Sizzling Saints 5 Albert Hotel Soapdodgers 5

18 September 1999

Match Report

It was quite an inauspicious start at the Feegie Theatre of Dreams for the Sizzling Saints as the Morton side took an early 2-0 goal lead, the first from about 40 yards screaming, or should I say jogging leisurely, past Gloves in goals whose mind seemed to be on Bacardi Breezers and Poetry rather than the game itself. Harpo immediately hauled him off and replaced him with Chris who was soon repeating the bending down and picking up manoeuvre as a lapse of concentration in the Saints defence saw Morton take a two goal advantage.

Saints Dream Team strike partnering of the two Marks, Gallacher and Logue, soon brought Saints back into the game with the ‘ton keeper unable to hold Mark L’s "thunderous" free kick and Mark G netted the resulting rebound. Another poor goal was lost to restore the deficit to two before Mark G rose haddock like above the Morton defence to thunder a header into the top corner from a perfectly flighted Ben Fica corner.

Saints drew level on the half hour mark when Bobby Farmer deftly chipped the keeper (that’ll be a fiver Bobby) and minutes later took the lead for the first time when an angled drive from the edge of the box by Mark G deceived the keeper who succeeded in only helping it into the back of the net. (Well if Bobby claimed he meant his then so can Marky!) Mark G paid the price for his first half hat trick by being substituted minutes later, apparently still feeling the effects of an injury from the previous week and not, contrary to rumours, due to a dressing room bust up with Jimmy Bone-a-like Harpo.

The second half opened with a sustained spell of Morton pressure though with Brian and Anto linking solidly at the back any efforts were suitably dealt with. Ian and Craig started to dominate the midfield but against the run of play Morton equalised after Saints had failed to clear their lines, the Breezer Boy left static as Morton sneaked back into the match.

Saints went all out for the winner and after Sean had come close on a couple of occasions Craig restored the lead with a fine finish. It was then that the match became John P’s. After a two handed shove that Kenny Black would have been proud of, John P looked up, saw the keeper of his line and chipped him from fully 40 yards. An immaculate finish but at the wrong end. Morton had equalised. Harpo tried to salvage the match by putting Mark G back on for the last 17 seconds but by then it was too late and Saints had to be content with a share of the spoils.

All in all, this was a big improvement on last week against a good side and the lads can justifiably look forward to the next game against Ayr in a few weeks time.

Match report courtesy of Marko Van Haddock