Fixtures & Results
by Brian Corry at St Mirren Park
Motherwell visited St Mirren Park this evening as undoubtedly the form side in the country having last tasted defeat on league duty back on the 30th December 2009 in Craig Brown's first match in charge in a fixture at Tynecastle. Since then, the man who last led Scotland to the World Cup Finals back in 1998, has guided the Fir Park side up the table into European contention by delivering a 10 match unbeaten run in which they have accumulated 24 points and conceded an almost miserly like 2 goals.
To put Saints task into context, they had accrued a tally of 10 points during the same period and conceded 15 times. Although recent form may have gone against Saints, previous meetings at home this season didn't. Saints had scored 6 times against the Steelmen this campaign in the two previous encounters at St Mirren Park including a comprehensive 3-0 League Cup quarter final win in October, so both sides had reasons to be optimistic going into the match.
For any neutrals in the crowd anticipation may have been raised due to the fact the previous 3 fixtures between the two sides at St Mirren Park had produced a total of 13 goals, therefore excitement seemed possible this evening.
The first major surprise of the evening came in the line ups with Gus MacPherson making 4 changes from Saturday's defeat at Ibrox, one enforced through injury to Chris Innes, whilst Steven Thomson, Andy Dorman and Billy Mehmet dropped to the bench. Coming in were Jack Ross, who made a welcome return from injury, Hugh Murray, as well as Craig Dargo and Allan Johnston who were recalled to the starting line up for the first time in several matches.
Craig Brown followed suit, and made 3 alterations plus a change in formation to mirror Saints expected 3-5-2 shape. Lasley, Murphy and O'Brien were the players chosen to make way for Saunders, Coke and Forbes.
Next surprise was the rare sight of Saints wearing their away strip at St Mirren Park, and in the early stages, Gus MacPherson soon changed back to a 3-5-2 system with Barron moving to centre half and Ross and Carey out on the flanks. Both sides worked hard to gain the upper hand in the opening exchanges with the only moment of note arriving on the 10th minute when neat play in midfield by Saints led to Higdon fashioning an opportunity for himself, but Reynolds blocked his fierce drive.
Graham Carey by this point was already looking threatening and on 17 minutes he won the ball in midfield, strode forward and tested John Ruddy with a smart drive from 25 yards. Within a minute Motherwell tested Gallacher for the first time when Giles Coke hit a speculative 20 yard shot which Gallacher spilled before Barrron hooked clear.
On 23 minutes a surging run from Dargo was halted illegally by the Motherwell defence 30 yards from goal and from the resultant free kick Graham Carey battered the Motherwell wall with a venomous drive. At this stage, both sides had failed to make a significant opening and the match was devoid of any major talking points.
The trend of long shots continued on 32 minutes when Allan Johnston blazed over from 20 yards, but by this stage Saints patient probing was beginning to find space, particularly on the flanks.
Not to feel outdone though, Coke unleashed a 30 yard drive straight at Gallacher on 34 minutes then Ross and Murray combined cleverly a couple of minutes later to create the first half chance of the match when Murray's cross was flicked on by Dargo to divert it agonisingly away from the increasingly influential Michael Higdon.
Saints came even closer to opening the scoring on 41 minutes, and again the threat came down the right flank. Ross knocked a neat pass to Dargo who brilliantly laid it off to Hugh Murray and his drilled low cross found Graham Carey who connected perfectly with his right foot, but to the bewilderment of all Saints fans the ball flew low past John Ruddy and his left hand post.
As the match drew towards half time, Saints had a decent penalty claim when Craigan appeared to man-handle Michael Higdon in the penalty area, and as the Saints fans showed their displeasure at the decision, the Motherwell fans joined them when the referee, Dougie McDonald awarded Saints a corner when Johnston battled for possession with Tom Hateley. From Graham Carey's out swinging corner John Potter climbed highest to power a header goalwards which John Ruddy acrobatically parried away.
Half-Time: St Mirren 0-0 Motherwell
Perhaps reacting to the space found by Saints in the latter stages of the first half, Craig Brown made 2 half time substitutions, with Jim O'Brien and Jamie Murphy replacing Ross Forbes and Giles Coke respectively.
Saints continued to find the space though and Jack Ross whipped in a cross which Michael Higdon looped towards goal on 49 minutes, with Ruddy collecting comfortably.
As the game became stifled again Gus MacPherson replaced Higdon with Mehmet, and Johnston with Dorman on 59 minutes and the latter change should have resulted with Saints taking the lead almost immediately. Saints once again made progress down the right and Hugh Murray's cross found its way to Andy Dorman unmarked and one on one with the Motherwell keeper but he couldn't bring the ball under control and scooped his shoot over. It was a real chance for Saints without question.
If Dorman thought his opportunity to be the hero was gone he was mistaken. Six minutes later Craig Dargo lofted a superb through ball in Dorman's direction, and the trademark late run and execution which has been sadly missing this season looked on as the Welshman powered down on goal, but to everyone's astonishment he blazed the ball high and wide from 8 yards.
Probably feeling let off the hook Motherwell came more into it after this and former Saint John Sutton. who had until this point been superbly marshalled by the Saints defence, found space in the box on 73 minutes to set up Steven Saunders but he shot weakly at Paul Gallacher.
With 14 minutes remaining Gus MacPherson made his third and final change, replacing the tiring Jack Ross with Stephen O'Donnell but the Fir Park side had the momentum at this stage without carving out any real opportunities.
The change seemed to swing the pendulum back in Saints favour and Dargo tested Ruddy with a header on 83 minutes before a Garry Brady volley was held 3 minutes later by the big on loan Everton keeper.
Saints continued to push and it looked as though their efforts were going to be rewarded in the final minute as exquisite play from Dargo picked out Dorman and his clever pull back exposed John Ruddy leaving O'Donnell with a seemingly open goal, but his diving header was blocked on the line by Mark Reynolds and knocked behind for a corner.
It was to be the last chance for Saints in a match they undoubtedly had the better of throughout the 90 minutes, and like many other occasions at St Mirren Park this season will be wondering just how they didn't clinch all 3 points.
Full-Time: St Mirren 0-0 Motherwell
St Mirren: Gallacher, Mair, Potter, Barron, Ross (O'Donnell 76), Carey, Murray, Brady, Johnston (Dorman 59), Higdon (Mehmet 59), Dargo.
Subs Not Used: Thomson, McLennan, Loy, Howard (GK).
Motherwell: Ruddy, Hammell, Reynolds, Craigan, Saunders, Coke (Murphy 46), Humphrey (McGlinchey 82), Jennings, Hateley, Sutton, Forbes (O'Brien 46).
Subs Not Used: Lasley, Jutkiewicz, McHugh, Fraser (GK).
Referee: Dougie McDonald.
Star Saint: A tireless shift from front man Craig Dargo - so often the creative force for Saints tonight.
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