St Mirren V Airdrie - Third Place Decider

[the barrhead teacher]

Good confidence boost for team and fans today. Baird had a great game, kept it simple and dangerous up front at set pieces. Good to see fewer long balls punted up park and generally better use of the ball. I am sure Ross will be under no illusions however about next week as airdrie were woeful, easily robbed of the ball, off the pace, and incapable of punishing the alarming number of slack balls we continue to gift. Did like 442 line up and do agree with others this should be our set up for most games. Stern test next week though and we will not be given the same time or lack of hassle we experienced today. Attitude was excellent all round. One minor concern was seeing Mackenzie hobbling down tunnel just before full time.

[DLBud]

If that had been 10-0 today it would've been a fair reflection on our, almost, 2/3rds possession and 34 (thirty four) shots on goal. That doesn't even tell the story of the number of times we broke into their 6 yard box and picked the wrong option or simply fired it across goal without looking.

 

Airdrie were, admittedly, poor but we didn't let them get any sort of foothold in the game. The tempo was high from the start and, outside of the opening 10 mins of the second half, it didn't let up. That's exactly the sort of desire and energy required next Saturday.

 

No failures at all today but, as much as it pains me to say it, big Sutton just isn't the same player. I love the big man but his time has surely come and if we offload him and bring in another striker who has proven himself at this level I think that would be for the best.

 

Morgan, Smith, Reilly should all take great confidence from that into next week which is pleasing.

 

[Eaglesham saint]

Let's get this straight ,probably the worst Airdrie team I've ever seen.

Having said that ,there was a lot to be happy about ,Reilly and Smith never game defenders a minutes peace.

Stelios was great and McGinn and McShane rule the roost in midfield.

Gary Mack was lucky not to be sent off ,he kept barking on at the officials after being booked

Morgan is a special talent and showed it all today,leaving defenders trailing in his wake. 

Nice to see guys getting a chance like ,Kirkpatrick had a shot I think on the volley,superbly taken.

Bucky and Stewart did themselves no harm either.

Sammy was alert and made a few cracking saves,Irvine was much better in his favoured position.

Apart from a couple of misplaced passes was solid 

I feel a lot better about next Saturday now,it will be hard but not impossible 

no doubt the usual greeting faces will be on telling me I'm talking shite,

[southsidebud]

After all the despondency post Partick Thistle, it was great to see the forward players getting a bit of joy today. Irvine and Stelios looked good as well.

Interesting to note that it was the Livingston game that killed us. If all other results had stayed the same - including the thistle doing - but that game had been an entirely achievable one goal victory instead of one goal defeat, we would have went through as one of the best 4 runners up.

All 'ifs and buts' of course, but it maybe hints that we are not as far away as we possibly fear

[insaintee]

Reilly has now scored more goals for St Mirren than he has for Dumfermline in a an entire season. And one below what he managed with hearts.  

[FTOF]

A very enjoyable game of football today, with a good performance and a great result.

I'm glad I went to support us today rather than doing something else.

[Guest TPAFKATS]

Thought Reilly looked decent playing off Sutton and Cammy Smith put in a good shift. We will need to up our work rate again for next week but some promising signs. That doing last week could be best thing that has happened to us !

Cammy Smith put in a good shift - this should just be pasted to every match report [emoji4]

[St.Ricky]

37 minutes ago, Eaglesham saint said:

Let's get this straight ,probably the worst Airdrie team I've ever seen.

Having said that ,there was a lot to be happy about ,Reilly and Smith never game defenders a minutes peace.

Stelios was great and McGinn and McShane rule the roost in midfield.

Gary Mack was lucky not to be sent off ,he kept barking on at the officials after being booked

Morgan is a special talent and showed it all today,leaving defenders trailing in his wake. 

Nice to see guys getting a chance like ,Kirkpatrick had a shot I think on the volley,superbly taken.

Bucky and Stewart did themselves no harm either.

Sammy was alert and made a few cracking saves,Irvine was much better in his favoured position.

Apart from a couple of misplaced passes was solid 

I feel a lot better about next Saturday now,it will be hard but not impossible 

no doubt the usual greeting faces will be on telling me I'm talking shite,

Not me. I agree

[davidg]

I like the league cup format but playing it so early has ruined it for me. It really is a pre-season exercise which is a shame. 

Historically our football season kicks off the first or second Saturday in August, now we're trying to play competitive games in the middle of July. 

How early are we expected to bring guys back for pre-season training? Squads are nowhere near assembled by mid July. 

We're now playing our first "competitive" match around the same time we used to play our first pre season friendly. 

Waste of a national trophy. 

Pre-season now over, looking forward to the real stuff now.

[St.Ricky]

5 minutes ago, davidg said:

I like the league cup format but playing it so early has ruined it for me. It really is a pre-season exercise which is a shame. 

Historically our football season kicks off the first or second Saturday in August, now we're trying to play competitive games in the middle of July. 

How early are we expected to bring guys back for pre-season training? Squads are nowhere near assembled by mid July. 

We're now playing our first "competitive" match around the same time we used to play our first pre season friendly. 

Waste of a national trophy. 

Pre-season now over, looking forward to the real stuff now.

There is an element of truth in what you say but on balance I personally prefer to attend games where the result  matters so I will give the format a thumbs up.

Had we beaten Livvy as our overall performance in the game merited then the mood would be very different.

Edited July 29, 2017 by St.Ricky

[davidg]

34 minutes ago, St.Ricky said:

There is an element of truth in what you say but on balance I personally prefer to attend games where the result  matters so I will give the format a thumbs up.

Had we beaten Livvy as our overall performance in the game merited then the mood would be very different.

So when do we bring the players back for pre season and arrange friendlies in order to treat this competition with the respect it deserves?

Unfortunately, playing it this early results in a lot of clubs and fans not taking it too seriously. 

[HSS]

1557 in attendance.

[Callum Gilhooley]

Stelios & Morgan really do link up well on the left.  

 

[StanleySaint]

Not long home enjoyed the match, thought the team played well despite the level of the opposition. Think young Stewart will develop into an awkward forward like Crouch, he just seemed to be in the right place at the right time today. Will be interesting to see him against better opposition. As an aside met masses of green vermin on the road back with a lot of police vehicles making sure they got them shepherded to the border.

[St.Ricky]

14 minutes ago, davidg said:

So when do we bring the players back for pre season and arrange friendlies in order to treat this competition with the respect it deserves?

Unfortunately, playing it this early results in a lot of clubs and fans not taking it too seriously. 

DavidG 

I take your point on bringing players back. I also have no problem with pre season friendlies but would continue to play these away from home. My view..and a number would tale a different view ..is that taking the points into account. .I still prefer to have competitive games and this cup fits the bill. 

Edited July 29, 2017 by St.Ricky

[munoz]

1 minute ago, HSS said:

1557 in attendance.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0H9jQQVnU2g

 

[Mr Zo]

I actually quite enjoyed that today.

 

We didn't play brilliantly but also didn't play badly. Scored 5 and could easily have scored another 5 but equally could have conceded a few as felt we were quite sloppy and wasteful with the ball at times in the game.

 

The 5-0 win also prompted me to spend £61 on home top and shorts. #fullkitwanker [emoji41]

 

Also loved the SMISA wall. A great feature and something every St Mirren fan should be proud of. Not everyone can contribute and it doesn't make these fans any better than those that didn't but it is mark of the commitment and support shown by those who did. We are stronger together and plenty of positives will come from fan ownership in time. Have faith buddies.

 

I think we all have to take a step back and try not to get too high or to low with results this early in the season. It's all ifs and buts but if we hadn't conceded so early against Livi then things might have been different. We created a good number of chances in that game and didn't take them. It's disappointing the cup is over but we move on.

 

This isn't a bad squad but it also isn't a great squad and like any other squad will take time to gel. We have to stick together as a support and club and quickly foster the spirit and camaraderie that we saw develop towards the end of last season.

 

Back your team as best you can as it is our club and we all want to see it do as well as it can.

 

I think we will see a committed performance by St Mirren next week against Falkirk in front over 5,000 fans. I am looking forward to it already.

 

Stick together and be positive and the good times will come.[emoji41]

 

 

[Russian Saint]

I must admit, and I know some will disagree, but here goes. I thought Airdrie were better than Livingston. Airdrie looked capable of scoring whereas Livingston employed the spoiling tactics, and fair play....... it worked for them, but they didn't do much else that night.
I thought we played well, and at times really well. I thought the Airdrie keeper looked very slow but taking nothing away from the finishing by Morgan and Smith, I believe the keeper could have done better.
Reilly seems to pack a punch with his shooting skills (apart from the penalty which my mother could have saved) and took his first goal very well.
I thought Irvine played very well and had some good deliveries into the box.
Morgan I thought was terrific in the second half.
I think it was Baird that had a scary moment in the first half after taking a pass from Samson. The Airdrie forward chased him down, took it off him and brought out a good save from Samson.

Good performance all round and no complaints from me. I know we should have scored more but I think we'd all have accepted a 5-0 win at 3pm.

[FTOF]

Apart from one outburst from the petulant little child, it's quiet in here tonight for some reason.

Edited July 29, 2017 by FTOF

[Scott Stafford]

5 hours ago, davidg said:

Delighted Reilly scored there. 

Been written off by many already but I reckon he will score around 15 goals this season. 

I agree if he keeps playing with Sutton. Looked a decent partnership today

[FTOF]

4 minutes ago, Scott Stafford said:

I agree if he keeps playing with Sutton. Looked a decent partnership today

Only if Sutton improves.

Maybe it was due to lack of game time, but Sutton looked a shadow of the player he was before he joined us.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt just now.

[Scott Stafford]

6 minutes ago, FTOF said:

Only if Sutton improves.

Maybe it was due to lack of game time, but Sutton looked a shadow of the player he was before he joined us.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt just now.

Watched a different game from me. Not the most mobile but never hides, held the ball up well and a lovely assist for Reilly's first. Great guy for Stewrat to learn from. Big mistake if we let him go to a rival

[FTOF]

2 minutes ago, Scott Stafford said:

Watched a different game from me. Not the most mobile but never hides, held the ball up well and a lovely assist for Reilly's first. Great guy for Stewrat to learn from. Big mistake if we let him go to a rival

I thought his touch, apart from his assist for the goal, was very poor.

I know he wasn't blessed for pace before, but he looked as slow as a week in jail.

As I said, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, cross my fingers, and hope he plays a major part in helping us to score goals this season.

[davidg]

4 minutes ago, FTOF said:

I thought his touch, apart from his assist for the goal, was very poor.

I know he wasn't blessed for pace before, but he looked as slow as a week in jail.

As I said, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, cross my fingers, and hope he plays a major part in helping us to score goals this season.

Talking about as slow as week in jail, Cammy Smith isn't the quickest for the role he plays. 

Enough negatives though, bring on the Falkirk. 

[FTOF]

8 minutes ago, davidg said:

Talking about as slow as week in jail, Cammy Smith isn't the quickest for the role he plays. 

Enough negatives though, bring on the Falkirk. 

We kept getting Reilly and Smith mixed up, but as the game progressed it became apparent that the faster one was Reilly.

Good to see Smith firing in the last goal with great confidence. If he can add more goals to his game he'll be an even greater asset to us.

Edited July 29, 2017 by FTOF