Dunfermline 0, St Johnstone 3

Dec 27 2011 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

WITH a minute left of this Christmas Eve match and the outcome long settled, a string of Santas headed for the exit. They were on the night shift.

But luckless stand-in Pars keeper Chris Smith had already got Perth fans in the Festive mood, doing everything but wrap up the points with a ribbon and dispatch them on a sleigh bound for McDiarmid Park.

The anxious goalie took the season of goodwill stuff a bit too literally and flapped a Liam Craig corner over his own line after an even opening half-hour.

Saints went on to have a ball, with returning striker Fran Sandaza on the mark before playing in an impressive Craig for the third.

After losing three in double-quick time on home turf, Saints earned the right to enjoy Christmas Day off and a wee sherry after a stout performance in trying conditions.

The icy blast sweeping across East End Park would have had Rudolph and his chums seeking out the services of the SSPCA, but there was work to be done, and manager Steve Lomas got the customary road show from his men.

Skipper Jody Morris returned from a five-game lay-off to pull the strings, but it was the sight of gold-wrapped Sandaza which did most to raise the spirits of travelling fans.

It was always going to be a day to test the nerves of the goalkeepers, and the first error of judgement was chalked up by Peter Enckelman, who was floundering around in no man’s land 30 yards from goal in the 10th minute.

Half-way out he knew it was the wrong call, and while the Finn launched himself ambitiously, he was one mighty relieved man to look round and see Barrowman’s chip dribble wide of the empty net.

But it was Smith at the other end whose plan to be Scrooge-like was blown away in the 36th minute.

The fierce gale made life awkward but his attempted clearance punch was miscued completely in the six-yard box and edged over the line as desperate defender Willis could only lash an instinctive hooked connection high into the roof of the net.

The fragile Pars, still without a home win and now in dire straits, threatened to disintegrate as Murray Davidson pleaded in vain for a penalty and Craig swiped a shot well wide.

Minutes from the break, with Saints dominant, Craig forced a low diving save out of Smith and Sandaza rattled the crossbar from 12 yards as he latched on to rebound.

But the Spaniard was back for more in the 52nd minute, this time launching himself between two defenders to stretch out a telescopic leg and poke home a Smith fumble.

That had been triggered by Marcus Haber’s low angled strike from a perceptive Craig pass into the inside right channel. It was goal number nine for the season, and top six aspirations may hinge on the club fending off January bids.

With the dispirited Pars looking like relegation fodder, Saints went in search of more goals to reward fans making the journey from the Fair City.

Their numbers had been trimmed by the police when a red smoke bomb went off in front of an excitable crew who may have been plundering the folks’ mulled wine.

But the third came in the 59th minute, when Haber’s physical presence teed up Sandaza, and the Spaniard’s footwork and persistence confused Thomson.

You’d have put your mortgage on the striker having a pop, but instead he played in Craig with a perfectly weighted pass and the supporting midfielder rounded off a fine display with an ice cool dink into the far corner.

Perth fans rose to their feet to acknowledge departing midfielder Martin Hardie, whose service at McDiarmid has not been forgotten.

And they were denied further cause for celebration when strikes from a rampaging Callum Davidson and then Chris Millar were blocked en route to the target.

DUNFERMLINE: Smith, Dowie, Willis (Kirk 62), J. Thomson, Keddie, Cardle, Boyle, Burns, Barrowman (Buchanan 73), Hardie (R. Thomson 67) and Graham. Subs not used: Goodfellow, Potter, Mason and Byrne.

SAINTS: Enckelman, Mackay, C. Davidson, Morris (Moon 74), Anderson, M. Davidson (Maybury84), Millar, Craig, McCracken, Sandaza (Finnigan 79) and Haber. Subs not used: Mannus, Durnan, McIntosh and Gray.

Referee: Craig Thomson.