Saints' tenacity prevails

RAY HEPBURN

15 Oct 1990

ST JOHNSTONE'S insistence on utilising three forwards, home and away, is commendable and successful but it was other less glamorous qualities which they harnessed, that earned two noteworthy points against Hearts on Saturday.

When they had the ball, Allan Moore, Roddy Grant, and Steve Maskrey were always a threat.

It was when they didn't have it that the team plan came into effect with stunning efficiency.

To a man, the Perth players all quickly scurried behind the ball so swiftly, that options were few and far between for a Hearts side who, as a consequence, had inaccuracy thrust into their game.

Hustled and bustled into quicker distribution, their midfield men were faced with such a clutter of players ahead of them that skilful use of the ball required complete precision, which on the day they couldn't produce.

When you add a strangely hesitant back four into the sum, the mathematics were always going to look better for St Johnstone, who had taken three points from matches with Celtic and Aberdeen in the previous two weeks.

While the Hearts defenders spent the afternoon fending off calamity, an unlikely pairing were sure-footed and solid at the core of Alec Totten's rearguard division.

The one-time Dynamo Kiev player, Sergei Baltacha, linked up with former Meadowbank Thistle defender John Inglis in a partnership that will not be apprehensive on Saturday against Rangers, despite the intentions of Mr McCoist and Mr Johnston.

For although Saints' three goals, scored by Tommy Turner, Harry Curran, and Grant, with some help from Hearts hesitancy, were good testimony to their positive thoughts, the two Perth defenders had a busy enough afternoon as Hearts commanded most of the possession.

Iain Ferguson and David Kirkwood twice hauled Hearts back into the match and for a spell after around an hour, they looked as if they might get it right in time.

Their sloppiness did not leave them completely and Saints were allowed to punish them again, with Curran's winner.

Manager Joe Jordan will require to coax increased efficiency from his defenders, with Aberdeen and Bologna to be played in the next 10 days.

Taken from the Herald