The Six Pointer: Scottish Premiership Round 1 REVIEWED

The Scottish Premiership is back with a bang. From seven-goal thrillers to statement wins, the opening weekend delivered plenty of early drama. Here is the round-up of the weekend’s action. Goal of the Round: Ibrahim Said It has been a summer of transition for Motherwell, marked by the arrival of new manager Alfred Johansson and the departures of stalwarts Stephen Welsh and Elijah Just to Swansea, alongside midfield anchor Elliot Watt to Turkey. Yet, one thing remains untouched: the Steelmen’s free-flowing brand of football, embedded by departing manager Jens Berthel Askou. Motherwell’s winning goal at Easter Road was a testament to that style, culminating from a brilliant team move that capitalised on a flurry of missed opportunities by Hibs. Olly Whyte dispossessed Rudi Molotnikov on the halfway line, sparking a clever sequence of link-up play between Said and Alex Lowry. Lowry then released Ewan Wilson down the left flank, who showed great composure to pick out the onrushing Said, whose clinical first-time finish sent the away support into a frenzy. It was a ruthlessly efficient move that contrasted Hibs’ lack of cutting edge, and handed Johansson his first league victory. Carrying Sunday’s momentum forward from their European exploits in the Faroe Islands, the feel-good factor from last season’s fourth-place finish shows no signs of fading at Fir Park. Game of the Round: St Johnstone 4-3 Kilmarnock Unsurprisingly, my pick for game of the weekend comes from Perth, where Premiership newcomers St Johnstone and Neil McCann’s Kilmarnock produced a pulsating seven-goal thriller. Simo Valakari’s side scored goals for fun on their way to last season’s Championship title, finishing as the division’s top scorers, and they carried that attacking threat into this encounter. Josh Fowler and Greg Kiltie exchanged first-half goals as the sides went into the break level at 1-1, but it was the chaotic second period that turned the match into a classic, with the lead changing hands three times. Cheick Diabate headed St Johnstone in front shortly after the restart, only for Kilmarnock to turn the game on its head with two goals in four minutes. Joe Hugill levelled proceedings before an unfortunate Jason Holt own goal handed the Ayrshire side a 3-2 advantage. However, Valakari’s men responded superbly to the setback. Showing the composure and resilience of seasoned Premiership campaigners rather than newly promoted players, Saints finished the stronger side and were rewarded for their attacking intent. An own goal from Schjønning-Larsen brought St Johnstone level before Fowler combined brilliantly with Kai Fotheringham to restore the hosts’ lead. The former Dundee United attacker then applied the finishing touch in the 80th minute, completing a dramatic 4-3 victory and securing a hugely important three points for the Perth club. McCann was left frustrated by his side’s defensive vulnerability, particularly from set-pieces, with Kilmarnock conceding twice from dead-ball situations. Despite briefly leading 3-2, Killie were unable to withstand St Johnstone’s pressure, and the hosts were ultimately deserving winners. Jamie Gullan, who contributed 14 assists during Saints’ Championship-winning campaign, played a key role in two of the opening goals. At the same time, Fowler excelled in the number nine role, recording a goal and an assist. Yet it was Fotheringham’s decisive strike that capped a memorable afternoon at McDiarmid Park and earned St Johnstone one of the standout results of the opening weekend. Team of the Round: St Mirren St Mirren boss Craig McLeish set out to make his side more exciting this season, and while Saturday’s victory over Falkirk wasn’t entirely flawless, it could serve as the ideal foundation to build upon. The Falkirk Stadium remains a notoriously difficult place to visit, bolstered by back-to-back league titles, consistently sold-out crowds, and a stylish brand of football that underpinned last season’s impressive sixth-place finish. However, St Mirren bounced back strongly from their League Cup defeat to Dunfermline, securing a 2-0 victory, their third consecutive win at the Bairns’ home ground. Killian Phillips stole the headlines as the hero, but the performance was littered with standout displays across the pitch. Jacob Chapman bravely played out from the back while securing a clean sheet; Jayden Richardson offered a constant threat from right-back; the midfield pivot of Paul Nsio and Ryan Carr dominated the centre of the park; and Eseoso Sule led the line superbly. Though a disallowed Falkirk goal threatened to change the complexion of the match, and the Buddies squandered several gilt-edged chances, if Saturday is anything to go by, it could be a special campaign for McLeish’s side. Player of the Round: Killian Phillips St Mirren talisman Killian Phillips is determined to add more goals to his game after opening the season with a double against Falkirk. The midfielder poked home at the near post after 11 minutes, then applied the finishing touch to a swift counterattack in the 87th minute, sealing a clinical 2-0 victory at Falkirk Stadium. Despite his match-winning contribution, Phillips was quick to highlight the collective effort behind the result. “It’s something I need to add to my game: numbers. So I’m over the moon to get two goals,” Phillips said. “It was a good team performance. I know I could have had a couple more, and we could have scored a couple more as well.” The Buddies successfully navigated the Premiership play-offs against Partick Thistle last season, but goals proved hard to come by throughout the campaign. St Mirren finished as the league’s lowest scorers with just 30 goals, 10 fewer than relegated Livingston, and Phillips acknowledged that is an area that must improve this season. “On another day, those missed chances could have cost us. Last season, we probably struggled to create a lot of chances, so to have as many opportunities as we did today is more of a positive than a negative. “It’s a perfect opening-day performance.” St Mirren return to league action against St Johnstone at the SMISA Stadium on Saturday and Phillips will be eager to build on his encouraging start following their impressive victory in Falkirk. Stat of the