Anything less than a victory today would have been a travesty of justice. We played some superb football, were rarely pressured and Aberdeen were very disappointing. However, after two glorious chances were missed in the first half it looked like being the same old story. This time, Nigel Hasselbaink scored after five minutes of the second half and we were on our way to victory. For once, they didn't fluke a last minute goal.
Quite how we have played the way we have and only scored once in two games is a mystery. However, we now have four points from six and have yet to concede a goal. The only time we've managed as good a start in the SPL was back in 2006, when we won our opening two games. If we keep playing like this - and can start putting away more of our chances - we could be in for a fun season.
It was the easiest team of the season to predict - because it was exactly the same as the one that faced Dunfermline on Monday, as most people assumed it would be. So there were home debuts for Steven Thompson, Nigel Hasselbaink, Gary Teale and Jeroen Tesselaar. It was second time around at home for Paul McGowan, with Graham Carey having to make do with a place on the bench again. In fairness, there was one major alteration in the Saints line-up as Thompson seemed to have found his razor after Monday. Scott Vernon had caused us problems last season for the Dons and joined Darren Mackie up front.
The pace of Hasselbaink had caused plenty of problems on Monday and it wasn't long before he did the same again, holding off his marker before playing in Thompson, whose attempt to do something was blocked at the expense of a corner. Teale took it and while his delivery wasn't great, it caused keeper David Gonzalez all sorts of problems as he came for the cross under close scrutiny from Thompson and Lee Mair and eventually the ball was knocked over for another corner. This time it met the usual Saints outcome of a set piece and came to nothing.
Hugh Murray's injury meant he didn't have a hope of being the first player booked at Greenhill Road this season. Instead that honour fell to Clark Robertson for a shocking tackle on Thompson that left the big striker needing treatment, although he was able to continue. It feel to the similarly named Steven Thomson to have our first shot on goal after a David van Zanten throw in, but it was always going wide. However, while that was a half chance the one that was presented to Thompson moments later wasn't. Tesselaar's corner appeared to be over hit, but it picked out Darren McGregor perfectly. He headed it back across goal and Thompson was there to volley high... over the bar. It should have been a goal, but instead the wait for the Thommohawk's first Saints goal went on.
There was lots of good play from Saints but we weren't making too many inroads on the Aberdeen goal. Hasselbaink tried his luck from miles out and was almost as far from dinging the target, while Teale jinked past a few defenders before curling an effort over the bar. Vernon then got himself a booking for whacking McGregor with his elbow. One of his team mates then gave Craig Samson something to do as Josh Magennis forced him into a save with a good effort.
Jim Goodwin was the first Saints player booked for a foul on Robert Milsom before Hasselbaink again showed what he could do. With his back to goal he shielded the ball from Milsom before spinning and charging towards the edge of the box, only to see his superb effort clip the wrong side of the net. However, we weren't having things all our own way and it took some last gasp defending from Mair and McGregor to stop the likes of Mackie and Peter Pawlett getting a shot in.
It was then the offside flag, rather than poor finishing, that thwarted the Thommohawk. He looked offside when Teale slid the ball through, but the linesman disagreed. Teale's next delivery found an onside Hasselbaink, but somehow he headed off target from the edge of the six yard box. He has plenty of good attributes, but he's the last man you want trying to head in a cross!
So, for the second time in a week we had dominated a half but hadn't managed to score any goals. We got away with it on Monday, but there was no way we wouldn't be made to pay today. However, we did see the power and pace of Hasselbaink again as he held off Mackie before surging forward. He had plenty of options in the middle - and missed them all. However, Thomson (midfield one) picked up the ball at the edge of the box and his pass was cleared to McGowan. His shot was awful, but it hit an Aberdeen player in the chest. Some players shouted for handball, but it wouldn't have been a ridiculously harsh award.
The passing football finally bore fruit five minutes after the break. As Saints broke, Thompson (striker one) held the ball up and beautifully laid it out to McGowan on the left. He took it in his stride before playing a fantastic pass into the middle for Hasselbaink. Incredibly, the Dutchman was all alone and seemed to take forever before steadying himself and shooting low into the far corner of the net. Saints finally had their first goal of the season, Hasselbaink had his first for Saint and no one could have claimed it wasn't deserved.
We then had the bizarre sight of Goodwin having shot from 25 yards that Gonzalez held before things got a bit tasty in the middle of the park. Mackie and McGowan clashed and Mackie took exception to something, giving the forward a wee push. As far as ref Euan Norris was concerned, both deserved equal punishment and were booked s- so how Magennis was only booked for a shocking tackle on McGowan seconds later is a mystery. The aggressor turned victim when he was flattened by Mair and when Milsom delivered the free-kick, Samson did well to keep out a Vernon header. Craig Brown put those years of experience to good use by taking off the wound up Magennis and replacing him with Michael Paton.
Players have a habit of scoring against their former clubs, although rarely do defenders manage that trick. However, Mair went close after an hour and must have been gutted to see his header from Tesselaar's corner blocked on the line. Youngster Mitchel Megginson then came on for the Dons, replacing Peter Pawlett. He almost won his side a penalty five minutes later, but Mr Norris deemed Vanzy's challenge a fair one. This outraged the Aberdeen fans - and had it been at the other end I'd have been screaming for it. The forward's next effort saw him blaze the ball over before Nicky Low replaced Vernon.
McGregor became the next man in the book when one of his forward runs went rather wrong and he took one for the team by fouling Milsom as he recovered his position. We finally had our first sub of the season with nearly 170 minutes of football played, Graham Carey replacing Thompson up front. It was Carey's first appearance since arriving permanently from Celtic, while the Thommohawk's wait for a Saints goal will have to wait. He wouldn't have been my choice to come off - Teale had done hardly anything since the break and was clearly knackered.
Worryingly, Aberdeen were getting more and more into things and it was almost inevitable what would happen. However, when Arnasaon was slack with a passback it gave Hasselbaink a chance to get to the ball before Gonzalez. It was a race he lost - and got clattered in the process. Paton then had a shot from Aberdeen and it whistled just past the post. Hasselbaink was clearly shattered and left the field with four minutes left to rapturous applause. It also gave Jon McShane a chance to make his Saints debut after an impressive loan spell at Dumbarton last season.
We were getting less and less opportunities up front and Gonzalez was never going to mess up when McGowan produced a low shot. Carey had a chance in injury time to make things safe but shot straight at Gonzalez before thankfully did the same at the other end.
Three thoroughly deserved points are ours. McGowan and Hasselbaink were fantastic, Teale was good in the first half before fading and Tesselaar looks a find. The only downside was failing to take our chances in the first half. That must change as next time we might not be so lucky.
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