Match report

Saturday, 05 December 2009
Below par Saints made to suffer

Clydesdale Bank Premier League
Saints (0) v Kilmarnock (1)
Attendance [3, 518]

ABOVE: Kenny Deuchar battles for possession with Frazer Wright

There was one change to the line-up for this afternoon’s SPL fixture against Kilmarnock and that change came in midfield where Liam Craig replaced Kevin Moon.

Graham Gartland and Peter MacDonald were on the bench with Chris Millar and Gary Irvine dropped out of the squad.

On a dreich winter’s afternoon, Saints started the game brightly enough shooting towards the North Stand and some inventive play brought a couple of early goal scoring chances.

Filipe Morais should have done better in eight minutes when a Liam Craig cross fell at his feet eight yards from goal but he blasted his effort over the bar with just the keeper to beat. The Portuguese man almost made amends a few minutes later when he charged down the inside right channel and fired an effort goalwards and Killie keeper Mark Brown had to move quickly to push it around his near post.

Liam Craig had an effort on goal as Saints tried to make their possession count but they were rocked after quarter of an hour when Killie took the lead in just their second attack of the game. The Perth defence was culpable as Burchill was allowed to drill his way into the left hand area of the box and he picked out a curiously unmarked Kevin Kyle who fired home from 12 yards despite the efforts of two Saints players on the line.

Jody Morris came closest to providing the much-needed quick reply but Mark Brown was equal to him as he arched his back to push away the Englishman’s great effort from 16 yards.

Half-chances followed for Liam Craig and Murray Davidson while Morais was wasteful with a 25 yard free kick as Saints tried to turn possession into a goal.

Killie were content to soak up the pressure and hit on the break and in one of those breaks Gary Hay outfoxed Dave Mackay and was able to run in on goal and Graeme Smith had to drop quickly to push away his low effort.

The remainder of the half saw Saints trying to make the breakthrough without success.

With no changes in personnel at half-time the same players set about trying to get back on level terms at the start of the second half and Filipe Morais brought a great save out of Mark Brown soon after the restart. The Saints player turned his marker at the edge of the box and hit it low and hard but the keeper dropped quickly to his right and pushed it around the post for a corner – the third great save from the loan Celtic man.

With no sign of activity on the substitutes’ bench as the game ticked onto the hour mark, frustration was becoming all too evident from the stands as Perth fans grew understandably frustrated at the proceedings before them.

They almost had a goal to cheer minutes later when Danny Grainger broke free down the left and his low cross was met by Killie’s Simon Ford and his deflection took the ball just inches wide of the far post.

Almost immediately the action turned to the North Stand end and two defensive
blocks were required to prevent Graeme Smith from being called into action.

Derek McInnes made two changes in the space of two minutes just after the hour mark – Kevin Moon and Jonaton Johansson being introduced at the expense of Liam Craig and Kenny Deuchar.

Collin Samuel was working hard without much reward although he must have felt that he has gained penalty kicks in the past for attention much less than he received in 67 minutes as Old impeded him as he attempted to win the ball in the box.

Killie were defending for all their worth and frequently had ten men behind the ball and that made the miss in 73 minutes all the more frustrating. Grainger fed Morais on the left and his cross was met by the rising Kevin Rutkiewicz at the back post and although he got good contact on the ball he headed it two yards wide. The frustration around the ground was palpable.

With only that Morais shot created in the second half, Derek McInnes brought on Peter MacDonald for Murray Davidson with eleven minutes remaining and a few minutes later Mark Brown was finally called back into action but he was yet again equal to the task, dropping to take care of a long-range Morais effort.

Yet another frustrating afternoon for Saints who, having beaten Hearts at Tynecastle a fortnight ago have now taken just a single point from two home games against opposition they would have been looking to beat.

Again, no lack of endeavour and there was some nice football in there but chances are being missed, possession is not turning into scoring opportunities and –today – slackness at the back has proved crucial.

SAINTS: Smith, Mackay, Grainger, Rutkiewicz, McCaffrey, Morris, Davidson (MacDonald), Craig (Moon), Morais, Deuchar (Johansson), Samuel.
Subs not used: Main, Gartland, Hemsley, May

KILMARNOCK: Brown, Hay, Fowler, Wright, Ford, Bryson, Taouil (Skelton), Old (O’Leary), Kyle, Hamill, Burchill (Russell)
Subs not used: Bell, Owens, Flannigan, Kelly

Att: 3,518

PHOTOS
Top - The only goal of the game as Kevin Kyle (right) fires home in the first half
Bottom - Filipe Morais and Steven Old tussle for the ball