St Mirren Match thread

[Chick A Saw]

The penalty decision was farcical..but we had 3 clear cut chance to win it in the last 10 minutes. At least one of them should have been scored! Worryingly, I don't even think dropping down a level would help things....we would still lose cheap goals and not manage to score. Whole club needs emptied!

First things first, Loick Ayina and Peter Pawlett were 2 of the better players today.

I was thinking at half time when looking at the subbies warming up that there was nobody there that i could 100% say you will change the game for us. I was therefore not surprised that when Pawlett and McGrath went off that we fell off the cliff! When Fox asked a question, the answer should never have been Djoum!

With Levitt possibly out and gone in the summer, Middleton back god knows when, i really do fear for our squads ability to see through the 9 battles that are ahead, and i agree that we are in the position that a clearout is required, but maybe JG is the man to help us with that.

Maybe today needed an earlier double switch gamble.

Gap gained and held to the next 2 at least!

[JUSTaway]

I thought pawlett was pretty anonymous today, sibbald and harkes not far behind. We have no dig in midfield. Even wondered at one point if Anya could be converted into a Def mid, but he is borderline raw with tackles. I'm starting to wonder if we would even win a play off, we had about 95+ mins to get a second goal today but it was beyond us.

[Dreamsof83]

We didn't look like losing any goals today. They played long diagonals and aimed for territory and set pieces. We dealt with them all perfectly well. Thought Edwards and Ayina both good. Birighitti untroubled. Smith and McMann ok. Sibbald not his usual self today, thought he and Harkes struggled with their shape and covering the pitch.
Penalty ridiculous but the real problem was we just dropped deep and invited them on. Started and finished ok but middle 50 minutes was poor. Do like the change to a 4-2-3-1 shape though. Gave us more threat. We lose that game if it was a month ago. Some positives building. Cudjoe, Fotheringham, Middleton, Behich, Pawlett, McGrath, Harkes are all capable of offering something in that line behind Fletcher. We will create chances to win games

[Bannons boots]

I just cant agree about Pawlett. Did next to nothing & long spells where you forgot he was on the pitch. & didnt even last an hour.

[tHeArAb]

How we didn't win that game, I don't know. So many chances at the end. Composure let us down. The boys are clearly desperate to win and were stabbing at everything in that pin-ball last five or six mins, however, we're getting there. A far better, more positive performance than we'd have seen a few weeks ago.

Ayina is a player btw. No nonsense. Clears the ball well. Absolutely powers his defensive headers away. I like the boy.

Shames it's the Huns next, as I'd have liked us to be carrying this little bit of momentum into a more winnable game.

Another point closer to County.

[weegiearab]

It feels like we were unlucky..but I think we only had 1 shot on target during the whole game (correct me if I am wrong) Luck has got nothing to do with it with stats like that! Our players look unfit, and most of them look like they have given up. If any of them are sitting in that dressing room feeling that they are unlucky not to win today...they need to realise that they need to make their own luck. Poor performance, no composure when it was needed, and no leadership on the park!

[TerryTheTerror]

It was a decent performance today and it's great to see us being harder to beat again. A couple of players were a bit bellow par I think. All the midfielders (gave them far too much space) and Smith. Credit to Edwards after his bomb-scare against the sheepies and I agree that Ayina is excellent.

[shedka]

Game ruined by the ref/var decision then our misses at the end, Immi being most guilty

After Ibrox though we really need to be winning 4-l or 5 of our last 8, it's doable with the fixtures left

[Arabknight]

Edwards was far better today. Ayina was excellent. Strong, athletic, composed. Thought fletcher did well today too. Smith was awful. Mcmann had some decent moments, but then almost ruins it by trying to take a player on which inevitably leads to a last ditch tackle to cover his own mistake. The midfield weren’t great today either. Gave them far too much space.

[moicher]

I thought it was a better performance. Its been a while when we were still going for a win at the end of a game. Edwards better, Ayina was good. I didn't realise Sibbald weas even on in the first half.

I thought Pawlett improved us and gave us something we have not had. He's improved his dives too

Penalty was a complete joke and makes a mockery of VAR. If the ref looks at that then its not given.

We rode our luck but we had managed that and really should have won. It was still in our own hands and we missed several good chances which should have made the penalty decision redundant.

A point closer to 11th though and signs of a more battling team. I'm glass half full but its leaving it very late indeed to perform an escape act..