We were never seriously threatened and two goals from Clarkson and from one Scott McDonald sent over two thousand travelling fans home happy.
Terry fielded an unchanged side with O'Donnell, Kiniburgh, Fagan,Corr and McDonald on the bench.
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It took a while for the players to adjust to the blustery conditions and high balls were unpredictable as a result. Stevie Hammell got things going early on when he hit the bar.We suffered a scare in fifteen minutes when Marshall produced a quick reaction save to deny Saints their only real chance of the game.
We took full control after that and came close when Dair collected a Clarkson header and got a shot in. Then Burns beat three defenders on the edge of the box before pulling his shot wide of the target.
Our first goal came in twenty three minutes when Burns directed a searching thirty yard cross field pass towards Dair at the right hand corner of the penalty box. A defender got the first touch and the ball broke for Clarkson. He spotted the keeper off his line and cooly lobbed the ball into the back of the net.
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Clarkie got his second of the match and his fifth in two games just after the half hour mark.This time he scored with a shot from the left hand side of the box. We ended the half entertaining the packed stand behind Marshall's goal with a display of passing possession which emphasised our dominance of the first forty five minutes.
The weather deteriorated in the second half and the crowd settled down in the rain eager to cheer the arrival of Clarkson's back to back hat-tricks. The goal did not materialise, instead Burns came close to ending his drought with a shot from close in against the post and soon after a flying header just wide.
McDonald replaced Clarkson and immediately impressed with his strength and speed. He got the third with a clinical finish just before the final whistle and the fans responded with chants of "Doogay, Doogay".Praise indeed.Let's hope someone explains the significance of the name to the young Australian and that he is able to rise to the fans' expecations.
The draw took place just after 5pm and the result is a home tie against Queen of the South upcoming.Surely we can find ourselves in the pot for the quarter finals?