[patriot1]

I thought it was a poor game today. There were few real scoring opportunities. I'm frustrated at the penalty as Saints were one up and in no real danger when it was awarded. While it was a 50-50 decision i couldn't believe that Ricky was sent off as well. How can it be a goalscoring oportunity when the ball had run behind both players?

From then on there was no telling that Saints were down to 10 men, as apart from the shot that hit the post Cumnock created little and United had more chances themselves. All in all it makes for a wide open replay and i'm looking forward to a trip to Cumnock as i haven't been there before.

The official attendance was 246.

[Clearviewoftheball]

patriot1, on 22 January 2012 - 06:07, said:

I thought it was a poor game today. There were few real scoring opportunities. I'm frustrated at the penalty as Saints were one up and in no real danger when it was awarded. While it was a 50-50 decision i couldn't believe that Ricky was sent off as well. How can it be a goalscoring oportunity when the ball had run behind both players?

From then on there was no telling that Saints were down to 10 men, as apart from the shot that hit the post Cumnock created little and United had more chances themselves. All in all it makes for a wide open replay and i'm looking forward to a trip to Cumnock as i haven't been there before.

The official attendance was 246.

You must be used to seeing Barcelona in St Andrews ?

I thought it was a terrific game, a real tough physical junior cup tie and well value for money and deserved a much better attendance.

I thought after a quiet start St Andrews were the better side first half and might have had better reward for some slick passing play, the goal when it did come had a wee bit of luck about it in my opinion but no more than the home team deserved. The pace of the Saints right midfielder gave Cumnocks defence a hard time. I expected that if they could survive the opening minutes of the second half that Saints would go on to win however the referee changed the complexion of the game when he awarded what certainly looked a very dubious penalty and one which the highly vociferous Ayrshire contingent did not claim for with any conviction, to then send the offending player off beggared belief as the ball was nowhere near the players who tangled, a 50 /50 decision ? You lot really are far too sporting it was never a penalty nor a sending off and had it been Auchinleck it would never have been given for fear of sparking a riot ! A fine strike from the spot nevertheless.

Cumnock then had slightly the better of it and saints got lucky when a seemingly netbound lob came off the post into the keepers arms. Saints in my view rallied well and the 10 men did their best to take the game to the visitors, very unlucky on two accounts near the end which I was practically in line with as I made my way out, a ridiculously poor offside decision given against your sub as he practically ran onto the pass from 10 yards behind the ball and the same player was brought down minutes later while bursting through the middle and this should have meritted a red in my opinion, mind you there was only maybe 5 minutes to go.

A creditable performance from both teams, defences did their bit to limit clear goal scoring opportunities, both teams tried to pass in difficult conditions, I was impressed. It will be a tough task for Saints at Cumnock but they do have the potential to win, they will probably require strong officials though and generally speaking you only get one chance at the big name West sides but heres hoping.

I hope I see a similar standard game next week at Lochee and a home win of course !

[Font Of Information]

I agree with clearviewoftheball, yesterdays game was a cracking cup tie with neither side wanting to give an inch, however I felt the referee and his assistants were easily influenced especially by the visiting support, I know it was the visiting support as the St Andrews crowd is not normally the most vociferous at the best of times and that is something sorely mising from Recreation Park, the majority would rather complain about the managers selections or a bad pass than get on the back of the officials who we consistently seem to be up against week after week as well as the opposition.

The Assistant manager was ordered off by the referee, whilst not condoning his alleged offence it has been coming, yesterdays official was supposedly grade 2 but he was not good at all and the nearside assistants attitude stunk, a typical example of a boy in a mans world with an SFA badge and a flag.

Saints I thought just about deserved the tie with the majority of the creative football, but seemed to get to the 18 yd box and get brain fade as to what to do next, from my position the Patrick sending off looked harsh and as patriot1 says how that can be a goalscoring opportunity when the ball has rebounded 12 yards from the keepers save I dont know seeing as they were on the goal line. The incident at the other end was a bit tighter but the defender came across and blatantly took Johnny MacRae out, it was calculated and dangerous and a red on its own but when he was hit Johnny was through on goal, b y the time he hit the ground (the challenge was that high) a defender had got back and the referee deemed it not to be a goal scoring opportunity.

I would dearly love to see the assesors post match notes, I am sure they would have made interesting reading.

This post has been edited by Font Of Information: 22 January 2012 - 12:12

[Font Of Information]

Having read other threads on here about teams from the West and their reputations, I would like to say it was a pleasure to welcome Cumnock to Recreation Park yesterday and what a decent bunch they were, I think they enjoyed the day the tills in the club certainly did lol. No problems whatsoever, no Police needed at all, a good Cup tie afternoon

See you next week

[Bul21402]

As part of the support who travelled through to St. Andrews, i can honestly say that the welcome we received was marvellous and the Social Club at the park served up a very tasty two course meal and also very tasty pints of the AMBER NECTAR at a very tasty price of £2.50 a pint, canny be bad.

As far as the game went, thought it was two teams who tried to play football but were constantly thwarted by a swirling wind which meant good chances were at a premium. The wind, i believe, was the major factor in the first goal just before half-time for Saints as i dont for a minute think the boy tried to score from where he took the free kick. I think he was crossing it and the wind took it beyond the Cumnnock goalie. At that point, possibly Saints were worthy of the 1-0 score....only just.

The second half was more Cumnock, with the man advantage for most of it admittedly, but with the odd dangerous Saints breakaway. In respect of the sending off, the keeper had come out and blocked a shot which did rebound out to a Cumnock player who tried to put it back in to the area to Cumnock No 10, Connolly who was,in the opinion of the ref, taken out by the Saints player ( think it was Patrick), thereby preventing him from getting to the ball which would have been a goalscoring opportunity, which is, i would assume why the ref sent him off.
Whether we like the rule or not ,DENYING A GOALSCORING OPPORTUNITY is an automatic red card ( or is supposed to be). I cannot say that i saw exactly what happened with the two players as i, like a lot of people, followed the ball as it cannoned off the keeper and only turned back as the players ended up in a heap.

However, whether we agree with the ref or not, the Cumnock player ended up in a heap as a result of a tackle by a Saints player and if that was, as has been suggested, when the ball was a fair distance away it was still a case of a player being taken out of the game and i am sure if it had happened to a Saints player in the same way, the home fans would have been baying for a foul/penalty, which was, in my opinion, the only thing the ref could have done.

Hope to see a lot of you guys down next Saturday so we can renew some aquaintances made

[forrest]

Can only echo whit bul21402 says. Ah coodnae see whit the red was for, but fans that were still behind the goal said it was a stonewaller, took the boy out with no effort to go for the ball.

Cracking set up, smashin meal & nice pint & am sure the rest o the punters will agree, we will welcome a return to this east coast club in any future draw.

[Larky55]

Junior fans trying to influence the officials? I'm no buying that man. It disnae happen.