Saints’ title sweat in the sunshine

Apr 21 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

IT was meant to be the biggest Gaelic flavoured shindig since Perth hosted The Mod.

But instead of swaggering towards the title with the BBC Alba crew beaming the action live from McDiarmid Park, Saints slipped into old habits which manager Derek McInnes thought he’d seen the last of way back in August.

There’s still a four point lead over Partick Thistle with just 270 minutes between St Johnstone and the SPL.

But a previously sure-footed defence was left tottering like a drunk at the Whisky Olympics as they stumbled to their first home defeat since a similar scoreline posted by relegation candidates Clyde eight months ago.

Having shown admirable resolve and self-belief to claw back a two-goal deficit created by former Perth player Stephen Dobbie – a leading

candidate for the divisional Player of the Year status – another shockin g rearguard lapse deep in stoppage time gifted the points to a Queen of the South side which has deprived Saints of nine points over the course of the season.

The goals were finished with conviction but defenders didn’t cover themselves in glory.

It seemed imposters had infiltrated one of the meanest home defences in British football.

Second-half substitutes Derek Holmes and Chris Millar helped turn the tide in the final 10 minutes as Saints hauled themselves level and sought a dramatic winner to advance their title credentials.

Instead, a calamitous lapse allowed Stewart Kean to worm his way through a threadbare offside trap and spike the relief felt by the majority of spectators at sun-kissed McDiarmid.

If Saints do savour success over the last three matches, it will have been created on defensive foundations.

Their strikers haven’t been able to emulate the likes of Roddy Grant and John Brogan, who made an interval appearance in centre-field.

But in the 11th minute Dobbie was allowed to meander in from the left flank, easily evading both central defenders before slotting an angled shot underneath Alan Main.

With an anxious Graham Gartland kept indoors at the interval, the lime-booted centre cashed in on a glaring Steven Anderson error of judgment in the 54th minute.

Dobbie’s workrate has upped since an exasperated Coyle moved him out but Anderson dithered with a simple clearance. And after charging it down the striker then sold the panic-stricken defender a simple dummy before cutting inside and extending his team’s lead.

That had followed an effervescent start to the second half, with Kevin Moon and Martin Hardie squandering chances, Collin Samuel squeezing a shot wide and Paul Sheerin having a volley blocked.

Despite posting just one win and four draws in recent home appearances, Saints didn’t lack courage and the substitutes seemed destined to reward their manager’s changes.

Static on-loan Rangers keeper Lee Robinson – who flapped a 15th minute

Liam Craig corner into his own net only for inept referee Charlie Richmond to detect an imaginary offence – watched Holmes head a Millar cross into the corner in the 83rd minute .

And four minutes tiring Queens were stunned when a ferocious Millar shot teed-up by a weak Jamie McQuilken header cannoned off skipper Jim Thomson into the net. Keeper Main raced 100 yards to join the celebrations.

But while fans licked their lips at the prospect of a third, Main had to produce a superb save at the feet of Kean and another attack caused palpitations in Perth ranks.

Having got off the hook, Saints manoeuvred themselves back onto it.

A catalogue of errors paved the way for Kean to stride past a flailing Main and plant the winner into a vacant net. Stevie Milne will regret keeping a loose pass forward in play and the defensive line was utterly ragged when Steve Tosh released Kean for the winner.

ST JOHNSTONE: Main, Irvine, Anderson, Craig, Rutkiewicz, Gartland (Moon 46), Swankie (Millar 61), Hardie (Holmes 61), Milne, Samuel and Sheerin. Subs not used: Barrett and McLean.

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH:Robinson, Reid, McQuilken, MacFarlane (Tosh 84), Lancaster (Barr 75), Thomson, Wilson, Scally, O’Connor (Kean 36), Dobbie and Burns. Subs not used: Aitken and Halliwell.

Referee: Charlie Richmond.