St Johnstone cup exit

Feb 9 2010 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

FOUR days and two cups slipped from St Johnstone’s grasp, with the Perth club unable to overcome the defending champions and serious contenders for a top three SPL slot, reports Gordon Bannerman.

A derby defeat, with raucous United fans gleefully relishing revenge for a Co-operative Insurance Cup result at McDiarmid earlier in the season, rubbed salt in wounds still raw after the Hampden reverse against Rangers.

The tie was settled by a solitary goal, best described as scrappy minus the s, seconds before the interval. The timing was dreadful from a Perth perspective, with half-time offering respite and an opportunity to restore calm to a unnerved team which had begun to flap and flounder as the interval approached.

Manager Derek McInnes questioned the validity of David Goodwillie’s crucial strike and only referee Craig Thomson can explain why Saints were denied a blatant 15th minute penalty when Murray Davidson was almost halved by a mistimed Daly lunge as he dinked the ball deep into the United 18-yard box.

But McInnes admitted the Tayside neighbours warranted their passport to the quarter finals, with Saints unable to find the energy, particularly in midfield, to impose themselves on one of the more impressive units in the land.

The home turn-out was disappointing for the fourth match-up between these teams, and their first ever Scottish Cup tie in Perth. Curiosity following the surprise recruitment of Michael Duberry 24 hours earlier should also have upped the attendance for arguably the match of the day.

Duberry, a player with one of the more impressive CVs to cross a managerial desk in Perth, was under the microscope. Fans will be hoping he can emulate the impact made by past medal winners like Sergei Baltacha and Alan Kernaghan.

His debut was far from flawless, with Goodwillie tricking him in the sixth minute to ram an improbably tight angled shot at the keeper and one short backpass giving Graeme Smith palpitations. But having driven through the night from London to train on Friday, he brushed the sleepdust from his eyes and quickly settled to the frantic pace.

He offered strength, composure, robust tackling and an aerial capability at either end of the park. The 34-year-old veteran secured from Wycombe, with English and European honours from his Chelsea days, was pressed into frontline action in a late salvage bid and a resolute United rearguard was alarmed by his presence.

Another old stager, Paul Sheerin, glanced a last-gasp header over the target as he sought to round-off an impressive 27-minute shift which offered much-needed guile.

The penalty claim apart, Saints were well-contained by the Tannadice backline, although Peter MacDonald had a chance to level when he strode onto a cute reverse pass from Filipe Morais. He breezed past Pernis but his stumbling left-foot shot lacked venom and Dixon was unperturbed as he mopped up in the six-yard box.

United warranted their interval lead, with their movement slicker and superior to Saints, who relied too often on aiming at Kenny Deuchar.

Swanson burst into the box to head at Smith and Buaben fired in a shot at the keeper before the Perth side endured a traumatic closing three minutes.

A horrible botch-up between Morais and Danny Grainger bizarrely turned over possession from a Saints free-kick and Smith bought valuable time by getting a vital touch to divert Goodwillie as he bore down on goal.

Then Duberry’s passback caused problems and only a last-ditch hook from ever dependable Dave Mackay prevented Daly getting pff a shot.

Living dangerously, Saints teetered towards stoppage time eager for the half-time whistle. But when keeper and defenders failed to cope with a near post Conway corner kick, the unsightly scramble culminated in Goodwillie lashing a shot in off the crossbar from point blank range.

Full-back Gary Irvine endured an anxious afternoon after scything Conway in the second minute. In the old days it would have been a freebie. Now it’s a caution and he was walking a tightrope every time the fleet-footed man of the match took him on.

United’s pace posed threats on the break and while Buaben tested Smith soon after half-time, they came closest to another goal with a Robertson strike which rattled the crossbar in the closing stages.

ST JOHNSTONE: Smith, Irvine, Grainger, Duberry, Mackay, Morris, Millar, Davidson (Sheerin 63), Morais, Deuchar (Sheridan 72) and Milne (MacDonald46). Subs not used: Main and Connolly.

DUNDEE UTD: Pernis, Dillon, Dixon (Cameron 82), Kenneth, Dods, Conway, Swanson (Robertson 87), Buaben, Daly, Gomis and Goodwillie (Casalinuovo 76). Subs not used: Banks and Myrie-Williams.

Referee: Craig Thomson.