The first half must be one of the worst 45 minutes I have ever seen. There were sod all chances, the passing was awful, there were numerous pieces of bad control and bad decision making and generally it was forgettable. On the back of that the second half couldn't have been any worse and thankfully it wasn't, although how much better it was is open to debate.
We finally ended the wait for an SPL goal when Nigel Hasselbaink scored, then almost immediately we conceded when Scott Vernon equalised. Both teams tried for a winner - as opposed to the first half when they both tried not to lose - but it didn't come.
There weren't many positives for us, although Hasselbaink was excellent. Jason Naismith came on at half-time after an injury to Marc McAusland and didn't look out of place on his senior debut. We didn't lose - but once again we didn't win and we can pretty much kiss the top six goodbye. Let's just hope we don't get sucked into the relegation battle.
For the first time in a long time Mirren Mad was correct with its team predictions. We said the injured Jeroen Tesselaar would be replaced by David van Zanten - and we were right. And we said Nigel Hasselbaink would replace one of Gary Teale and Graham Carey - and we were right again, Teale the man dropping out. Mirren Mad - the place to be for your Saints news (once in about 20 games). We didn't predict the subs where Hugh Murray and Kenny McLean made sudden appearances after recent injury problems. Scott Vernon led the line up front for Aberdeen with second top scorer Andrew Considine taking his place in defence alongside Mark Reynolds and Rory McArdle, the latter scoring a gut-wrenching last minute equaliser in last season's snowy Scottish Cup tie.
Hasselbaink's pace and movement was causing the Dons defence problems in the first 10 minutes or so. He got himself into a good position to meet a clever flick-on from Imrie but snatched at the chance and Jason Brown made an easy save. And that was about your lot as we continued to pass the ball about among ourselves rather than take a risk and have a shot or make a more direct pass. Aberdeen were little better and the fact both sides weren't slow in packing bodies in at the back and closing players down wasn't helping. The small group of Aberdeen fans who had made the long journey for the early kick-off must have been questioning their sanity - as must the bosses at ESPN.
At least they managed to produce a nice bit of football when Fraser Fyvie passed to McArdle and he sent in a superb pass for Kari Arnason, who was so surprised at the lack of marking he decided to produce a volley that lacked power and pace and Craig Samson had a simple save. In a sporting move we decided to let Aranson have a similarly unhindered attempt on goal a few minutes later, this time from the edge of the box. The power was there this time but the accuracy wasn't - although his shot didn't miss by much.
It was Mitchell Megginson's turn next but he was stretching for the ball and the shot bobbled across goal and behind. Fyvie and Paul McGowan were obviously getting bored and decided to get booked to liven things up. Aransaon's free-kick at the end of the half hit the wall and went wide - and that counts as a chance in a game as bad as this. Aberdeen then scored in stoppage time when Megginson's cross was flicked by Vernon into the path of Ryan Jack who finished well, but it was correctly ruled out for offside. Marc McAusland got himself booked for wiping out Megginson and, having been hurt earlier in the game, was replaced at half-time by young debutant Jason Naismith.
Aberdeen continued where they left off by being foiled by an offside flag - Megginson shooting wide anyway - while we did something constructive as Imrie delivered a fierce cross into the box that found no takers. There was a huge let-off when Lee Mair didn't get enough power on a pass-back and Fyvie was able to get in between him and Samson - only to shoot when he should have passed and see his attempt go wide of the far post. We were beginning to live a bit dangerously and a couple of blocks were needed to stop Jack getting a goal that would have counted before Considine headed a corner over.
Then something rather odd happened. St Mirren scored a goal in the SPL. That's not a typo. For the first time in more than four and a half league games we found the back of the net. Great work from Steven Thomson and Imrie saw Hasselbaink in behind the Dons defence possibly helped by the fact he may have been half an inch offside - and he brilliantly popped the ball in the top corner with his left foot. A goal - and the lead. Wonders will never cease.
Annoyingly, Aberdeen decided this would be the ideal time for a rare goal from themselves and when a cross was put into the box Megginson was able to hold off his man and lay it off to Vernon, who crashed it home. Oh. Still, Saints showed no desire to wait another four games for another goal, Vanzy twice having a go with long range efforts of varying accuracy and power that failed to produce a goal. Mawene had gone to pieces since the goal and was unceremoniously hooked, striker Rory Fallon replacing him, while we introduced Teale for Thomson. In between McArdle and Imrie picked up bookings.
Teale was playing as a forward alongside Hasselbaink, something that hasn't really worked before but almost worked today. Goodwin's pass seemed to be too hard for Imrie to bring under control but he managed it, then sent a wonderful pass out to Carey on the left. He had plenty of time to compose himself and deliver a cross and it was almost perfect, Teale mere fractions away from getting a vital touch. Naismith, who was looking reasonably composed, got a booking of his own after he clipped Megginson. The Dons youngster had put in a good show and was given a rest for the final 10 minutes as Peter Pawlett replaced him. A few minutes later Barron's name was added to the ever lengthening name in the referee's notebook for a foul on Fallon. Fyvie's free-kick was good but thankfully Considine's header wasn't and the ball went behind.
There was another huge escape when we ha stood idly by and watched as Aberdeen passed us to bits only for Pawlett to shoot into the advertising boards from close range. Why he was shooting is anyone's guess as a couple of his team-mates had had better chances to do just that in the build-up but opted to pass instead. Thomas Reilly was handed a home debut when he replaced Hasselbaink for injury time - a good move has he was excellent he had run himself into the ground at the same time. There was one final chance when we got a free-kick which was oddly taken short to Teale, who ran a bit before firing in a decent looking shot that Brown kept out.
And that was it. The goal drought is over - now let's get one of those win things.
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