Saints already in dire straits

WILLIAM HUNTER

16 Sep 1991

CONVICTION was a word which David Hay, the St Mirren manager, used several times after he had watched his team thumped 3-2 by Hearts.

He meant that while the league leaders have an abundance of estimable quality, his lot were bereft.

Despite some evidence in the first half to the contrary, Hearts, most of the time, looked like a team who expected to win.

For their part Saints seemed always to assume the worst.

Respect for David Hay has cloaked the bleak likelihood that St Mirren's prospects are dire.

Optimism has left Love Street.

If the talented Paul Lambert is thinking of continuing his career there, it suggests an enthusiasm for personal sacrifice that is excessive.

Hearts, though, are the big story.

Their energy is prodigious.

In set pieces -- two of their goals looked well rehearsed -- they were superb.

For an hour they worked with only 10 players after Ian Baird had been sent off for a misdemeanour which must have seemed more reprehensible on the park than it did from the back of the stand.

St Mirren started the scoring with a header from Irvine.

Hearts replied from Millar.

Although depleted, Hearts in the second half did it all -- with goals from McPherson and Crabbe.

Charnley won back a daft one for St Mirren in the dying minutes to give the scoreline an air of respectability that is deceptive.

The difference between the teams was more than about the length of the division.

St Mirren appeared to be in the wrong company.

Saturday's defeat felt like one of the most crucial in the Paisley story.

It would have been a most stirring game to win.

Muffing the chance will not soon go away.

Even the return from injury of Gudmundur Torfason made not much difference.

As the other halt and lame players trickle back on to the team sheet there is no saying that they will refreshen good expectations.

Signing Roy Aitken was sensible, worthy, and ambitious.

To rise from the dead, however, St Mirren need the miracle of another Davie Lapsley.

Hearts are all of a piece -- strong, workmanlike, industrious, and good at kidding on about how skilful they are.

"We are fitting a little bit better than last year," Joe Jordan, the manager, conceded.

What a confident pleasure it must be for his men to play in front of Henry Smith.

Taken from the Herald