Liam’s fee could be a bargain

Oct 28 2008 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

CREDIT Crunch or no, Geoff Brown doesn’t like parting with cash unnecessarily.

But the St Johnstone chairman best brace himself for signing-off another cheque to Falkirk FC.

And you know what? It might not even pain him to stick it in the post.

A tribunal decided Saints should fork out £25k for a midfielder who has discovered a talent for the full-back role, with a further 12 grand if the Perth club gains promotion during the three year term of Liam Craig’s contract.

At 21, he has already demonstrated maturity beyond his years and anyone watching his performance levels on loan last term concluded the Bairns midfield must be awash with talent if they could dispense with

his services.

Athletic, blessed with a powerful and accurate left foot, and confident enough to step-up to tuck away a penalty after Paul Sheerin, shock horror, had a 47th minute effort clawed out by Jags keeper Jonny Tuffy.

Craig, like the team, has emerged from the early season gloom to relish every fresh opportunity to advance Perth championship claims.

That’s 16 points from 18, four wins on the bounce and a trip to Dunfermline looming.

This was an impressive shift in the teeth of a storm swatting Scotland.

The elements weren’t conducive to pretty football but, ironically, touch players like Chris Millar and Gavin Swankie somehow managed to produce some sublime touches in the heart of a hurricane.

Thistle rarely win in Perth. That’s one of the laws of Nature.

A solitary victory in the Fair City since 1974 was reassuring for fans braving the elements and mindful of the tortuous 4-0 gubbing at Firhill.

But that seems an age ago.

Since then, banks have gone bust, the Footsie has taken fright and so has Guy Ritchie.

There was a minute’s silence before kick-off in memory of Charlie McFadyen, a full-back who posted the second most appearances for the club in a decade spanning the fifties and sixties. Members of his family were in attendance.

When the game got under way, keeper Alan Main was almost fielding his own kick outs, the advertising boards were being uprooted and blowing around like confetti but Saints were ahead after 14 minutes, having survived a scare when Buchanan nipped in between the keeper and his skipper Kevin Rutkiewicz only to miss the vacant target from wide right.

Martin Hardie was ambitious letting loose with a 25-yard free-kick but the wall disintegrated and McCaffrey tucked away a crisp 15-yard shot in off the post when the ball clipped Swankie to land handily at his feet.

A superb Swankie cross evaded Millar and Sheerin with the goal at their mercy. Sheerin had an eventful day, jumping to defend a netbound Buchanan header on the line and missing from the spot after Kinniburgh’s second handball of the day was punished.

This time, the defender bizarrely blocked a Craig free-kick and referee Colin Brown spotted it.

An earlier misdemeanour from a Milne cross had gone undetected by the officials.

Craig was first to the ball when Holmes was hauled down by Maxwell in a move lifted from a wrestling manual, chasing one of his crosses.

The 61st minute shot was drilled in low and well away from the keeper.

The third goal was classy, with Milne played in by Holmes to extend his personal scoring sequence and provide yet more evidence these two are working-up a productive partnership.

In the 72nd minute Thistle’s woes were exacerbated when Storey launched himself at Gary Irvine, copped a red and took a verbal battering from his manager en route to the dressing room.

Eighteen minutes left and Saints should have fluffed up the goal difference but several chances weren’t converted as the Jags counted down the minutes before seeking sanctuary in the visitors dressing room.

St Johnstone: Main, Irvine, Craig, Millar, Rutkiewicz, McCaffrey, Swankie (Moon 82), Hardie, Holmes (MacDonald 73), Milne and Sheerin. Subs not used: Anderson, Samuel and Robinson.

Partick Thistle: Tuffy, Paton, Kinniburgh, Storey, Robertson, Maxwell, McKeown, Rowson, Buchanan (Gray 68), McKinlay, Harkins (Chaplain 69). Subs not used: Turner, Donnelly and Hinchcliffe.

Referee: Colin Brown.