Aberdeen 2-2 Saints

Last updated : 10 December 2011 By Stuart Gillespie

For the second away game running we found ourselves two goals down quite early on thanks to another odd team selection. This time, however, we were able to mount a response and Kenny McLean reduced the deficit before the break before Graham Carey equalised with a stunning free-kick.

But let's talk about the team selection. Last week Lee Mair went off at half-time for tactical reasons, even though he was the best defender in our team. Today, he was completely absent from the team due to injury. Now, he may well be injured, but it wouldn't be a surprise if he's said something out of turn.

As a result of Mair's absence, David Barron joined Marc McAusland at the back. Illias Haddad and Nigel Hasselbaink were both dropped, with Carey and David van Zanten coming into the side.

With the defending being rather suspect in recent weeks and a dodgy looking team, we had to keep things tight early on. Instead, we gifted Aberdeen an early goal. Rory Fallon flicked the ball on to Scott Vernon and he slammed it home via the bar inside the first minute.

Things got worse 15 minutes later, Fraser Fyvie picking out Fallon at the back post to score his first league goal. Game over surely.

But for some reason - perhaps because Aberdeen are worse than us - we were able to fight back. 10 minutes from half-time Steven Thompson knocked the ball down and McLean fired home to half the deficit.

Aberdeen had claims for penalties turned down and just seven minutes into the second half we were level when Carey rifled a free-kick into the net from more than 30 yards. It's his first goal since he returned in the summer and surely proves to Danny Lennon he needs to be starting.

After that it was anyone's game - Samson saving from Vernon before Thompson headed wide from a Carey cross and was then denied by goalie Jason Brown.

Amusingly, Aberdeen had Fyvie sent off in the final minute for swearing at the referee, apparently aggrieved a goal hadn't been given when he felt the ball had crossed the line.

I'd have taken a point before the game and after being 2-0 down with that team it's a great result. However, we really need to stop messing around with players and formations and go back to the system that worked so well at the start of the season - especially with a trip to Motherwell coming up next week,

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