When Gus MacPherson left in the summer I thought it was the end of dour, defensive football and someone who didn't know how to use substitutions. Well, we've ended up with someone who is even worse, and cheaper. Having created sod all with a defensive midfield against St. Johnstone on Saturday, Danny Lennon sent out exactly the same team. Result? We create sod all again. After taking the lead through Darren McGregor, we sat deeper and deeper and it was inevitable United would equalise. The only fortunate thing was it came so late.
This was a game there for the winning. United had two key players suspended and star striker David Goodwillie had a shocker. Instead, we go to grind out a point and after going in front we try desperately to cling on for all three. There was no effort to go for a second. With things not working, Lennon refused to use the subs until it was too late.
The midfield were poor, Michael Higdon had a shocker and we then had the ultimate idiocy of putting Craig Dargo on in injury time. Quite simply, it's not good enough. This was a real chance to move away from the relegation zone and we blew it. And it'll probably be the same story against Hibs next week.
Lennon has clearly not heard the story about doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results being the definition of insanity. The same 11 players that started in Perth started tonight, with Aaron Mooy and Paul McQuade being left on the bench yet again. With all due respect to Marc McAusland, you have to wonder about playing a centre half at right back when David van Zanten is fit. The only change was among the subs with Hugh Murray taking Vanzy's slot. One last hurrah for Shuggy before his possible departure to Dunfermline? Annoyingly, Goodwillie was fit enough to start for Dundee United as was Craig Conway, whose crossing is always a danger.
Some early manic defending (is there any other sort when it's Saints?) allowed Goodwillie to get in a shot that ended up in Paul Gallacher's arms thanks to a kind deflection. Then more lapses allowed the striker and Conway to carve out a chance for Johnny Russell, but fortunately Jim Goodwin stopped it going in. Steven Thomson seemed to be on set piece duty for Saints for no other reason than the fact he could make those cool arm signals that seem to suggest some well worked training move is about to happen before delivering a predictable cross.
After his midweek treble against Peterhead, Paul McGowan perhaps fancied some more night time goals which may explain his effort from 25 yards that drifted wide. He decided to turn creator after that and McAusland was unlucky to see his effort from the edge of the box go wide. A shot from Morgaro Gomis for United was slightly further off target.
Unsurprisingly, Goodwillie's every touch was being met with abuse from the home support and it turned to jeers when he was stupidly booked for handling a Conway cross. Next to have a go was Russell and he almost put United in front, his turn and shot being kept out by Gallacher. Not to be outdone, Michael Higdon then made his first meaningful contribution when he brought down a Potter clearance and slipped it through to McGowan, whose shot was saved by Dusan Pernis.
We finally had something to cheer less than 10 minutes from the break. Jure Travner sent in a corner (perhaps he can do the hand signals too) and Darren McGregor sent it towards goal. As Gomis tried to clear it, the ball seemed to have gone over the line and the officials agreed. McGregor had his first ever SPL goal and we had our first in the SPL since Boxing Day. I don't know what's more surprising - the fact we scored or the fact it came from a set-piece! United came a bit to close for comfort in their bid to force an equaliser before the break, Goodwillie heading onto the bar from Conway's free-kick.
Some Saints-esque defending gifted us a couple of chances at the start of the second half when United failed to clear a corner. However, with McGowan and Travner seeing their efforts blocked, it set United on the counter. Travner charged back and promptly clattered into Goodwillie, earning himself a booking. Fortunately, the free-kick came to nothing and Bauben whacked a loose ball over the bar. Goodwillie was next to threaten, seeing his header from a Stuart Armstrong cross superbly kept out by Gallacher.
Travner's next involvement saw him try to break, only to go down under a challenge from Conway. It's fair to say there was minimal contact and Jure went down a bit easily, but it earned Conway a booking. Amusingly, Garry Kenneth almost earned himself a booking for whining about an alleged foul at a corner - and judging by his manager's hand actions, he can expect to find his wage packet a little light this week.
United were beginning to dominate the game and we were limited to the odd counter attack. McGregor headed a free-kick straight at Pernis before a Travner shot won a corner, from which McAusland had an effort blocked by the unbooked Kenneth. The defender then created a chance when he picked out Higdon at the back post and he tried to not the ball back across goal, but Kenneth cleared it with McGowan lurking.
Despite that we were still sitting incredibly deep. Individual errors from Saints players had been rather lacking, so Cregg tried to make up for that when he held onto the ball far too long and was promptly robbed by Bauben. He played in Russell who charged down the left before delivering a perfect ball for Goodwillie, who comically slid in and put the ball on the bar, rather than into the net. Next time the striker header over from Keith Watson's cross, while United threw on David Robertson and Danny Cadamrteri for Russell and Stuart Armstrong and Steven Thomson was booked.
With 10 minutes left Shuggy was introduced to a rousing reception when he replaced Patrick Cregg. Was this the last time we'll see him in a Saints shirt? Cadmarteri saw his shot curl off target before Conway was replaced by Andis Shala.
There were just three minutes left when the inevitable late United goal arrived. Goodwillie made up for his shocking form in front of goal by sending in a perfect cross that Robertson headed back across and over Gallacher and into the far corner. There could be no complaints as it had been coming from the moment we had gone in front.
There was still time for someone to get a second and it almost looked like we'd manage it when Higdon shot wide. Then we bizarrely saw Dargo introduced in stoppage time and the whole night was summed up when he tried to slide the ball through to Higdon, who let it hit his heel.
I'd have taken a point before the game, but the team selection and second half display was a disgrace. Yes, the players worked hard, but we didn't try to threaten United and there was no way we could hold out. They've scored late goals against us before and they did it again. The only surprise was it took so long to come and we somehow escaped with a point.
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