, “It’s an unpleasant state of affairs”

Another man that didn’t last the 90 was Murray Davidson. The tenacious midfielder has had a season of variegated performances but his commitment was inspiring on Sunday. Every time he skelped Ian Black, my face smiled and my heart winked with impudent pleasure. He’s struggling to make the replay now, but hopefully that means the Moon will come out to play.

The other midfield battler was Liam Craig and he did well enough. Unusually, he wasn’t particularly threatening, though Callum’s conservative approach probably didn’t offer much encouragement. He gave us maximum effort and commitment; he also got stuck in when dirty tackles needed to be made. He’s a top bloke and a top player. Compton’s inclusion should not mean Liam misses out. That said, we have an abundance of skill in midfield at the moment.

The same can be said of our striking options. I was very critical of Lomas’ substitution at half time. Firstly, I am yet to be convinced that Cillian Sheridan wants to be a good footballer. Some of his play is quite horrendous and the effort he puts is more varied that his pal’s Tweets. On top of that, Croft deserved a chance to prove him and the team badly missed Chrissy Millar. I make no apology for saying that Lomas got the sub wrong and, if truth be told, I still think he got it wrong. Nevertheless, it’s fractional decision and ultimately he got a replay by winning the second half. I couldn’t ask for any more from him.

What’s more is that Cillian Sheridan put in a truly great shift. He still had a few “feck me” moments, but mostly he was good. Far beyond that, he actually worked hard and almost gave the impression of a man that has suddenly realised the Celtic dream is over. I suspect that Lomas, far more than Del, has made him realise how lucky he is to remain at St Johnstone. We may dream of playing football abroad, but Sheridan is desperate to secure his release from Sofia; the club, not a burd.

If he plays like he can, week in and week out, he’ll make a decent career in the game. If he plays as he did against Rangers at McDiarmid, he’ll struggle to get a game in the SFL1. Lomas was cautious not to praise him in his BBC interview, concentrating instead on the need for him to work hard and continue to work hard. The recent performances of Marcus Haber have undoubtedly put Cillian on the back foot, like a courageous boxer on the ropes, the fashion icon of Holy Trinity Brompton came out fighting.

Both Sheridan and Sandaza had wonderful performances, albeit both missed gilt-edged chances. It’s beyond comical that some of the Saints fans thought Fran was poor. One such observer chastised Fran for being below par then admitted he didn’t know Fran played that pass for Cillian. There is no hope, it’s really depressing.

I thought we saw arguably saw Fran at his best against the Watery Farts. He hasn’t really shone against good defenders but he worked wonders the Hearts rear-guard and I am delighted, though not surprised that he has remained a Saints player.

For what it’s worth, I don’t expect us to win the replay. We’ve got three huge games in 8 days. Two league wins will probably clinch the top six position we so richly deserve and I’d gladly accept the maximum league points and forego the cup. Although all three games are winnable, I just feel that we might have a blip. Indeed losing to Hearts might just ensure that any arrogance is kept in check and focus every player on the task in hand.

I have no doubt that Lomas made mistakes, but more importantly I am convinced that he remains the best manager in the SPL. His ability to openly admit his mistakes is refreshing and it will please the players no end. A far cry from our last cup game against St Mirren, also destroyed by a referee, Craig Thompson I believe.

Let’s dig deep, stand strong and support our Hearts Heroes. Together, we will march with pride and will conquer the psychological barrier of the top six.

Shoulda Been Millar Time

Tactical errors from Steve Lomas cost Saints dear at Fir Park as Motherwell edged our St Johnstone on a tricky pitch. Wells goals came courtesy of Henrik Ojamaa with a brace and Lasley with a fluke. Saints counters came from transfer tittle tattle men, Jody Morris and Fran Sandaza. Those who follow banned101saint on Twitter will know my thoughts on these players.

Saints went into the game with a massive doubt over Liam Craig, struggling all week with vomiting and diarrhoea. The goal scoring midfielder lost half a stone in weight yet still managed most of the game, half of which he played in an attacking midfield role. Jack Compton replaced him and won over the majority of the fans at the game. Quite why they rated Croft higher than Compton after the Hibs game is beyond my comprehension.

Arguably, the inclusion of Croft cost us the game. The man is lazy, unfit and indifferent to the cause of St Johnstone. It takes more than a nice touch to succeed in the game. There are a few reasons why clubs in England don’t want him. He reminds me of Collin Samuel, he’s now at Arbroath. These players just stumble through life expecting to make a living from talent alone. Very few can pull that trick off; Croft might be one of them, though it doesn’t look promising. Gotta say though, the boy has a very high level of natural talent.

The gulf in attitude between players like Croft and Samuel, compared with such as Midge and Compton is unfathomable. Midge himself was visibly angered at not getting any game time. Different sources have told me that he was told to expect 30 minutes and his warm up suggested as much. Of course the third goal changed the shape of the game considerably and the timing could not have been worse. That the goal was a fluke, a cruel deflection, only added to the sense of injustice.

Putting all that aside, it’s a measure of Steve Lomas that we went into the game, believing we’d take the fight to Stuart McCall’s men. The crushing disappointment felt when Calum Murray blew for full time showed how far we’ve come since November.

The game started in fine conditions, albeit parts of the pitch offered less grip than others. The opening exchanges were fairly evenly matched. The key talking point being that Omar Daley seemed to have less grip than any other player. How else to explain him falling down so easily and so often? Actually don’t answer that, Ando did it for you!

After ten minutes or so, the game settled down and Motherwell were enjoying the bulk of the play. They hadn’t looked overly threatening when in the twenty second minute we failed to clear our lines. The ball broke to Callum Davidson who spotted Lee Croft in acres of space. The experienced left back tried to find the fans favourite with a diagonal 50 yard pass. Unfortunately, he didn’t get enough on it and Motherwell hit us hard on the counter. The ball came to the young Estonian striker and he hit a super shot across Peter Enckleman, low into the keepers right hand side.

Lomas quickly joined Tommy and Alec on the touchline; he wasted little time in making a tactical switch. With Croft unwilling to put up a fight, he dropped Marcus Haber to left midfield and pushed Liam inside with an attacking remit. The move was in keeping with the character of Steve Lomas; unconventional and brilliant. We got back in the game and it was the a mixture of touch, vision and control that combined to get us one level terms. Great skill by Morris saw the ball come out wide to Croft; the Englander pinged a lovely ball across and Jody finished with great aplomb.

With Daley continuing to cheat and Fran Sandaza having a running, off and on the ball niggle with Clancy it’s fair to say that Saints fans were happy enough to go in level. This despite Liam hitting the woodwork and a smart stop by Randolph from a Fran freekick on the edge of the area.

As the players went down the tunnel, Fran Sandaza was giving Calum Murray a hard time. Given that he had been freshly booked, it’s disappointing that our senior players didn’t step in to avoid a him soaring to the top of the referees hit list. Perhaps it would be wise for Lomas to ask Callum to be last man off and make sure none of our players talk themselves into yellow cards during the interval. As it was, someone obviously had words with Fran at half time and his energies were fully focussed on the game, not on Clancy.

As ever with Steve Lomas, the team were fired up from the half time team talk and we set about the systematic destruction of Motherwell. Stuart McCall could only watch in horror as a once tight game swung completely to Saints dominance. We pushed and pressed, harried and hurried. Haber was on the right of midfield and making decent runs, Morris and Muzz were coping in midfield, Crofty, now in front of Callum started to look interested and Craig run his drained body to the limit in an effort to be the link between Fran and midfield. It worked a treat and in the away stand we could sense another brilliant Lomas victory. Then it crashed down.

A smart counter attack saw the Estonian superkid running at skipper Morris. The Englishman looked like Bambi on ice and Henrik had plenty of time to pick a spot. That said it was an excellent finish from the Estonian who also lost traction as he turned the Saints skipper. In fairness it was an excellent goal on many levels. The touch to and from Daly proved vital.

Even at 2-1 we were still optimistic, we were playing great football and Sandaza looked a real handful; Craig and Croft both showing terrific football brains to create oppurchancities for the Toledo Talisman. Then the Saints fans had their hopes and dreams shattered by yet more terrible luck. Jody Morris was once again the unlucky assailant. With Keith Lasley running forward and running out of options he decided to try a GeeMann special and hit a hopeless and hopeful shot from distance. Incredibly, the shot nicked off Morris dived right and turned left wickedly, deceiving Big Pete in the process.

Three goals for and one against was a perverse and twisted reflection of the game to that point. We always rally and with Stevie Lomas we now making bold and attacking subbies. The incredible Jackie Compton came on and lit up the grey Lanarkshire surroundings. His runs and crosses are simply wondrous to behold. We have to hope that he recovers to play against Hearts because he’ll cause chaos in the right back area and Liam has proved that he can play in a free-role alongside Fran Sandaza.

We did pull a goal back from a penalty and we pushed hard before and after, sadly to no avail. It was crushing to leave the ground without a point. Lomas’ initial interview with BBC sounded like sour grapes but in fact he gave an accurate reflection of the game. They got lucky with two goals whilst we hit the post and scored one exceptional goal. As I say, it’s a measure of how far we’ve come. That’s thanks to the vision of our board, including Geoff, who retained Lomas’ contact details and approached him with the right offer at the right time.

Despite a few issues, which Lomas will handle, we have a great squad and a great buzz. We need to ensure that Callum Davidson is retained. Every club needs a professional player that commands respect and Cal is one such player. He is involved with training the 19s on a regular basis and is very obviously a man that could go on to take over from Lomas when the legend moves back to England.

That’s all in the future; the current is Hearts on Sunday. We have a great chance tomorrow, we’ll need to be at our best; fans, players and management. We can break Hearts and make dreams come true. Let’s play our part and redress the Motherwell misfortune. Bring it.....