Buddies can't end their winless streak against United

Dec 7 2009

ST MIRREN’S run of woe now  stretches to six SPL games  without victory after Dundee  United grabbed a win they  barely deserved.
The Buddies bossed Saturday’s first  half at Tannadice but were stung when  Craig Levin’s side grabbed two goals  just before the interval through  Damian Casalinuovo and Craig  Conway.
Saints were gifted a route back into  the game when the Arabs were  reduced to ten men after Morgaro  Gomis was sent off for aiming an off- the-ball slap at Steven Thomson.
And Gus MacPherson’s side  capitalised on their man advantage  right away as they forced Darren Dods  to head into his own net.
But despite pushing for an equaliser,  Jennison Myrie-Williams scored a  third goal for United to kill off Paisley  hopes of a crucial away win.
Stephen O’Donnell did add a late  second strike for Saints, but it merely  put a gloss on a disappointing day for  the Paisley side.
MacPherson made just one change  to his line-up from last week’s defeat  by Celtic, replacing the crocked Andy  Dorman with Michael Higdon, who  partnered Billy Mehmet up front.
There was still no place in central  defence for captain John Potter, who  started on the bench, while Lee Mair  and Chris Innes continued with their  partnership at the back.
United had their own selection  worries too ahead of kick-off, with  Levein reshuffling his pack following  the suspensions dished out to  midfielder Prince Bauben and  substitute Danny Swanson following  their red cards in last weekend’s 2-2  draw with Motherwell, while Danny  Cadamarteri also dropped out.
In came Sean Dillon and David  Goodwillie, while Scott Robertson  continued his return from injury on the  subs bench.
The Saints spent the first few  minutes pinging the ball to one  another as they got used to the greasy  Tannadice surface. A mist of rain had  coated the pitch in moisture, and  Thomson tried to use this  to his  advantage as he skimmed a low shot  across the surface. However United  keeper Nicky Weaver did well to  smother the third-minute effort.
Saints looked content to launch  everything long and high for their big  two up front. However they enjoyed  little change off Andy Webster and  Dods in the early exchanges.
Thomson tried again after 10  minutes, this time volleying Jack Ross’  pass from the right flank high over  Weaver’s goal.
St Mirren had the ball in the net on  13 minutes as another Ross cross was  flicked in to Higdon by Garry Brady’s  cute reverse pass, but as the Scouse  front man buried the ball into the  United goal, linesman Lawrence  Kerrigan lifted his flag for offside.
Stephen McGinn was handed the  first booking of the game by ref Brian  Winter after he clattered into Gomis as  they challenged for a high ball.
Higdon was unlucky not to find the  net after 23 minutes as he got across  Dods to meet Hugh Murray’s low cross  but could only prod the ball wide.
Brady thought he’d won a penalty  seconds later when he tumbled inside  the box after Mihael Kovacevic had left  a leg trailing, but Winter refused to  sanction the spot-kick.
There was no doubt that Saints had  looked the better side in the opening  half-hour but, as has happened so  often this season, their failure to  capitalise on their dominance with a  goal cost the Buddies dear.
United midfielder Sean Dillon  played a lovely pass in behind the  Paisley defence from the left flank and  Casalinuovo held his run before  slamming an angled drive into the far  corner of the net, past Paul Gallacher’s  despairing reach.
And it could have been worse for  MacPherson’s team had Goodwillie not  fluffed what seemed to be a simple tap- in from six yards out following  Casalinuovo’s knock down.
But Saints were caught out for a  second time – and it is a goal that Paul  Gallacher will not want to see again.
United won a free-kick wide on the  right as the game moved towards the  interval and, as the keeper edged off  his line anticipating a cross, Craig  Conway whipped a shot into the top  right hand corner of the net.
St Mirren’s luck got no better in  stoppage time of the first half as  Mehmet fizzed in a low shot which  cannoned back off Weaver’s right-hand  stick, and the rebound evaded Higdon  as he darted in looking to score.
The Arabs were still buoyed on by  their late goal surge from the first half  by the time the second kicked-off and  threatened again as Paul Dixon  crossed for Casalinuovo at the near  post, but he could only direct the ball  wide of target.
Goodwillie joined McGinn in the  book as he tugged back Brady when  the former Spurs man looked to break  away following a failed United attack.
Meanwhile home winger Myrie- Williams also had his name taken for  smashing Thomson in the face with his  elbow as he leapt for a header.
That offence on 58 minutes took  place just a yard outside United’s box,  but Saints stand-in skipper Ross  blootered their resulting free-kick  straight into the Arabs’ wall.
St Mirren were handed a surprising  boost when Gomis was sent off by  referee Winter for lashing out at  Thomson off the ball.
MacPherson’s team were handed a  free-kick on the halfway line as a result  of the dismissal, which Ross pumped  long into a crowded box.
After a flick on by Innes, Dods  nodded the ball past his own keeper to  give Saints a lifeline.
Levein responded immediately,  brining on Scott Robertson for  Goodwillie as he looked to strengthen  his midfield, while he also swapped  Casalinuovo for striker Jon Daly.  MacPherson made his own change,  replacing Brady with O’Donnell.
With a man advantage, Saints were  enjoying the bulk of possession, but  United had retreated into their own  half and were content to pack the  midfield as they held onto their  slender lead. The visitors threw on  Steven Robb in place of Murray.
MacPherson must have held his  breath for a moment as David Barron  flew into a reckless challenge with  Myrie-Williams, escaping with just a  booking.
But the clash didn’t seem to leave  Myrie-Williams with any lasting  effects as he put United two clear once  more on 79 minutes.
Latching onto Conway’s terrific  pass, the winger strode into the box  before cleverly lifting the ball over the  diving Gallacher.
Innes was next to go in to the book as  he brought down Conway on the half- line. Meanwhile MacPherson made his  final switch, replacing Thomson with  young striker Conor Ramsay.
United skipper Dods was forced off  with a bloodied face with three  minutes remaining.
And, while he was off the park  receiving treatment, Saints grabbed  another goal back as O’Donnell drove  in from the right before blasting a low  shot past Weaver, with a bounce off a  United leg helping the ball on its way.
The adrenalin must have been  pumping pretty strongly for the  midfielder after his goal as he collected  the sixth booking of the game as he  smashed into Dixon with a late  challenge deep in United’s half.
But despite launching a couple of  desperate long balls into the box in the  closing stages, St Mirren could not find  an equaliser, and the players must now  focus on next week’s meeting with  Falkirk as they look to get back to  winning ways.