TopCat

Stepping up with another huge goal when the pressure is on. Jon Obika ladies and gentleman. Surely the front runner for Saints Player of the Year?

FT 1-0 Beautiful. Wasn’t there but I’m not in the least bit surprised that we have beaten Hearts. For one simple reason, which is the same reason we have been above them in the league all season: We’re better than them. Even with 2 of our best players going off injured during the game, we’re still better than them. They’re the worst team in the league and that’s why they’re bottom and they absolutely deserve to be relegated, I hope they are. Wasn’t surprised the match winner was Jon Obika either, we are so lucky to have him. That’s us 9th in the league now with the bottom 5 all having played the same amount of games. Would say that’s about right, think we’ve been the 9th best team in the country this year. Closer to Killie in 8th than Hearts in 12th too. Was surprised at some of the over the top negative reactions from our fans after recent games, even from some of our normally more level headed buds. The reality is we are doing just fine and this result reinforces that. Onwards. Bye Bye Hearts.

I LOVE JON OBIKA

FT 0-0 Ah frustrating. Much the better team, second half especially. Couldn’t kick the door down though, hit the post twice plenty of half chances and long range efforts but didn’t work the keeper enough. Much worse point than it would have been had Hamilton and Hearts not won... Positives are that County are very much back in it. Win our game in hand and we’ll go above them all other things being equal. That’s 3 games against the Saintees this season, 5 points and 0 goals conceded. I wish someone could tell me what McGrath does, cause he doesn’t score or create anything. Plays 90 minutes every week though.

It was you that brought up Saturdays game you rocket [emoji23] It’s absolutely nothing like the Aberdeen game. Carry on.

Yeah just like the Aberdeen game. Apart from the fact we aren’t losing and have created more chances in that half than we did in 90 on Saturday. 🤪

HT 0-0 Been a fairly scrappy game. One bit of quality from Obika, turned and got a shot away and it cracked the inside of the post, rebound just missing Jakubiak. St Johnstone huffed and puffed but not really created much. Feel like we are missing Cammy’s energy in the middle of the park, Wallace hasn’t done much.

FT 0-2 Frustrating, annoying. Aberdeen done a job on us, got to give them credit for that. Scored the early goal and then shut up shop, and we didn’t have the creative answer. Penalty wasn’t one but that’s irrelevant. Thought the subs were wrong. McGrath should have been taken off at any or each of the 3 changes but remarkably played 90 minutes, he’s not up to it. Big game against St Johnstone on Wednesday.

HT 0-1 Poor from us, first 20 especially. Woken up a bit after that but by that time they’re 0-1 up and got 11 behind the ball. Game has been rubbish, I’m glad I’m not a neutral spending their Saturday evening watching that. One chance in the game and Aberdeen scored it. Guess I would take a replay from here. We were losing 0-1 at fir park at half time on Tuesday though....

Tweet from a Motherwell fan this morning [emoji28]

This forum man [emoji28] End of the season seems as good a time as any to shut it down I think.

Yep I thought back then he’d finish on 10-15 for the season. Could that have been an underestimate.. wouldn’t it be great if he could do 15-20...? Just a question of how high he gets up that table that was posted earlier now. Worth noting that he signed too late to play in the league cup, where he surely would have added at least a few more. I remember Billy Mehmet scored loads of his goals in the league cup one year. 5 in 1 game against Dumbarton rings a bell. Jon is certainly capable of hitting Thompson/Higdon numbers for us. After his fantastic winning penalty at Fir Park last week I would give him penalty taking duty too (if we ever get another one). If he keeps playing this well I fear we will struggle to hold on to him in the summer. I bet Motherwell are going to be interested given his performances against them and they have cash to spend. Good problem to have I guess...

FT 1-2 Can we play at Fir Park every week? Knock them out the cup one Tuesday, next Tuesday go there and take the 3 points. What a pair of wins, not sure which one is the most impressive. I am sure I love this team and love our manager though [emoji7] No surprise to see big Jon Obika on the scoresheet again either, what a player he is. Sounded like Lee Hodson has a good game, assist for the first aswell. Happy for him too, noticed he’s been on the end of some unfair stick since his return. He’s a good player with plenty of experience and will be valuable for us in the run in. Hamilton and Hearts fans must be unhappy about this result, good. Got a bit of daylight between us and them now and we’ve still got a game in hand over the Accies. Need to start looking up the way in the league table. Back to cup duty on Saturday, quarter final time, cannot wait. Real buzz about the football club now.

Big Jon [emoji7]

Do we need to stop being a yo-yo club? Why do we? What happens if we don’t...? I know what happens if we don’t, we’d carry on just fine. We’ve been a yo-yo club for the vast majority of our modern history and I bet we will be for the majority of our future. Nothing wrong with that and absolutely no need to change. If the alternative finishing mid table in the top flight every year and playing pretty much the same teams every season then no thanks, that sounds absolutely awful. I actually enjoy our Championship seasons more than the Premiership. Different grounds, better kick off times, more likely to be competing at the right end of the table, cheaper gate prices, no Old Firm. It’s just much... better. Wouldn’t want to be there permanently of course. Few seasons in each is the best of both worlds, don’t get bored of either and get the thrill of the promotion season and the relegation battles. Here’s to another 50 years of Yo-Yoing, and a few more cup wins.

Regarding Thommos comments about the league being more important than the cup last night, I completely disagree with him and I’m surprised he made them to be honest. What we will all remember most from Thommo’s St Mirren career is those glorious goals in the semi and final of the league cup. They’ll still be spoken about in 50 years. He was also involved in some successful relegation battles, but no one will remember them. Nobody will come up to him and go remember that time you were a big part in that team who finished 8th in the league...? I could tell you the starting 11 that one us the cup in 1987. I was far too young to remember the game but they’re all club legends. By most accounts the team of the late 70’s and early 80’s was actually a better team than the 87 team. Don’t know anything about them though, cause they never even made a cup final. League positions come and go. Sometimes we get relegated, sometimes we get promoted, ‘Twas ever thus. It’s the cups where true legends are made for clubs like us. Our most important game of the season was last night. Our next most important game is the quarter final a week on Saturday. How can Friday be more important than either of them? Even if you do think the league is more important than the cups (which I don’t) nothing gets decided in the game against Hearts. We could win and get relegated or lose and stay up.

Would be my player of the year if the awards were tomorrow. First name on the team sheet every week, he’s a proper player.

Got to hand it to elvis. He’s been getting bites with the same bait for about 10 years now. Here’s to the next 10. Don’t be cruel.

First national quarter final since 2013 👏 Highest league position at this stage in a season since 2014 👏 First double figure return from a striker in a top flight season since 2014 (and it’s only February) 👏 What a job Jim and Lee have done so far. We’re very lucky to have them.

It’ll become one of those legendary games that we’ll talk about for years.... Were you there that time we were 4-1 up at half time and then won on penalties...? Mental. That emotional rollercoaster, ecstasy, dejection, ecstasy, much more fun than drawing 0-0 and winning on penalties. Love it. Aberdeen or Kilmarnock at home in the quarters then. We’ve beaten both of them in Paisley already this season so fancy us against either of them. One game away from Hampden...

Best striker this football club has had since Thommo. What a player. Love him.

I’m away to greet. What game. What a team. Knocked the third best team in the country out the cup in their own ground. Love it. Big Jon Obika with the winning penalty. Just give us that cup now.

FT 4-4 Woof. Brilliant first half rubbish second half. Seems like we have no idea how to defend a 3 goal lead. Let them come on to us and then it seemed inevitable. The third and fourth goal... over hit cross that trickled in then deflected cross that looped in [emoji28] Extra time here we go, would have taken that before the game but...