For the first hour we were superb. We ripped Dunfermline apart time and time again, put together some great moves and bagged a couple of goals - although should have had a few more. It looked as if we'd finally dish give out the doing that has been coming all season. Then a bizarre goal saw Dunfermline come back into the game and the three points were in doubt.
In previous years we would have buckled and would have been lucky to get a point, let alone three. But this time we were solid, we rode the storm and then began looking for a third. We didn't get it, but we did get the points and beat Dunfermline for the first time in more than a decade. I said before we played Hearts we needed to take four points from our next two games - and we did, and in an entertaining way too.
You'd have thought after his fine display against Hearts a fortnight ago that Graham Carey could have been a stick on to start - but you'd be wrong. Incredibly, he was dropped to the bench. Gary Teale could have fewer complaints about also being dropped as Steven Thomson and Nigel Hasselbaink came back into the team. Jon McShane was available again after his injury but had to be content with a place on the bench. It was obvious to work out which opposition players would be subject of abuse from the home support with former Buddies Paul Gallacher and John Potter in the starting 11. So too was Paul Burns, who we tried to sign in the summer, with Andy Kirk spearheading the attack - but no place for Martin Hardie.
We seemed to start quite brightly and fashioned a chance before the clock had even reached two minutes, Kenny McLean teeing up Jim Goodwin for a 20 yard shot that Gallacher palmed away. McLean had out next shot and it hit the arm of Burns inside the box, but it would have been an incredibly harsh award. We then got away with our own handball - although again in the Dunfermline box - when the ball clearly hit Thomson's hands and fell for Hasselbaink, who smashed it over as he stretched to make a connection.
It was an eight minute wait for the first Potter header - which was a good one - and soon after we were treated to his first shinned volley of the afternoon. Any visiting scouts would have been impressed with McGowan in the early stages as he saw a long range effort turned behind by Gallacher. From the corner, Lee Mair got in front of his man but somehow headed well off target. We were then unexpectedly treated to the sight of Carey coming on after 17 minutes, Thomson the man making way due to injury. McLean should have put us in front after a fantastic cross from Goodwin, but he couldn't quite get his head to it.
Carey was struggling to get into the game, making a number of wayward passes and displaying poor ball control. Of course, no sooner had I typed that than he played the ball through to Hasselbaink - although even then it was almost too hard. Still, Nigel did his best to keep it in - then did even better to somehow pick a tiny gap between the by-line and Gallacher to feed the ball through and leave McLean with the simple task of poking the ball over the line from a yard. Thankfully, even we can manage that and young Kenny had his second goal in three games - although Nigel may claim it as his!
We had been on top and could perhaps have had a few more goals, while Dunfermline hadn't created anything from their attacks. So it was no surprise that when they did create a chance they nearly scored - Paul Willis picking out the unmarked Ryan Thomson, who somehow headed wide. Goal machine McLean nearly had us further in front after Thompson did well to nod Hasselbaink's cross down for him, but his header was superbly blocked by Gallacher. Clearly brimming with confidence, McLean then had a bit of a set-to with Potter - perhaps suggesting he was a better header of the ball - and was lucky to escape without a card.
The tide, however, was beginning to turn and Samson was called into action seven minutes before the break when he got down to block a good volley from the unmarked Kirk. It looked as if all our dominance would only be rewarded by a one goal lead at the break, Hasselbaink fluffing a shot into Gallacher's hands. However, about 10 seconds from the interval Thompson managed to snatch the ball away from McCann before just keeping the ball in play to deliver a cross that Hasselbaink got to first to poke into the top corner. Now we had a lead that was more reflective of the balance of play - and now Hasselbaink definitely had a goal.
Whatever your opinions on him, it wasn't nice to see Potter take a sore one at the start of the second half - but thankfully he was OK after a dose of the magic sponge. Hasselbaink's problem in recent weeks has been knowing when to shoot and when to pass, but he was more than entitled to try his luck after making his way to the edge of the box - unfortunately missing the target. A shot from McLean met a similar after Hasselbaink had taunted the Pars defence and Carey delivered the cross.
We were looking good up front and McGowan spurned a chance when he ran forward, exchanged passes with McLean then got no power or pace on his straight shot and Gallacher saved easily. Dunfermline had to change things if they wanted to salvage anything and they did as Andrew Barrowman and Joe Cardle came on for Paddy Boyle and Liam Buchanan. Carey then nearly fired us further in front with a free-kick from the right most people probably expected him to cross, Gallacher doing well to keep it out.
So, Saints are on top but can't turn that advantage into a goal that would allow their fans to relax. You know what happens next. Someone from Dunfermline crossed the ball, it missed everyone, bounced back into the goalmouth and then bounced off Samson and Cardle and into the net. Who scored? Possibly Samson, possibly Cardle, definitely Dunfermline and suddenly their fans smelled blood.
Suddenly they were attacking and looking dangerous with every move, while we had to resort to the odd break here and there. McLean was lucky he didn't have anything broken after a particularly bad tackle by Ryan Thomson, who was booked just as Kirk was replaced by Steven McDougall. Hasselbaink had been getting rather worked up about some of the decisions and eventually snapped when another one went against him, earning a booking after flailing his arms at the linesman. After being dropped, then coming off in the 17th minute, Carey went back off in the 76th as Illias Haddad came on. We needed to steady the ship - but taking Carey off was strange and suggested he wasn't fit.
With Carey off, corners would be a problem - although McLean's first effort found McAusland but he headed wide. Hasselbaink then went on another of his runs and opted to shoot, but Gallacher was equal to it and turned it behind. He was called into action again after David van Zanten did brilliantly to get the space needed to deliver a cross, but Thompson couldn't get enough on it and the former Saints goalie had a comfortable save. Another corner found McAusland, but again he headed off target.
We may have been starting to assert ourselves again, but we couldn't relax - and Cardle fired a reminder when some nifty footwork got him to the edge of the box before his shot was clawed away by Samson. We made our final change with seven minutes left as McGowan, who as tiring and seemingly had an injury, was replaced by Teale. We could nearly enjoy the final few minutes when McLean's cross found Thompson, but he volleyed wide. Dunfermline quickly launched an attack and we got lucky when Thomson curled a shot over.
The fourth official's board at the end usually marks panic time - and in the third of three minutes Dunfermline got a corner. It was all set up for a Potter equaliser, but it didn't go anywhere near him - McDougall instead shooting wide. And, despite our unwillingness to take the ball into the corner, we saw the game out to take a well deserved win.
Fifth place in the league and 20 points after 15 games is terrific - especially as we're not likely to take much from Parkhead next week.
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