When your only quibble is that your team hasn't won by more goals you know it's been a good day. We won by two, which got the job done, but could easily have had five or six. Hopefully we're saving them for the league. Obviously there's no point getting carried away with a win over a part-time team playing two divisions below you but it was a terrific performance from just about everyone, with chances galore and some wonderful work in just about all areas of the midfield.
With Steven Thompson and Jim Goodwin missing through injury and suspension respectively we were forced to make a couple of changes. The alterations weren't a real surprise as Sam Parkin started up front and Jon Robertson came into midfield. Some cruel people had suggested this was an ideal game for a player who has struggled with the step up to the SPL, what with him being last season's second division player of the year... Veteran goalie Craig Nelson was given the nod for Brechin, as was striker Andy Jackson and ex Saint Craig Molloy. Another former Buddie was on the bench in the shape of David McKenna but Garry Brady missed out.
Brechin seemed happy to give us plenty of time and space on the ball, a good move as we didn't really look like doing an awful lot with it in the early stages. John McGinn sent a shot high and wide from long range before Kenny McLean went slightly closer from a bit further in. It was not riveting stuff and we were struggling to break down the defence, meaning McLean was trying his luck just about every time he got the ball. He nearly scored with one before Nelson turned it behind at the last second but the next two weren't as dangerous, one being curled over and the other straight at Nelson. McGinn worked the keeper a bit more with his next shot before Lee Mair headed wide.
We were then treated to McGinn's fantastic passing ability that Danny Lennon has been waxing lyrical about. As we broke from a corner he sprayed a fantastic pass across to Teale who had plenty of time to run forward and get in a shot that was deflected behind by Ewan Moyes. McLean then had another few chances to get the goal he seemed desperate to score, although he should have done better than shoot into Nelson's arms from a few yards out. The next was an improvement, another 20 yarder being fisted away by Nelson. It was only a matter of time - and that time was 31 minutes. McLean was tripped and after he got back up he set his sights and popped the free-kick out of Nelson's reach into the bottom corner.
McGinn was surprisingly withdrawn after that in a tactical switch. Replacement Dougie Imrie was immediately in on the action, getting halfed by Paul McLean, who was booked, before sclaffing a shot wide following good set-up work from Teale. The latter had been giving Brechin's Johnny Brown a torrid time but that had nothing to do with his replacement by Jonathon Stewart 10 minutes from the break, the defender succumbing to injury. It didn't affect Brechin too badly as they had their first decent chance a few minutes later that Jackson sliced wide before McLean produced a terrific cross that Parkin headed wide at the back post.
The second arrived just before the break in ridiculously good style. Teale's corner on the left was played straight to Robertson and while he may have been 35 yards from goal he left rip, the ball bouncing once as it skipped past Nelson into the net. Another nomination for the increasing list of contenders for goal of the season and an impressive way for Robertson, who has not found life easy in Paisley, to break his duck and get a much needed confidence boost. Two goals to the good at half-time and that was that.
A third early in the second half would have killed things off a completely but despite having plenty of possession we let Brechin having a sight of goal, Derek Carcary unleashing a shot from well out that stung the palms of Samson. Normal service was quickly resumed, Teale going flying down the right and managing to stay on his feet before cutting the ball back for McLean, who steadied himself and shot just over the bar. A few minutes later and we found ourselves in a similar situation, Nelson getting something on it this time. We had a bit of a let off when Samson came charging out his goal and proceeded to clear the ball about five yards, fortunately Carcary then saw his attempt to score deflected wide. He was then replaced by Ryan Stewart but not before Imrie saw a shot dip just over the bar as he tried for his second goal in a week.
Lewis Guy hasn't scored for considerably longer but almost ended the wait when he jumped fantastically well to reach David van Zanten's cross only for the ball to cannon off the top of the bar. McKenna came on for Kurtis Byrne for the final 15 minutes before we had another great chance to finish things off as Guy laid the ball on for Parkin, whose shot was turned behind by Nelson. Imrie had a few decent chances he couldn't do much with before Dummett should have finished it, heading off target when he popped up to meet Teale's cross at the back post.
Thomas Reilly replaced Guy for the last few minutes only for his strike partner Parkin to somehow miss when he'd been teed up by Dummett. We then got a rare sight of David Barron as he replaced McLean, who had been terrific. Reilly went close with a couple of chances, the second palmed behind by Nelson. It meant the third that had looked likely for the whole second half never came but it mattered not a jot. No cup exit before Christmas and no replay to worry about, instead we're deservedly in Monday's draw.
The small band of Brechin fans deserve praise for backing their team vocally despite the pathetic attempts of the stewards to stop them. So what if they are standing and singing, they aren't doing anyone any harm. And, as a sizeable number of Saints weren't shy of telling the Stewards: "Where are you when Celtic's here?". Either every team's fans should be made to sit or everyone's should be allowed to stand and Brechin fans should complain to the club.
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