St Johnstone 2 Kilmarnock 1: Tade determined to hold ground that has been gained

Monday 22 October 2012

THE view from on high is always better appreciated if it was a challenge to get up there.

Manuel Pascali dispossesses St Johnstone's Rowan Vine. Picture: SNS

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Chris Tait

It was not so long ago that St Johnstone looked like a ramshackle mob huddled near the bottom of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, a series of stumbles early in the season suggesting the bottom six would offer a somewhat unsatisfying plateau.

Yet the Perth side have picked up sufficient momentum of late to clamber into second place. A run of five straight wins has raised the club to that rarefied position, even if Nigel Hasselbaink became something of a burden during the latest stage of their ascent. That came in a win over Kilmarnock on Saturday, but St Johnstone had to compensate for the faltering steps of their diminutive Dutchman, one example coming midway through the second half when he bundled a shot wide of an empty goal from around eight yards out. Hasselbaink's immediate reaction suggested he might have stepped off a cliff out of embarrassment. Gregory Tade might well have offered him a helpful shove.It would only have been fair given the latter had made the run, drawn the goalkeeper from his line and supplied the pass. Hasselbaink gained a form of redemption when he seized on another Tade pass to score late on, but that was not the last time the Frenchman would be more generous towards his team-mate than he perhaps deserved."I'm not scared to say this – he is the best I've played with, in terms of balance. He is only 21 and you can see he is going to be a great player," said Tade, whose side opened the scoring through Murray Davidson.Tade was just as unequivocal about his ambitions for the season, only he had the evidence to hand to support his aims. "I've said it before, I want top three," he said. "We beat Celtic, we want to be counted as a big team. I want teams to be scared of my team when we come on the park because we don't fear anyone."That is something that has certainly been borne out by recent performances.A late James Fowler goal gave Kilmarnock some consolation but they left Perth with little else to cling to, St Johnstone having played with all the assurance of a side that have upset the champions and a previously unbeaten Ross County side during their winning run.Kilmarnock are not incapable of passing such milestones – Hearts and Dundee United have both been beaten comprehensively this season – it is just that their season has had a tendency to become waylaid at times, disturbing any chance for consistency.The return from injury of Jeroen Tesselaar, Cammy Bell and Paul Heffernan – the latter two both featured on Saturday – will strengthen the resolve of a team who have now lost two matches on the bounce, even if they are not the only ingredients needed to manufacture greater fortune in matches. "When you are winning, things go in," said Kenny Shiels, the Kilmarnock manager.Hasselbaink can attest to that. Well, just.oneminutepundit29' 1-0 A firm header from Steven Anderson is parried by Cammy Bell and Murray Davidson hooks the ball into the net.90' 2-0 Gregory Tade feeds a pass to Nigel Hasselbaink who carefully rounds Bell before tucking a shot into the corner.90+2' 2-1 Possession falls to James Fowler on the edge of the penalty area and he sends a low shot past Alan Mannus.

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St Johnstone 2 Kilmarnock 1: Tade determined to hold ground that has been gained

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