Pathetic: St Johnstone 0-1 Clyde

Well that sadly didn't happen and after an atrocious performance against the Bully Wee, accompanied by a small but noisy travelling support, we find ourselves languishing in third place tonight.

We'll bore you with some match details before going any further - Clyde boasted former Saints Alan Kernaghan (player-manager) and Paul Kane (player-coach) in the starting eleven, with another former Saint, Willie Falconer in the stand with an injury. Saints recalled Alan Main for his first game in over a year, having fully recovered from a badly broken leg.

Saints could have taken the lead in the 2nd minute of the match, with John Robertson finding his running spikes at last. His run down the right and subsequent pass gave Paddy Connolly an excellent chance to turn and shoot, but the alleged striker somehow managed to hit the post.

That set the pattern for the rest of the game sadly. Shortly afterwards, Saints - by this time in the ascendency - won a free kick 30 yards out which looked like an excellent opportunity for Paul Hartley but it looks like Saints need to work on their set-piece routines because a complex manoeuvre confused even the kick-taker. The ball ended up in the stand.

Saints' usual bright start came to nothing, and out of the blue in the 18th monute, an innocuous ball into the Saints penalty box - and an equally innocent-looking challenge by McCluskey on Nish - saw referee Kenny Clark point straight to the spot. Leigh Hinds stepped up and coolly blasted the ball past Main for 0-1.

Saints huffed and puffed for the remainder of the half with McCann one of the few players making an impact - finding Hartley, whose turn and shot didn't trouble the opposition keeper too much.

But the visitors could easily have extended their lead with another rare foray into the Saints penalty box. They won a free kick near the edge of the box, firing an inswinging cross in the direction of giant Nish - on loan from Dunfermline - who easily beat two Saints defenders but blazed his header over the bar.

Ryan Stevenson was brought on to freshen things up at half time - but while most fans believe that the two Ryans work best in tandem, McCann was the player making way for the second game in succession. Stevenson brought a fresh impetus to the attack but couldn't get Saints any nearer to a treasured home goal.

Saints were well on top at this point but while they won plenty of the ball and saw off the bulk of Clyde's advances - which were mostly launched from the punts of Alan Kernaghan - any counter-attack was usually ended by a stray pass or a miscommunication in the midfield area.

A scrappy half was thankfully brought to an end by Clark, but not before Kernaghan sealed his man-of-the-match status with a 30-yard blast just over the bar.

So there go the fine details of the match. Sum it up by saying "must do better" or more simply, "crap".

Saints are devoid of ideas up front and simply don't look like reversing the current poor form which shows them with 2 points from the last 12, not to mention a near embarrassment at Stranraer the other week.

Alan Main's return was welcome but he hardly featured in the game - the problems lie in the coaching of players who don't seem to have any passion for the club when they run out on the pitch, and despite Main shouting until his throat burned, the team look completely disorganised from back to front.

It can't go on like this much longer.