The first ten minutes didn't look good for Saints, with only a Ricky Gillies shot (which hit the target!) to record. Alloa were coming forward a lot and it was a worrying time, Saints somehow managing to keep it level.
Shortly after, Sergei Baltacha played a long ball which hit off the head of an Alloa player. Gillies ran onto it and lashed it in from miles out (he hit the target again!) for an early contender for goal of the season (it feels good saying that about a Saints goal for a change). A well taken goal.
Gillies then proceeded to play out of his skin for the next 20 minutes, possibly the only St. Mirren player to perform really well in this period. Everyone else was average, with the exception of Kerr who was once again terrible. However, we were about to lose our most productive player in a ludicrous refereeing decision. Just before that, Brian McGinty got injured in a challenge and had to be replaced with Simon Lappin.
Alloa won a corner, Gillies cleared it off the line and about one Alloa player appealed for a penalty. After some frantic defending the ball was cleared away, only for referee John Underhill to point to the spot. He then took his time deciding whether to send Gillies off for deliberate handball, and eventually did. It may have been handball, but his chest was in the way and it was never deliberate. Scott Crabbe wasn't going to miss it just because of that though, and made it 1-1. For the rest of the half Alloa had the better of it, though Saints had some chances.
With about 15 minutes played of the second half came a vital moment for Saints. The defending had been poor to say the least, and Alloa appeared to have scored. Not so, said the referee in one of his few correct decisions, ruling the ball out for handball from the Alloa played, who punched it in. Deliberate hand ball, surely a red card! Saints got themselves really fired up after this.
Countless chances came Saints way. Playing particuarly well was captain Jamie McGowan, who made some good runs forward. Also doing well were youngsters Graham Guy and Simon Lappin. However the major standout was Andy Dow, who played superbly for the last half our, probably losing a lot of crtics in the process. Some of Saints chances included when Junior Mendes made a cut back that Cameron couldn't get to, and a Sergei Baltacha free kick which just went wide. Then, with just 10 minutes to go, Saints finally did it.
Kerr played a big punt forward which looked shocking, a mishit and going over. Last season our strikers would have given it up as a lost cause. None of that hear though, the Alloa goalie (who had a terrible half, some shocking kick outs and the like) flapped at it and big Martin Cameron was there to notch his 5th of the season. I never actually saw it go in, everyone stood up but from the cheering I knew it was a goal. I was amazed it was allowed as every time Cameron had won the ball in the half he'd been given a foul against him. 2-1 and Scott MacKenzie came on soon after for the superb Dow.
With 5 minutes to go, winning 2-1 and down to 10 men, Saints decided to waste time, and did it wonderfully. Someone near me said it was the best they had ever seen any team play this tactic. Some idiots didn't think so and for some strange reason booed it! If we had 11 men and 15 minutes to go fair enough, but this was outstanding. Ian Ross and Graham Guy were the men doing the work, winning several corners and shies in succession, and keeping the ball well away from our goal. Alloa got frustrated and their number 6, who punted Paul Gascogine up in the air whilst playing for Rangers and the number 6 for Partic Thistle, managed to get booked. Everyone was pretty sure it was a second booking but Underhill didn't think so. However, using the time wasting tactic, Saints managed to draw a few defenders out. The ball fell to Mendes whose shot was well saved, however it fell to MacKenzie who put the ball away for his first ever Saints goal, despite being signed more than two years ago! Shortly after it was the full time whistle, and Saints had the first league win of the season, and were given a major round of applause from the fans after showing what they are made of.
So a good performance after the sending off, and that may be the sort of thing we need to fire us up. Most players were superb, Kerr being the only one who wasn't. Mendes mucked up a bit at times although isn't match fit. The real diddy today was the referee, who let Alloa away with dives and fouls galore and did nothing, whilst punishing Saints for everything.