'Mooney's magic moment in epic battle of the Saints'

I Am The Resurrection by the Stone Roses, the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Saturday's battle of the Saints at McDiarmid Park - what do these almost insultingly long things have in common? That they're absolutely fine as they are. No room for cuts. Perfection.

As the clock struck 102 minutes or so on Saturday and Euan Anderson eventually blew for the final whistle, not a single Buddie was complaining and stayed back even further to celebrate with their side.

Were I to be of a Perth persuasion, I'm sure I'd be delving into the interventions, or lack thereof by the VAR department. But I'm not, so I won't, save for mentioning that if you're hanging your protests on Toyosi Olusanya pushing away a centre-half who has pulled his collar for 10 seconds and 10 yards, I'm sure you know deep down that you're being a bit silly.

Simo Valakari's growing influence on his side is to be commended, twice now they have faced the Saints and shown impressive use of the ball, as well as quality chance creation.

However, they have also ultimately succumbed to bigger, stronger and uglier football on both occasions. There must be middle ground between playing the football they can and not sticking four forwards out there against a team built for the counter.

Evan Mooney was born about a fortnight after I passed my driving test, and that's fine. No existential crisis for me, no sir.

A St Mirren academy product in its clearest sense, Evan joined the Buddies at 12 and has exploded into prominence with the club's under-18s over the past few months. He has scored at the SMISA stadium in youth cup fixtures and blitzed Hearts away with a dazzling hat-trick, before making a first-team bow at Tynecastle, aged only 16.

At 2-1 down on a minging December afternoon, it would have been easy for Stephen Robinson to look to more experienced members of his bench and shoehorn experience into the occasion.

I wonder what the possible butterfly effect could be in time of opting instead to call on young Mooney, and give him the platform to write his name into the senior football headlines for the first time.

It is important to enjoy the moment for what it was, to shower Mooney in well-earned plaudits, and also to retain a sense of perspective. He's a developing prospect and this is but an early step on that path to consistent first-team football and contribution.

Luke Kenny, older and having required more patience for his own debut, stepped into a makeshift backline in the place of Richard Taylor - and earned his own praise.

As the Saints squad looks smaller in the face of a fixture list which looks longer, Kenny, Mooney and others will be hopeful of further opportunities to show their worth.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters