Buddies stung by relegation fears

Apr 6 2009 Paisley Daily Express

INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE 2 - 1 ST MIRREN

QUESTION marks now hang over St Mirren’s SPL future after Gus MacPherson’s side suffered a serious blow to their hopes of survival at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium.

The dreaded ‘R’ word hasn’t really been preying on the minds of the St Mirren supporters in recent times.

But following their side’s weekend defeat relegation is becoming a distinct possibility after Terry Butcher’s battlers leapfrogged their club.

Although Andy Dorman scored the opener against the run of play after seven minutes, you never really believed Saints would go on to collect maximum points here.

And, as it turned out, a Filipe Morais double either side of the half turned the game on its head and plunged Saints a little deeper towards the first division abyss.

The Saints boss named an unchanged starting 11 from the one that held Hamilton Accies to a 0-0 draw at New Douglas Park a fortnight earlier.

In the first chance of the match Dougie Imrie fired in an angled shot from the wide area after Billy Mehmet gave possession away in the Caley half.

This in turn then allowed David Proctor to surge forward and pick out his team-mate on the right.

Thankfully, though, Mark Howard dealt with the shot comfortably.

Then Saints right-back Jack Ross was on hand to hoof clear a Morais cross into the danger zone with Imrie lurking in a good shooting position.

But despite the home team’s early dominance Saints took the lead after seven minutes.

Left-back Lionel Djebi-Zadi placed a poor pass across his own penalty box and Dorman picked up the loose ball to lash it beyond Michael Fraser from 14 yards.

Silly Billy Mehmet picked up a caution after 13 minutes for mouthing off to the standside linesman.

This provoked the wrath of match official Willie Collum.

Minutes later Caley’s David Proctor escaped a caution for sending Garry Brady up into the air over on the farside touchline.

In the 23rd minute Caley goalkeeper Fraser made a hash of a clearance and sliced possession right into the path of Dorman.

However the Saints midfielder took a sore one in the face during an accidental collision with Grant Munro.

At the other end Howard was forced to save at his near post to deny Munro with a header from Imrie’s corner on the right.

After 32 minutes Imrie saw a turn and shot fall marginally wide of Howard’s left hand post as the Jags searched for an equaliser.

And five minutes before the interval they restored parity with a well-worked goal.

Munro picked out Proctor in space and the Caley man fed Morais.

The midfielder launched a lovely right foot shot beyond the outstretched hand of Howard from 22 yards.

Cuthbert and Munro were both lectured by referee Collum for a bout of wrestling in the penalty box at the corner.

All of a sudden Caley were the team in the ascendancy.

But the teams entered the break deadlocked with Caley certainly enjoying the better of the few chances in front of goal.

Two minutes after the interval and Caley were 2-1 up.

Again, it was just such a fantastic finish from Morais.

The Caley midfielder picked up the ball over on the left from Proctor, swivelled and drove a low angled drive through a packed penalty box and into the bottom left hand corner.

Ian Black then tried his luck with he picked up a pass from Imrie and let fly from distance but the effort drifted high and wide.

Then Richie Foran headed over a cross on the right after Brady was caught in possession.

At this point there was much more urgency to St Mirren’s play as it was they who now had to take the game to their hosts.

Stephen McGinn replaced Gary Mason after 56 minutes as MacPherson rang the changes in midfield.

And after 62 minutes Brady was sacrificed for the introduction of Jim Hamilton.

The Buddies went with a 3-4-3 formation with Ross pushed up into midfield and Hamilton, Dargo and Mehmet up front.

McGinn squandered a great chance after 67 minutes when he could only get a glancing header to a teasing Hamilton cross into the Caley box.

Then Scott Cuthbert had to head an Imrie cross away from goal when Howard went AWOL.

Howard came racing out to meet a ball over the top that John Potter allowed to drift beyond him – but the keeper failed to collect it.

Imrie latched on to it and pumped it into the box with the keeper posted missing but Cuthbert took command to protect an unguarded net.

Foran blasted a shot over target from the edge of the penalty box as the home team sought to extend their advantage.

And, at the other end, Dorman missed a great opportunity to equalise after 74 minutes when Mehmet headed into the path of Hamilton, he forced a block from Fraser and Dorman put the rebound crashing off the crossbar from close range.

Then Dargo saw his tame shot easily held by Fraser when Dorman’s deep cross went all the way to the back post.

David Barron came on for Camara with 11 minutes remaining in the last throw of the dice by MacPherson.

Saints had a great chance to equalise when Dorman took a tumble under Andy Barrowman’s challenge near the 18-yard line and a free-kick was awarded.

However when Hamilton played it short, Dorman cannoned it off the Thistle wall.

In truth Saints never really looked like taking anything from this game even when they did open the scoring.

And this defeat really does put their SPL future under increased scrutiny.