Winning In The Rain: Rare Stalemate

Saints opened their 2015-16 league campaign with an ultra-rare goalless draw against newly promoted East Kilbride FC Amateurs at Glencruitten last Saturday. The Scottish Amateur Football League Premier Division new boys were last season's Premier Division One champions and were fully expected to provide a stiff test of Saints own title aspirations.

With every player showing up well in pre-season Manager Alex Craik had some difficult decisions to make in whittling his numbers down to sixteen for the match day squad and an even tougher job in selecting his first competitive starting eleven. Definitely out of the equation were Dougal Graham (injured), Keith Millar (on honeymoon) and Dean Smith (suspended). Throwing his hat into the ring after a three week absence was fit again skipper Marc Maccallum. The Manager elected to start with Thomas McCulloch in goal; a back four of Martin Bonar, Marc Maccallum, Dene Cassells and Scott Maitland ; a midfield of Myles McAuley, Paul Kerr and Donald Campbell; and a strike force of Lewis Cameron, Allan Mackay and Craig MacEwan. On the bench were Willie Gemmell, Jamie Graham, Ross Maitland, David McArthur and Shaun Maciver.

On the most perfect of playing surfaces, beautifully prepared by the Council's grounds staff, Saints kicked off attacking the railway line end and forced the first corner kick of the match after just two minutes. Lewis Cameron's in swinger from the Saints left was easily cleared by the EK defence who were to prove an impossible nut to crack. At the other end EK gave an early indication that they had come in search of more than just a share of the points when, pouncing on a slip on the left of the Saints defence, they forced their way into the Saints box and rattled the outside of Thomas McCulloch's left hand post. Saints carved out a decent chance in the tenth minute getting in behind the EK defence for the first time. Craig MacEwan played a neat pass inside fullback Stuart Cox sending Scott Maitland racing to the byeline where the Saints left back did well do dig out a cross. The cut back found Allan Mackay unmarked on the penalty spot but, with far more time than he realised, Allan planted his header wide of target. The visitors were playing the very same system that Saints are now trying to adopt and looked very comfortable in that shape. Both sides were passing the ball well from the back and through the midfield but the vital final pass in the attacking third was lacking. It wasn't until midway through the first half that Saints were again able to get behind the well drilled EK defence and when they did Allan Mackay was again unable to turn another good Scott Maitland cut back on target. In between times Saints had two efforts from distance, firstly Dene Cassells came striding forward from central defence and fired in a powerful shot from fully thirty yards which looked to be on target but was deflected wide of the danger area. Myles McAuley then had an audacious attempt from a free kick inside the centre circle after Lewis Cameron had been brought down. Spotting EK goalkeeper Ross Meldrum off his line, Myles took the free kick quickly but sent his lobbed effort narrowly wide of the retreating keeper's right hand post. EK were also trying to push their fullbacks forward with skipper Gavin Thomson being used to good effect on the left wing. In the 23rd minute Thomson combined well with centre forward Jonny Diack but the striker's shot from a tight angle hit the side netting. On the half hour mark EK has their best chance of the half when the impressive Diack's turn on the eighteen yard line left Dene Cassells for dead and placed him one on one with Thomas McCulloch. Diack elected to shoot first time but the big keeper produced the save of the match to fingertip the ball onto the inside of his left hand post. Thomas reacted quicker than the striker and was up in a flash to safely gather the rebound in front of the posts. Saints enjoyed a better spell towards the end of the half but again couldn't apply the finishing touch. In the 37th minute Craig MacEwan chased down a pass back robbing the goalkeeper leaving him stranded wide of his goal line. Craig squared the ball to Allan Mackay but with the Saints target man just about to pull the trigger EK central defender Gary McDowal got back to knick the ball off Allan's toe. Two minutes later Allan Mackay flicked on a long ball from Myles McAuley sending Lewis Cameron through on goal, Lewis fired in a left foot shot from a narrow angle but the keeper made a good save at his near post to turn the ball behind for a corner. Lewis took the corner which Donald Campbell controlled on the corner of the six yard box and played back to Lewis who again aimed for the near post where his shot was deflected behind for another corner which this time was comfortably dealt with. In the final minute of the half Scott Maitland made another good run to the byeline and delivered a tempting cut back which was once again knicked away with Allan Mackay ready to shoot.

Saints made a good start to the second half but were almost caught out on the break when Jonny Diack beat Paul Kerr and sent a low cross from the left across the face of goal which fortunately for Saints was slightly too heavy for the onrushing Jamie Innes to connect with. In the 49th minute Martin Bonar ventured forward from right back and delivered a good cross into the box for Allan Mackay. Allan's hook shot was blocked on the six yard line and rebounded to Donald Campbell whose shot from the edge of the box was deflected over the crossbar for a corner kick. Lewis Cameron swung in the corner from the right for Craig MacEwan to rise above the defence but send his header over the crossbar. Five minutes later Craig MacEwan cut in from the left and picked out Allan Mackay just inside the box. With his back to goal Allan turned his marker but shot straight at Ross Meldrum who held well. At the other end Saints keeper Thomas McCulloch also held well when forced into a save from a shot from the edge of the box by EK right back Stuart Cox. From McCulloch's clearance Saints went straight on the attack with Scott Maitland and Craig MacEwan linking up well on the left for Craig to cut into the box and send a tantalising cross along the six yard line which Allan Mackay did well to reach at the back post but couldn't direct on target. Craig tried his luck himself in the 64th minute when he burst into the box but blasted his shot over the junction of post and bar. One minute later from a similar position Lewis Cameron hit the target but his shot was well held by keeper Meldrum. Manager Alex Craik made his first change after 68 minutes bringing on Jamie Graham to replace Martin Bonar at right back. Jamie offered Saints a bit more going forward but his increased sense of adventure left space for EK to expose resulting in the best chance of the match in the 75th minute. After good work on the left, dangerman Jonny Diack beat Marc Maccallum wide on the edge of the box and squared to Scott McEwan for what should have been a routine tap-in but fortunately for Saints the EK man somehow managed to send the ball over the bar much to the relief of all in navy blue. Manager Alex Craik made two further changes replacing Allan Mackay and Lewis Cameron with Shaun Maciver and Ross Maitland but the fresh legs could do nothing to change the outcome of the game. With no further incidents of note in the closing stages Referee Alan Frame, who had enjoyed an easy afternoon's work, brought an even contest to end with the hosts perhaps slightly lucky to escape with a point.

Next up for Saints is a trip to Battery Park, Greenock to face old rivals Inverclyde.