Match report

Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Saints make another game in hand count

Clydesdale Bank Premier League
Saints (1) v Aberdeen (0)
Attendance [3,826]

ABOVE: Cillian Sheridan slams the ball home to open the scoring for Saints

Saints went into this game looking to make it three wins out of three from their matches in hand – Hibs and Falkirk having already been taken care of in rearranged games. Aberdeen came to Perth on the back of a run of nine league and cup games without a win.

There were two changes in the Perth line-up from the side which defeated Falkirk – Kevin Moon and Cillian Sheridan in for Murray davidson and Steven Milne.

The opening quarter of an hour was nothing to write home about as both sides set about trying to measure up their opponents.

Saints had a good early chance when Kenny Deuchar was dragged onto his backside at the edge of the box by Jerel Ifil but Liam Craig was unable to beat the defensive wall with his left footed drive.

It was the visitors who had the best clear cut chance in the opening 20 minutes and it came after a Saints attack petered out in the Dons’ penalty area with one pass too many as they tried to create a shooting chance. Aberdeen cleared the ball and when Michael Paton beat Gary Irvine in a challenge at the half-way line there were anxious faces in the home crowd as Paton scampered away unchallenged. He drew Graeme Smith from his goal but his parting shot was just narrowly wide of the Saints keeper’s far post.

The Dons’ Jerel Ifil was left to rue a decision he made in the 20th minute as it led to the opening goal of the game for Saints.

Tussling with Cillian Sheridan for a loose ball the Aberdeen defender chose to let the ball run out, presumably thinking it would be a goal kick but it was fairly clear that it was going to be a corner kick. When that corner kick was delivered by Liam Craig it was met on the volley was by Danny Grainger and although his fearsome shot was blocked on the line, Sheridan was on hand to prod the ball over the line to put Saints a goal to the good.

Saints almost doubled their advantage seven minutes later and it was only a tremendous save from Dons’ keeper Jamie Langfield that prevented the 2-0 scoreline. A corner kick from the right was taken by Liam Craig and was met full-on by the forehead of Dave Mackay and the Aberdeen keeper stuck out his left hand to beat the ball away.

Aberdeen’s moves forward were regularly halted by either a poor pass or the flag of the referee’s assistant and that left the visiting supporters frustrated. At the other end, the Dons defence looked fragile with Jerel Ifil looking particularly uncomfortable at times and the only frustration was that despite some good passing play, Saints couldn’t fashion further chances to put the visitors under pressure.

Saints had a great chance to make it 2-0 in the opening two minutes of the second half but again Jamie Langfield rode to the rescue of his team mates. A Gary Irvine ball was played in low, it caught out the visitors’ defence and Kenny Deuchar got on the end of it at the far post. It was a very tight angle and Langfield was able to drop quickly and block the big man’s parting shot.
There was a blow for Saints just ten minutes after the restart when Kevin Moon went down in a heap and a stretcher was quickly called to remove the young midfielder, Filipe Morais replacing him.

Just short of the hour mark, Aberdeen had a reasonable shout for a penalty kick turned down by Charlie Richmond when Zander Diamond looked to have his standing leg dragged from him. When you are down, these are the decisions you seem to miss out on.

It was around this point that Aberdeen seemed to shake themselves down a bit from what had in truth been a poor opening hour from them and the whole Saints team started to have to be a bit more alert and defend more stoutly but they did just that and although the 880 Dons fans in the North Stand started to sense there might be something in the game for them it was still Saints who looked the likelier side to grab a goal.

Jamie Langfield produced a good save to deny Liam Craig who had got in behind the Dons defence to get a head to a Jody Morris ball and then Cillian Sheridan chose the wrong option when through on goal – trying to beat Langfield when he had Liam Craig unmarked to his left.

Zander Diamond and Michael Duberry had headers on goal for their respective sides but both were wide of the mark and although Saints started to defend too deep in the closing ten minutes or so they looked reasonably comfortable and it was the 87th minute before Graeme Smith was given his first real test of the night and he did well to drop quickly to clutch a deflected Steven McLean cross with Mackie lurking in case of any slip up.

A deserved win for Saints who could and should have won by a greater margin although there always a nagging worry that the Dons might grab a goal out of nothing.

SAINTS: Smith, Irvine, Grainger, Duberry, Mackay, Millar, Moon (Morais), Morris, Craig, Deuchar, Sheridan (Reynolds).
Subs not used: Main, Connolly, Sheerin, Swankie, May

ABERDEEN: Langfield, Mulgrew, Foster, McDonald (Mackie), Diamond, Paterson (Aluko), Fyvie, kerr, Mclean, Paton, Ifil.
Subs not used: Nelson, Young, Duff, Grassi, Marshall

Referee: Charlie Richmond
Att: 3,826.

PHOTOS
Top - Gary Irvine eases the ball past Charlie Mulgrew
Bottom - Chris Millar challenges Charlie Mulgrew for the ball