MATCH REPORT

Following the disappointment of the Boxing Day draw against bottom side Stirling Albion, Derek McInnes rang the changes for the follow-up trip down the A9 to meet Clyde at Broadwood Stadium.

Kevin Rutkiewicz, Andy Lawrie, Kevin Moon and Dyron Daal were all introduced to the starting line-up – the last three named having started just eight games between them this season – with Steven Anderson, Paul Sheerin and Steven Milne all dropping down to the bench while Rocco Quinn failed to recover from the knock he had picked up at Forthbank a few days earlier.

Saints - watched by former player Tommy Lovenkrands and his brother, ex-Rangers winger, Peter - lined up in a 4-3-3 formation with Lawrie slotting into the right back spot allowing Gary Irvine to move into midfield alongside Kevin Moon and Liam Craig. The three-pronged attack consisted of Andy Jackson, Dyron Daal and Peter MacDonald.

Saints opened the match by taking control of possession and over 8 minutes were on the clock before the home side got into the final 18 yards but for all their possession Saints only threat was a low cross from Daal which was turned behind for a corner kick.

With 11 minutes gone Saints broke quickly after Clyde’s Arbuckle had seen his advances down the left spurned and a great cross-field pass from Kevin Moon allowed MacDonald to scamper down the left but with Daal inside he chose to loft the ball goalwards and it drifted over the bar.

Having started the game so brightly it came as a shock to the healthy travelling support when they saw their side go behind in 14 minutes. Kevin Bradley took possession just inside the Saints half wide on the left and advanced ten yards before lofting the ball goalwards. Alan Main was a good few yards off his goal line and although he back-peddled he was unable to prevent the ball dropping into the postage stamp corner of the net.

Saints looked to bounce back from this set-back and 3 minutes later Jackson saw a snap-shop from 8 yards go just over the bar but it was the Saints youngster who did manage to draw his side level in 21 minutes. The goal came about when a Liam Craig free kick from the right was retrieved by Dyron Daal on the left and when his ball into the six yard box broke free to Jackson the Saints striker wasted no time in firing home his eleventh goal of the season.

Six minutes later and Saints were ahead and Liam Craig was again involved, this time being tripped in the box after accepting an great Irvine lay-off. With penalty expert Paul Sheerin sitting on the bench it was Peter MacDonald who took the spot kick and it was only his alertness that brought the goal – his penalty kick was saved by Hutton but Peaso was quick to pounce on the loose ball and fire home.

Before half-time Andy Jackson broke free after the ball fell kindly for him in the middle of the park but he dragged his parting effort wide of Hutton’s right hand post. Dyron Daal and the home side’s Marvyn Wilson were yellow carded.

Colin Hendry must have given his side a roasting at half-time because his players came out of the traps at the start of the second half intent on getting back on level terms and Alan Main had to tip a 25 yard McGowan free kick over the bar while the same Clyde player saw a close-range effort deflected wide for a corner by Kevin Rutkiewicz.

Liam Craig had to leave the field with blood coming from a knock on his mouth and by the time he had returned the home side had been reduced to ten men after Wilson - booked in the first half - crudely brought down Andy Jackson on the far touchline and was shown a second yellow followed by red.

Saints had two gilt-edged chances in the final third of the match to increase their lead but both were scorned. The first came in 66 minutes when a long ball over the top down the right hand side was pounced on by Gary Irvine and his low ball was met by Daal who allowed Hutton to save his effort when he really should have scored and when the loose ball came running to MacDonald he sent it wide of the post.

With fifteen minutes remaining Steven Milne and Paul Sheerin were introduced to the fray with Dyron Daal and Andy Jackson both getting deserved standing ovations from the Perth support.

Andy Lawrie – who had a good afternoon following his unexpected recall – almost blotted his copybook when he tried to usher the ball out for a throw-in at the corner flag but was dispossessed by Bradley and Goran Stanic had to head the resultant cross away from the six yard box.

Not for the first time in recent years, Saints looked less comfortable after the opposition had been reduced in number and it was the home side who were probing for the equaliser virtually from the time Wilson was sent for an early shower although the introduction of Milne and Sheerin steadied the Saints ship to a great extent.

The other great chance to extend the lead fell to Peter MacDonald who beat the offside trap to go one-on-one with Hutton but he made a hash of trying to drag the ball around the Clyde number one and was then booked for his attempt to regain control of the loose ball ahead of the goalkeeper.

However, Saints did manage to get a third goal and it came in the dying moments of the match. Liam Craig advanced down the left and crossed the ball in and although Steven Milne couldn’t do much with the pass, the ball fell to Kevin Moon at the far side of the box and he looked up before picking his spot, capping a fine performance by sending an angled right foot drive back across goal and into the far corner of the net.

A deserved win for Saints. Derek McInnes will be heartened by the bulk of the performance and by the way in which the four players he brought into the side performed.

Website Man of the Match: KEVIN MOON stepped into a midfield role and was very influential, showing the full range of passes in his armoury. Add to that a clinical finish for his first Saints goal and there can be only one winner although a number of players were in the running.

SAINTS: Main, Irvine, Stanic, Lawrie, Rutkiewicz, Mcmanus, Moon, Daal (Milne), Jackson (Sheerin), MacDonald, Craig.
Subs not used: Anderson, Weatherston, Cuthbert.

CLYDE: Hutton, McGregor, D McGowan (McKenna), Higgins, McKeown, Smith (Bestvina), Bradley, MacLennan, Arbuckle, Wilson, McGowan.
Subs not used: R MacLennan, Cardle, Cherry