Stenhousemuir v St.Johnstone at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 01.08.09

 

Co-operative Insurance Cup First Round                Att 1,049

 

Stenhousemuir 0 St.Johnstone 5 [Milne 22, Deuchar 28, 69, Samuel 67,74]

 

 

For the second season in a row the Warriors met St.Johnstone in the League Cup once again the Saints ran out winners by virtue of scoring five goals. In the previous meeting it could be said that the score was against the run of play and was only exaggerated when the home side ran out of steam at the end of the game. This time proved to be a more comfortable outing for St. Johnstone and they proved worthy winners.

With the start of the league a week away manager John Coughlin changed the team about making four changes to the Clyde game as he continued to build up to the Stirling Albion game. The Warriors started the game promisingly but they were to concede the first goal in the 22^nd minute of the game when Steven Milne fired an effort from the edge of the box over Chris McCluskey and into the net. During the build up to the goal Willie Lyle had been accidently caught by a Liam Craig elbow and was on the ground at the time of the strike rather than covering the area that Milne scored from. Scott Dalziel saw a cross tipped over by Alan Main in the 26^th minute then the resultant corner was just scrambed clear as well.

The second goal though followed shortly afterwards when Filipe Morais and Kenny Deuchar linked up before Deuchar headed home from close range. That surprisingly was the only goals of the first period as St.Johnstone had a number of chances after that to put the game away. Stenhousemuir threatened mainly from set pieces by Pat Scullion and Kevin Motion and from a Motion corner a Scott Dalziel header was helped on by Iain Diack but was cleared off the line by Stuart McCaffrey.

 

Stenhousemuir started the second half showing intent to get back into the game and a powerful drive by Scott Dalziel was tipped over by a back pedaling Main in the 48^th minute and once again the corner was eventually scrambled clear. Main was to deny Stenhousemuir again in the 62^nd minute with a wonder save after a Motion freekick took a deflection but the keeper somehow managed to make a one handed stop with an agility that belied his age.

 

This was really the signal for the end of the Stenhousemuir resistance as McCluskey spilled a Morais effort in the 66th minute and although he partially redeemed himself with blocking the rebound from Colin Samuel it was not enough as the resultant corner was not cleared and was eventually bundled home by Samuel. Two minutes later St.Johnstone went 4-0 ahead when a high cross was misjudged as it looked to be going out but Liam Craig managed to keep ball in play and knocked it back for Deuchar to tap in. Five minutes later St.Johnstone went nap when Samuel scored his second and for the rest of the game the main worry for the Stenhousemuir support was whether it was going to get any worse. It stayed at five though but it was still a disappointing performance overall by the Warriors.    

 

Stenhousemuir – McCluskey, Lyle [Dalziel 24][b82], S.Thomson, Thom, Smith, McLeod, Bradley [Love 79], Scullion, Diack [Stirling 79], Molloy [b78] and Motion. Subs not used – O’Reilly and Bennett.

 

St.Johnstone – Main, Irvine [Mackay 71], Grainger, Morris, Gartland, McCaffrey, Davidson [b72], Deuchar, Milne [Samuel 52], Craig and Morais [Sheerin 76]. Subs not used – Swankie and McLean

 

Referee – David Somers