Draw dampens record day

Mar 3 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

FOR a club counting down to its 125th anniversary celebrations, a milestone statistic didn’t prompt scenes of unbridled joy and singing and dancing in the streets of Perth.

After a 10th draw along the way, even manager Derek McInnes and his players made only passing references to a 20th unbeaten game on the spin as they dissected the latest Tayside derby.

It was 46 years ago that the club’s longest run without picking over the bones of a defeat was posted.

Down the line, celebrated coaches like Willie Ormond, Paul Sturrock and Alex Totten didn’t manage to raise the bar.

Now McInnes and his league leaders have penned a little bit of history but the muted reaction to passing an historic milestone was a reminder that only a league title will lure champagne from the McDiarmid Park chillers.

These championship rivals demanded one solitary save from mature keepers Alan Main and Rab Douglas – and even then it was a deflected effort late on which worked the Perth number one.

That dulled the excitement and anticipation which had built during the week.

McDiarmid hosted its biggest league crowd of the season, underlining the potential significance of the derby for both teams.

That brought problems of its own, with segregation arrangements going out the window as Dens fans blocked gangways in the main stand before the Ormond stand was hastily opened to accommodate Dundonian travellers anticipating a fourth successive victory.

With the players failing to provide football to match the sense of occasion, the spotlight fell on a strong Saints penalty claim, the chaotic crowd scenes, a Weight Watchers candidate waddling onto the pitch from the visitors stand before being huckled and referee Steve

Conroy searching for an object thrown at former Perth full-back Eddie Malone seconds before half-time.

To his credit, the defender downplayed the incident. Not sure if it was a coin or a sweet which clipped him, he joked that if it was currency he was tempted to pocket it in the current economic climate.

It’s unlikely the referee’s assessment will have similar comic value and following on from incidents at the Rangers cup tie which resulted in court action, the club deserves full backing as they try to weed out the lame-brained element before any return to the SPL.

Back to the football and McInnes opted for a surprisingly offensive line-up.

As a statement of intent, clearly the strategy was to extend the six-point lead over Dundee rather than keep them at bay.

But with winger Gavin Swankie public enemy number one among Dundee fans and unable to impact on the first 45 minutes, the introduction of Paul Sheerin saw a player with the experience and composure required to linger on the ball and pick out a pass.

Liam Craig and Kevin Moon rattled shots inches wide and Shinnie sent a 25-yard volley dipping inches over the target in a war of attrition on a pitch unlikely ever to be mistaken for a bowling green.

McMenamim wasted a header but another outstanding performance by skipper Kevin Rutkiewicz with restored partner Stuart McCaffrey at his shoulder ensured the Dens attack was utterly anonymous.

Not that Dundee’s makeshift central defence was traumatised by Perth attacking ploys.

Rab Douglas probably can’t recall a less stressful derby, although a Derek Holmes header minutes after the interval had him worried before it breezed by the post.

Then, around the hour mark, he must have expected to face a penalty when McKenzie bundled into Milne as the striker lined-up a shot on the turn.

Unlike a first-half plea when Milne went down, it was in the blatant category - but not from where Mr Conroy was standing.

Six minutes from the end, substitute Martin Hardie had a late shot at glory but from 20 yards he took aim only to lash his shot high over the bar.

And at the other end Main was forced to scramble across his line and get a touch to Shinnie’s deflected strike, which looked likely to miss the mark anyway.

St Johnstone: Main, Irvine, Byrne, Moon (Hardie 74), Rutkiewicz, McCaffrey, Millar, Craig, Holmes, Milne (Barrett 78) and Swankie (Sheerin 46). Subs not used: Gartland and McLean.

Dundee: Douglas, Paton, Malone, McHale, McKenzie, Cowan, Shinnie, Cameron, McMenamim, Antoine-Curier and Efrem. Subs not used: Roy, Lauchlan, Pozniak, Daquin and Gilhaney.

Referee: Steve Conroy.