No Homecoming party for Saints

Jan 16 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A CENTURY on from their first Scottish Cup encounter and Saints were unable to evict Rangers from a Scottish Cup now sponsored by the government’s Homecoming initiative, reports GordonBannerman.

Nine months on from losing in a semi-final penalty lottery, manager Derek McInnes and his players had to make do with more kudos, patronising pats on the back and the scant consolation they had made life decidedly uncomfortable for the opposition.

This defeat wasn’t as painful as the Hampden experience, with the campaign in its infancy rather than one step away from a first ever Scottish Cup final.

The bank balance will have been boosted by a six-figure sum at a time when football finances are being exposed to a fully-fledged recession.

But if Saints can maintain their grip on pole position in the league, this season’s early cup exits won’t prey on Perth minds.

For 42 minutes of this fourth round tie, Saints were making a mockery of 7/1 odds bookies had laid-on, with Scotland international and one-time Perth loan player Allan McGregor standing firm as an effervescent home team sought the goal to round-off composed and patient midfield probings.

McGregor owes a debt of gratitude for the McDiarmid stay whichadvanced his career prospects.

But you wouldn’t have known it as he beat out a dipping second minute Gavin Swankie free-kick, brilliantly tipped over a first-time Liam Craig 25-yarder destined for the top corner and topped that by jabbing out a leg to prevent Andy Jackson burying a textbook Derek Holmes knockdown with a well-struck 16-yard shot. Craig also executed a volley which inched wide.

A full-strength Rangers side weighed down by transfer speculation and January sale jibes failed to pose any sort of threat to the Perth goal and Saints were oozing confidence, with Swankie taking on his man at every opportunity, Chris Millar given a free role and Jody Morris an oasis of calm in a frantic engine room.

Naismith, playing for the first time since a semi-final injury and almost chopped in half by a Kevin Rutkiewicz launched from a different time zone, lobbed in a wayward cross which drifted away from its intended target.

Fatally, keeper Alan Main was tempted to chase it but instead of finding row Z, he sclaffed his clearance to Davis.

The ball was clipped to Boyd as the veteran anxiously scurried back to his line, aware he was in trouble.

The cross was delivered quickly and while Kenny Miller’s fancy flick completely missed the ball, luckless defender Stuart McCaffrey inadvertently did the job for him.

Three shut-outs in four games has ensured Main is a contender for the Irn-Bru divisional player of the month.

But at that moment, the wind was sucked from St Johnstone sails and the players were unable to regain their momentum and self-belief in a disjointed second half.

Main flicked away a miscued Miller strike and in stoppage time spread himself to defy Davis.

The tie escaped Perth hands 12 minutes from the end when an otherwise invisible Ferguson released Davis in behind Craig. The Irishman waited and substitute Nacho Novo, an extra-time penalty scorer at Hampden, slipped home a finish.

Earlier, Holmes had squeezed an angled header over and from an unlikely corner an instinctive Rutkiewicz header veered over the target. But Rangers had escaped that tortuous first-half rack and St Johnstone’s wait for that Scottish Cup scalp goes on.

ST JOHNSTONE: Main, Irvine, Hanlon (Sheerin 71), Morris, Rutkiewicz, McCaffrey, Millar, Craig, Holmes, Jackson (Samuel 59), and Swankie (Milne 87). Subs not used: Gartland and McLean.

RANGERS: McGregor, Broadfoot, Weir, Mendes, Papac, Ferguson, Bougherra, Miller (McCulloch 85), Boyd (Fleck 85), Davis and Naismith (Novo 71). Subs not used: Wilson and Alexander.

Referee: Dougie McDonald.