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Young Stevie Craig put in an excellent effort and he will surely have cemented his place in the starting line up for Hampden. McFadden just about earned pass marks and Frankie had too little to do to be judged fairly. The rest of the team mixed a lack of desire with a shocking loss of form.
For a team which relies so heavily on heart and fight, the fact that we didn’t have anyone booked – or even a crowd lifting tackle – says a lot. Relegation battles are all about who wants to win most and if yesterdays first half display is anything to go by, we’re as good as down.
The second half was a different story. Was it just because Dundee sat off us? That probably contributed but regardless, we controlled the game and pressed forward. True, chances were thin on the ground but at least the effort was there. We forced Speroni into a couple of decent saves and we got our reward when Faddy found the net.
That was too little too late though. If we had played ninety minutes properly, we would almost certainly have taken at least a point. Instead, we are left to reflect upon another missed chance to move off the bottom of the league and we are left with a longer-term problem of team motivation. Playing for half a game is something Butcher has to solve immediately.
Read the match report here.