That's perhaps a little harsh. We produced some great passing moves at times and this time there was a bit of an end product in that people were able to have shots. However, a combination of poor finishing and decent goalkeeping and defending meant we once again failed to score. One goal and four points from four home games does not make good reading.
We cut the Saintees open at times, something they didn't really do to us. We limited them to a few long range chances, while we spent a fair amount of time inside their penalty box. However, once again the pass, pass and pass again approach caused us problems. We almost played ourselves into trouble on a number of occasions and when we do finally go forward after all of our defence and Jim Goodwin have had a touch, it's too slow paced. It's not quite as bad as the days of Gus MacPherson - but it's getting there.
But that's not as frustrating as the lack of subs. Gary Teale appeared to be tiring but didn't get subbed. It was crying out for a change, someone like Graham Carey or Joe McKee coming on, but it didn't happen. On the plus side, Ilias haddad looked good on his full debut, with David van Zanten also looking back to his best.
For once, Mirren Mad was bang on with its team selection predictions. There was only one change, Haddad taking over from Marc McAusland. That made it three Dutchmen in the starting 11 with Nigel Hasselbaink and Jeroen Tesselaar also there - three and a half if you include Vanzy. Surely the highest number of foreigners from the same nation ever in a Saints starting line-up? Jody Morris was a surprise omission from the St Johnstone team, while Murray Davidson missed out through injury. The danger was evident up front, with Francisco Sandaza partnering Cillian Sheridan.
It wasn't long before Haddad was in action. A neat move allowed St Johnstone to cut us open a bit too easily and Liam Craig looked set to go through on Craig Samson, but the new signing nipped in to clear the danger. At the other end, Steven Thompson tried to knock a cross down and it was going straight into Peter Enckelman's hands before David McCracken bizarrely decided to boot it away. Sadly for us, it came to nothing.
It's taken a few home games, but finally we were being treated to a display of incompetent officialdom from Steven McLean and pals. The ball went out, Jim Goodwin and Sheridan had a wee bit of afters, then made up. This wasn't good enough for Mr McLean, who wanted them to make up properly. Jamie Adams took out Steven Thomson, no booking. Hasselbaink and Tesselaar rip St Johnstone apart, Saintees player boots the ball out - goal kick. He did get one decision right when Thompson was fouled, with Gary Teale putting the resultant free-kick not far over.
Next time we attacked, we should have been in front. Hasselbaink did well to hold onto the ball before playing a pass to McGowan. The former Celtic man took a touch then played it back through for Hasselbaink, who was bursting into the box. He looked certain to score, but with Frazer Wright jostling him he screwed his shot wide. Adams was then finally booked for a ridiculously high challenge on Tesselaar before he shot high and wide when he was quickest to react after Craig Samson could only parry Sheridan's fierce 20-yarder.
We were once again piecing together some lovely passing moves and created a decent chance when Teale sprayed the ball out wide to Vanzy, who delivered the ball into the mix. Unfortunately, both Hasselbaink and Thompson tried to go for it, with the result being neither could get a clean connection. Hasselbaink got a better connection next time despite being blatantly fouled, controlling the ball well on his chest before his effort from the edge of the box curled just over the bar. In truth, there was never any danger of it dropping enough to dip under the bar.
More fine officiating from Mr McLean came when Thomson was late on Dave MacKay and was then booked. It was definitely a foul, but when you consider Adams escaped a caution for an almost identical tackle you have to wonder what he was the ref was playing at. Amusingly, Sandaza then got himself a booking for complaining - despite his team clearly benefiting!
We saw the welcome return of a Vanzy charge forward just before the break. He picked up the ball on the right at the half way line and breezed past a few players on his way to the edge of the box. he then seemed to suffer a nosebleed and decided to pass, but put nowhere enough power on it. Incredibly, Teale still got to it first but his shot was also tame and Enckelman had it covered - only for Craig to appear at the last minute and kick it behind. Sadly, we created nothing from the corner and the Saintees almost took a half-time lead instead, Sandaza shooting just wide.
Adams was hooked at half-time - perhaps to stop him being sent off - with Willie Gibson taking his place. Haddad had done well in the first half but blotted his copybook almost immediately by stupidly sticking his hand out to deal with a bouncing ball. Unsurprisingly, it earned him a booking one of the few things Mr McLean had gotten right so far. Fortunately, the free-kick passed without incident but a few minutes later we decided to back off Alan Maybury and let him shoot. In hindsight it was a good move as his shot was well off target.
Instead, it was the real Saints who should have been in front. Vanzy played a neat pass with Teale before moving forward to collect the return. He slid a pass through to Hasselbaink who managed to get in front of his man and get in a shot that Enckelman blocked with his leg. However, the ball bounced back for McGowan and he steadied himself to smash it home - only for his goalbound effort to be blocked by MacKay. Two decent chances - neither taken.
McGowan then tried his luck from just outside the box with a shot Enckelman should have dealt with comfortably. Instead, he failed to hold it and Thompson charged in to try to force it home. Enckelman tried to grab it at the same time and the big striker hit the deck. There were a few shouts for a penalty but instead Mr McLean booked the Thommohawk for a dive. Personally, I thought it was neither afoul or a dive. The referee then further incensed the home support by failing to give a free-kick for a blatant handball by MacKay - then changed his mind and awarded it without booking the defender.
Another example of how blatantly incompetent the officials were came when Sandaza blatantly dragged the ball out of play - and the linesman gave a Saintees throw in. Fortunately, Mr McLean was paying attention this time and he was over-ruled. When we produced some passing football it was being relatively effective. Haddad picked out Tesselaar with a great cross-field past and the fullback moved inside before cutting the ball back to McGowan. He struck his shot well from just outside the box, but it was straight at Enckelman - and this time he held it. A poor challenge on Vanzy earned Sheridan a booking and he was immediately withdrawn, with Carl Finnigan coming on.
Hasselbaink's pace had been causing problems at times and no sooner had he done McCracken for pace than Derek McInnes decided to replace his defender, with Steven Anderson coming on. Another bad tackle on Vanzy - this time by Maybury - saw another booking before Jon McShane replaced the midfield Thomson for the last 10 minutes. He wasn't able to do anything, but Sandaza almost snatched it for the visitors in the last few seconds - shooting just wide from 20 yards.
A draw was the least we deserved. We had more chances and they were better, but once again we couldn't make them count. This must change quickly if we want to be pushing for the top six rather than spend another season battling the drop.
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