St Johnstone Archives - Page 2 of 4

Defending champions Rangers host Spartans in SWF Scottish Cup Quarter-finals

After easing past Montrose 7-0, Rangers will host a Spartans side who trounced Kilmarnock 6-0. Last year’s finalists Hearts are rewarded for trouncing Falkirk 9-0 with the opportunity to welcome 9 time winners Glasgow City. City edged past Celtic 3-2 at the weekend. SWPL 2’s Boroughmuir Thistle will take on Motherwell after earning a well deserved victory of Premiership side Dundee United. Motherwell meanwhile made light work of Bonyrigg Rose with a 6-0 thumping. In the fourth and final clash will see Aberdeen, 3-0 victors against Hamilton Accies travel to St Johnstone, themselves coming out 4-2 winners to knock out Elgin City. The games will all be played on the 9th of March.

February 3, 2025

Club-by-club midseason review by fans Part 2: Kilmarnock to St Mirren

The second half of the fan perspective on their respective clubs! You can find Part 1 here … Kilmarnock (by Kyle Brown) How do you feel about the season so far and what do you expect from the rest of it? At the time of writing we are sitting 11th, but also only six points off 5th. It’s disappointing we are as low as we are, but I don’t think the table is necessarily reflective of how we have played in some games. We have had a habit of turning wins into draws and draws into hard luck defeats. I was tempted to actually score the season higher due to the fact that we got three European ties and handled ourselves well in those games. But sadly we are toiling in the league and we suffered early defeat in both domestic cups. 5/10 Star players/ flops We haven’t really had any out and out star players. Some players like Brad Lyons and Lewis Mayo have been consistently pretty good. Bobby Wales has come into the team and done well. Delighted for him. The flops are for sure both of the goalkeepers. Neither O’Hara or McCrorie have really staked a claim for the number one or even had a consistent run of games in the team. I was hoping McCrorie had turned a corner only for him to sadly fracture a bone in his face at Parkhead. Biggest surprise of the season so far? I am surprised by just how poor defensively some of the goals we have leaked in are. We were solid defensively last year and Derek McInnes is known for having solid foundations so it is both a shock and source of extreme frustration. You do have to perhaps look at the goalkeeper position but I also think some of our defenders really haven’t hit the heights of last season. Best/ worst away fans? Tough one and no doubt you are going to get pelters whoever you choose. I felt Dundee have brought a decent support to Rugby Park the last few years; shoutout to all the Aberdeen fans who made a horrific journey to us on Boxing Day only to watch their team get pumped 4-0. L’s in the chat that day for both Aberdeen and whoever makes the fixtures as that’s a nightmare for an away fan. Worst – I was shocked at how little fans, home and away, Copenhagen brought to the games. They just didn’t seem to care about playing Kilmarnock in the Conference League less than a year after beating Man Utd and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. I wonder why! How has your club done in the January window and they need before it closes? Jack Burroughs and Oli Bainbridge were both recalled by Coventry and Sunderland, respectively. They weren’t really playing much so it is no great loss. Bainbridge did play in the win away to Tromso though! Our only new signing has been Calvin Ramsay on loan from Liverpool. He was hooked at half time at Tynecastle sadly on his debut. I am hoping he gives us something new and it is a great move for both us and the Scotland-capped youngster. One player you would take from another Premiership side? Kuhn from Celtic. Any Celtic player really to be honest. Anyone that can finish. From a non Old Firm perspective, I have always liked the creativity of Yan Dhanda. I get he is a flair player and probably will flatter to deceive in some games, but I have felt we could have used a player like him over the last three seasons. Motherwell ( by Callum Hart, Journalist for SPFL News Now) How do you feel about the season so far and what do you expect from the rest of it? I think the season has been fairly underwhelming. Although the league table looks good on paper, watching the games is no where near as enjoyable as you would want to see from a team sitting 5th in the league. The standard and tactical choices mean we haven’t been as successful as I believe we could’ve been. I’m glad Kettlewell has stepped down (I’m not happy with the reasons behind it) I feel that with the right choice of manager, the team can finish the season strongly. 5/10 Star players/ flops Lennon Miller has been a standout, massively impressive from a player of his age. Stephen O’Donnell and Tony Watt have failed to impress me this season. Biggest surprise of the season so far? Kettlewell stepping down has to be the biggest shock, I thought there was no way he would be sacked or ever step down. As I mentioned I’m not happy with the reasoning behind him leaving. However, I feel it will be better for the club. Best/ worst away fans? Best – Celtic. Just generally the loudest, don’t stop making noise. Worst – Ross County (although to be fair the long trip makes up for the poor support) How has your club done in the January window and they need before it closes? I think the club have made signings in positions that needed improvement. I’m reserved with my opinion if the players as I haven’t seen anything from a few of them as they have came from down south. I’d like us to sign a number 10 as I feel we could use more creativity in the midfield. One player you would take from another Premiership side? I would have Hamza Igamane, I think he is the leagues best striker. We need someone that can come in and score goals and I think he does that very well. Rangers (by Daniel) How do you feel about the season so far and what do you expect from the rest of it? The season has not been good enough especially away form and against teams that we should be beating but the most annoying part is we beat the teams like Celtic but can’t beat

January 31, 2025

Quickfire double sees St Johnstone beat Motherwell again to arrest slump

St Johnstone completed their second victory in a row over Motherwell following last week’s Scottish Cup win as the visitors shot themselves in the foot, conceding two late goals to leave Perth empty handed. Motherwell have Andy Halliday’s composure to thank for the opener, his penalty after a handball in the box giving the visitors a deserved lead just a few minutes into the action. Yet with less than five left to play Taylor Steven used his poaching instincts to profit from disarray at a set piece and level the score for St Johnstone. Completing their nightmare collapse, Motherwell were floored when a couple of minutes later as Bozo Mikulic reacted quickest following a corner to fire home the winner for the home side. After conceding the early goal, Simo Valakari’s men began to grow into the game, January signing Victor Griffith denied by an outstretched Ellery Balcombe, making his first start since his arrival on loan from Brentford. With a somewhat optimistic effort, Tony Watt fired a shot from range but saw the ball fly comfortably into the palms of Andy Fisher. Halliday came close to a second but his deflected effort came dipped too late and landed on the roof of Fisher’s goal. His opposite number Ballcombe was soon called back into action with a fantastic save to keep Graham Carey from equalising in the second half. St Johnstone continued to apply the pressure with Nicky Clark coming agonisingly close, his shot however lacking the required accuracy and travelling just wide. Coming closer with each attempt, Makenzie Kirk’s header forced the Motherwell keeper into yet another series of saves, doing well to keep out Adama Sidibeh on the rebound. The result sees St Johnstone narrow the gap on 11th placed Kilmarnock to seven points whilst Motherwell remain fifth albeit having won just one in their last five. Line-ups: St Johnstone: Fisher, Mikulic, Sprangler (c), Wright, Douglas (Steven 80), Holt (Clark 65), Kucheriavyi (Sidibeh 46), Curtis, Griffith, Carey, Kirk (Franczak 96) Unused subs: Essel, Kimpioka, Raymond, Smith Booked: Kucheriavyi Goals: Steven (86), Mikulic (88) Motherwell: Balcombe, Blaney, Gordon, O’Donnell (c), Kaleta (Koutroumbis 78), Paton (Andrews 78), Halliday (Zdravkovski 67), Sparrow (Thompson 60), Nicholson (Armstrong 67), Maswanhise, Watt Unused subs: Balmer, Casey, Connelly, Koutroumbis, Wilson Booked: Sparrow, Thompson, Paton, Armstrong Goals: Halliday (4 pen) Attendance: 3,892 Referee: Kevin Clancy

January 26, 2025

Aberdeen end 12 game winless run at Elgin and more in Scottish Cup Round-up

Aberdeen will hope their convincing 3-0 win over League Two side Elgin City will help get their season back on track as they earned a victory for the first time thirteen games. A Shayden Morris opener followed by a second half Duk double put the Dons on track for a breezy progression to the next round, the task made all the easier by Lyall Booth’s dismissal after two yellow cards with over fifteen minutes remaining. Defending champions Celtic overcame a stubborn Kilmarnock side in a 2-1 victory. Captain Callum McGregor had opened the scoring with long range effort but the visitors responded just before the break through teenager Bobby Wales. In the end, the home side proved too strong with Daizan Maeda putting the tie to bed in the second half. After going into the break just a goal up, Rangers turned on the style in the second half to dispatch the spirited Highland League Fraserburgh side 5-0. A Cyriel Dessers hat-trick and goals from Clinton Nsiala and Ross McCausland ensured the home side would have their name in Monday night’s draw. Despite an impressive turnout in the away end, West of Scotland Premier Division’s Clydebank were powerless to stop Hibernian coming away 3-0 victors at Easter Road. With his 5th and 6th goals in just three games Martin Boyle was in fine form to dispatch the sixth tier side. The captain also added an assist for eighteen year old Rudi Molotnikov to his tally for the afternoon. Hearts came back from a goal down to ease to a 4-1 victory over Highland League side Brechin City. Seventeenth minute substitute Scott Bright fired the home side ahead just six minutes later before Yan Dhanda ensured they went into the break level. Neil Critchley’s side pulled away in the subsequent half with Kevin McHattie’s own goal and a double from new signing Elton Kabangu sealing the tie. Championship club Livingston provided the upset of round, scoring in the penultime minute of extra-time to seal a 3-2 win over Ross County in Dingwall. A penalty from Robbie Muirhead had given the away side the lead before Jordan White equalised. David Martindale’s side re-gained the advantage courtesy of Cristian Montano’s goal before County pulled level once again thanks to Ronan Hale. However in the 119th minute Andrew Shinnie ensured there was no way back for the Premiership side to seal progression to the Last 16. St Mirren proved too strong for League One’s Queen of the South with a 3-1 victory in Dumfries. Toyosi Olusanya’s first half double had set the visitors on their way before Brennan Dickinson pulled one back for Queens. The third tier side struggled for a leveller until substitute Caolan Boyd-Munce dashed their hopes in added time. Manager Simo Valikari will hope St Johnstone‘s 1-0 win over Motherwell can kickstart a climb out of the relegation zone in the coming weeks. Scoring after just nine minutes, Makenzie Kirk ensured fans in Perth could finally celebrate a weekend of football. Meanwhile Championship side Ayr United delivered a 8-0 pummelling of Lowland League side Broxburn Athletic. League One’s Dumbarton suffered a 5-1 home loss to Championship strugglers Airdrieonians. There was extra-time joy for fellow Championship side Queen’s Park who came away 3-2 winners over League One team Montrose. Third tier Stenhousemuir could do little to prevent the Championship’s Dunfermline from powering to a 3-0 victory. Hamilton Academical of League One made their way to the next round after putting away East of Scotland Premier Division side Musselburgh Athletic 3-1. Meanwhile Cove Rangers ensured their would be another member of Scotland’s third division in the Last 16 as they cruised to a 2-0 win over Forfar Athletic.

January 20, 2025

First half collapse sees St Johnstone fall to Dundee

Venue: McDiarmid Park Date: 05/01/25 Time: 15:00pm St Johnstone’s early collapse saw Dundee come out comfortable winners and leave the Perth side eight points adrift at the bottom of the table. Just three minutes into play Josh Rae flailed as he jumped to catch a lofted free kick ball, leaving Simon Murray to put the visitors on the front foot. In the tenth minute disaster struck again when St Johnstone were guilty of not clearing from a set piece allowing the ball to fall into Seb Palmer-Houlden’s feet, the 21 year old making no mistake to double his side’s lead. Folding like a deck of cards on a windy day, Simo Valakari’s men found themselves three down just twelve minutes later, Lyall Cameron finishing Mulligan’s pass into the box which could have been finished by Oluwaseun Adewumi had he not missed the ball entirely. Making two substitutions before the half hour mark, the manager look to turn things around but would earn no more than a consolation goal courtesy of Josh McPake’s long range effort. Nicky Clark came close to getting the first for the home side but could not get enough purchase on Aaron Essel’s cross as the ball skimmed over his head. Continuing in their struggles to find the target, Benjamin Kimpioka could not add a finish to his tricky footwork, ending the game goalless for the fifth time in a row before Adama Sidibeh failed to do better with his own effort. Much improved in the second half, Clark at least forced a save from Trevor Carson who endured one of his more comfortable evenings in a Dundee shirt. Palmer-Houlden probed for a second but was denied by a strong hand from Rae. Attendance: 5,246 Line-Ups: St Johnstone (4-2-3-1): J. Rae, A. Raymond (A. Essel 28’), B. Mikulic, J. Sanders, D. Wright, M. Smith (M. Kucheriavyi 28’), S. Sprangler, B. Kimpioka (J. McPake 58’), N. Clark (c), G. Carey, A. Sidibeh Substitutes: A. Brookfield, B. Dair, A. Essel, F. Franczak, C. Helpburn, D. Keltjens, M. Kucheriavyi, C. MacPherson, J. McPake Dundee (3-4-2-1): T. Carson (c), L. Graham, C. Roberston, R. Astley, S. Tiffoney, M. Sylla, L. Cameron, J. Mulligan, O. Adewumi (C. Garza 76’), S. Palmer-Houlden (C. Main 84’), S. Murray (E. Ingram 68’) Substitutes: S. Braybrooke, C. Garza, E. Ingram, C. Main, J. McCracken, H. Sharp, J. Vetro Referee: David Dickinson

January 6, 2025

January 2025 Transfer News: Scottish Premiership Signings, Departures, and Deals

Stay Updated: All the Latest Scottish Premiership Transfers on SNN Sports The January transfer window is in full swing, and clubs across the Scottish Premiership are making key moves to strengthen their squads. From last-minute deals to blockbuster signings, SNN Sports has you covered with real-time updates. Follow our Transfer Centre blog for breaking news, confirmed signings, and expert analysis. Plus, explore our comprehensive list of all the ins and outs from the 2025 January transfer window—only on SNN Sports! Aberdeen Transfers In Alexander Jensen – – IF Brommapojkarna, undisclosed Jeppe Okkels – Preston, loan Kristers Tobers – Grasshopper Club Zurich, undisclosed Alfie Dorrington – Tottenham, loan Alexander Jensen – IF Brommapojkarna, undisclosed Out James McGarry – Athens Kallithea, loan Celtic transfers In Jota – Rennes, £8m Out Stephen Welsh – KV Mechelen, loan Odin Holm – LAFC, loan Alexandro Bernabei – Internacional, £5m Kyogo Furuhashi – Rennes, £10m Dundee transfers In Aaron Donnelly – Nottingham Forest, undisclosed Imari Samuels – Brighton, undisclosed Victor Lopez – Queretaro, loan Cesar Garza – Monterrey, loan Out Sammy Braybrooke – Leicester City, recalled from loan Curtis Main – Ayr United Dundee United transfers In Ruari Paton – Port Vale, loan Lewis Fiorini – Stockport County, loan Out Jack Newman – Livingston, loan Hearts transfers In Elton Kabangu – Royal Union SG, loan Jamie McCart – Rotherham United, undisclosed Lewis Neilson – St Johnstone, recalled from loan Michael Steinwender – IFK Värnamo, undisclosed Sander Kartum – SK Brann, undisclosed Out Liam Boyce – Derry City, undisclosed Kye Rowles – D.C. United, undisclosed Daniel Oyegoke – Hellas Verona, undisclosed Hibernian transfers In Alasana Manneh – Odense Boldklub, undisclosed Out Josh O’Connor – Crusaders, undisclosed Nohan Kenneh – Ross County, loan Jake Doyle-Hayes – Released Kilmarnock transfers In Calvin Ramsay – Liverpool, loan Out Jack Burroughs – Coventry City, recalled from loan – Motherwell transfers In Kai Andrews – Coventry City, loan Archie Mair – Norwich City, loan Ellery Balcombe – Brentford, loan Luke Armstrong – Carlisle United, loan Out – Rangers transfers In Rafael Fernandes – Lille, loan Out Robbie Fraser – Livingston, loan Cole McKinnon – Ayr United, loan Kieran Dowell – Birmingham City, loan Ross County transfers In Nohan Kenneh – Hibernian, loan Kieran Phillips – Huddersfield Town, undisclosed Zac Ashworth – Blackpool, loan Jonathan Tomkinson – Norwich City, loan Out Eamonn Brophy – Falkirk, loan Ricki Lamie – Hamilton, loan St Johnstone transfers In Victor Griffith – Arabe Unido, undisclosed Sam Curtis – Sheffield United, loan Jonathan Svedberg – Allsvenskan, undisclosed Daniels Balodis – RFS, undisclosed Out Kyle Cameron – Notts County, recalled from loan Lewis Neilson – Hearts, recalled from loan Connor Smith – Hamilton Accies, undisclosed St Mirren transfers In Owen Oseni – Gateshead, undisclosed Zach Hemming – Middlesbrough, loan Out Kieran Offord – Linfield, undisclosed

January 1, 2025

Celtic Dominate St Johnstone to Close Out a Historic Year in Style

Celtic capped what Brendan Rodgers hailed as one of the club’s most “exceptional years” with a dazzling 4-0 demolition of St Johnstone at Parkhead. The reigning champions showcased their relentless dominance, extending their unbeaten domestic run this season and widening the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 14 points ahead of Thursday’s pivotal trip to Ibrox. Rodgers Reflects on a Year to Remember Speaking after the match, Rodgers was full of praise for his side’s performance and achievements: “When you look at all the numbers and stats, this will be one of the exceptional years in the history of Celtic. It’s great for the supporters—they can see how hard the team is working.” Despite approaching the halfway stage of the campaign, Rodgers emphasised the team’s hunger to improve: “The players deserve huge credit for their mindset and work ethic. They know they’re in a safe place because we encourage them to take risks. That’s what allows us to keep playing the way we do.” A Ruthless Celtic in Full Flow From the outset, it was clear Celtic meant business. St Johnstone initially stood firm, with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo, and Arne Engels testing goalkeeper Josh Rae. But the breakthrough came through the ever-reliable Nicolas Kühn, who latched onto Reo Hatate’s pass, cut inside, and calmly finished to notch his 12th league goal of the season. Kühn nearly added another with a curling effort that drew a stunning save from Rae, but the floodgates opened in the second half. Kyogo pounced from close range after Paulo Bernardo’s clever flick was parried, marking Celtic’s 50th league goal in just 18 games—a stunning milestone. The Japanese talisman struck again moments later, expertly finishing from Engels’ whipped cross, before substitute Daizen Maeda rounded off the rout with a composed strike following Bernardo’s defence-splitting pass. Rodgers’ Arsenal of Talent Even with key players like captain Callum McGregor and Maeda starting on the bench, Celtic’s depth and quality shone through. Rodgers’ squad boasts an attacking arsenal that seems unstoppable, with Kühn and Kyogo in scintillating form and Engels providing another dimension in creativity. “From minute one to the final whistle, we were outstanding,” Rodgers said. “The mentality of this group is incredible—they never stop. It’s a joy to watch.” St Johnstone: A Mountain to Climb For Simo Valakari’s side, it was another grim afternoon as they succumbed to a fifth consecutive league match without victory. Despite a disciplined first-half display, fatigue set in, and Celtic ruthlessly exploited the cracks. Valakari acknowledged the gulf in class: “Celtic were very, very good. From the first to the last minute, they pushed us. The biggest lesson for us is their attitude—they keep going no matter the situation. If we can learn that, it will help us.” With Hibernian next on the schedule, St Johnstone will need to regroup quickly to avoid becoming further detached at the bottom of the table. Eyes on Ibrox As the year ends, all eyes now turn to the Old Firm clash on 2 January. On this form, Celtic look unstoppable, and a victory over Rangers would further solidify their dominance in what Rodgers described as a “special, special season.” For the champions, the momentum shows no signs of slowing, while for the chasing pack, the task of catching them grows ever more daunting.

December 30, 2024

Sam Dalby strikes again to leave St Johnstone at foot of the table

Venue: McDiarmid Park Date: 26/12/24 Time: 15:00 Dundee United’s impressive first season since promotion continued as they battled to beat St Johnstone on the road. Makenzie Kirk was the author of the afternoon’s first goal with a fine driven strike past Jack Walton just a minute before the half ended. Glenn Middleton caught the hosts napping, firing a shot that nestled between Josh Rae and the post to level the score. In an almost inevitable conclusion to matters, Sam Dalby sealed the three points with a timely to meet Vicko Sevelj cross for his chart topping ninth of the season. Kirk had a chance to put his side ahead even soon in the first half but Walton was alert with a strong save. The striker continued to probe but his second half attempt unable to hit the target. United struggled in the first half but did have a chance, Jason Holt twice denied by home bodies as he failed to convert Kevin Holt’s cross. Drey Wright lashed an attempt for the home side but needed more accuracy to not send it straight into the keeper’s arms. As the second half progressed Dundee United seized control of the game, Kai Fotheringham denied only by Rae putting his body in the way. Dalby almost grabbed a second but his finish slowly rolled wide of the post. Declan Gallagher made headlines for the wrong reasons after lunging in to 15 with his studs up to earn a straight red card. The numerical disadvantage almost finished by a leaping Jack Sanders who was kept out by a leaping Walton. Unable to come away with a result, St Johnstone remain bottom of the table without a win in five. Line-Ups: St Johnstone: J. Rae, K. Cameron, B. Mikulic, J. Sanders, J. Holt (c) (M. Smith 73′), G. Carey, S. Sprangler (A. Essel 86′), D. Wright, D. Keltjens (A. Sidibeh 62′), B. Kimpioka (N. Clark 62′), M. Kirk Substitutes: A. Essel, F. Franczak, M. Kucheriavyi, N. Clark, L. Neilson, A. Raymond, A. Sidibeh, R. Sinclair, M. Smith Dundee United: J. Walton, K. Holt, D. Gallagher (c), E. Adegboyega, W. Ferry, V. Sevelj (L. Stephenson 82′), R. Odada (R. Docherty 71′), R. Strain, G. Middleton (R. Graham 94′), K. Fotheringham (K. Trapanovski 71′), S. Dalby (J. van der Sande 82′) Substitutes: D. Babunski, R. Doherty, R. Graham, D. Richards, L. Stephenson, M. Thomson, K. Trapanovski, M. Ubochioma, J. van der Sande Referee: Kevin Clancy

December 27, 2024

Birthday boy Penrice helps send St Johnstone bottom

Venue: Tynecastle Park Date: 22/12/24 Time: 15:00 Hearts responded to the their humiliating midweek exit from the Europa Conference League to earn a crucial three points and ensure St Johnstone fell to the foot of the table. After just fifteen minutes a towering header from Penrice, celebrating his 26th birthday, met Adam Forrester’s long ball into the box to open the scoring. Penrice soon found himself giving out gifts after his handball in the box allowed substitute Graham Carey to level the score eight minutes after the break. Hearts responded just five minutes leader when Blair Spittal met a cleared header from a corner and lashed home the winner from outside the box. The home side had the lions’ share of chances throughout the encounter. James Wilson had an opportunity to put Hearts ahead after cutting past Josh Rae to find an empty goal, albeit at a difficult angle, but the shot was lacking the right connection as it fizzled to allow the Saints to clear. Hearts were denied again later in the half as Bozo Mikulic’s mishit clearance fired straight at his own goal but a reflexive save from Rae was able to keep the score down. Rae was called into action multiple times after that, first when Penrice’s shot met Lawrence Shankland’s head, but the striker could not get the requisite power to trouble the keeper before denying Kenneth Vargas and Alan Forrest with a double save late on. Adama Sidibeh wasted his side’s best opportunity of the game, driving the ball forward holding off the Hearts defence only to send his attempt wide. Line-ups: Hearts: C. Gordon, J. Penrice, K. Rowles, D. Oyegoke, A. Forrester, B. Spittal (K. Vargas 80’), M. Boateng, C. Devlin, M. Drammeh (A. Forrest 61’), L. Shankland (c) (L. Boyce 94’), J. Wilson Substitutes: L. Boyce, Z. Clark, Y. Dhanda, A. Forrest, J. Grant, C. Halkett, A. Salazar, M. Tait, K. Vargas St Johnstone: J. Rae, A. Raymond (G. Carey 46’), B. Mikulic, J. Sanders, A. Essel (D. Keltjens 83’), B. Kimpioka, J. Holt (c) (M. Smith 83’), S. Sprangler, D. Wright, M. Kirk, A. Sidibeh Substitutes: A. Brookfield, G. Carey, B. Dair, F. Franczak, D. Keltjens, M. Kucheriavyi, J. McPake, R. Sinclair, M. Smith Referee: John Beaton

December 23, 2024

Chaos in Perth as St Mirren Snatch Dramatic Late Win

A 99th minute penalty from Roland Idowu sees St Mirren run out 3-2 winners at McDiarmid Park as they climb into the top 6. St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson made two changes from the side that lost 1-0 to Motherwell last weekend. Alex Iacovitti returned from a long spell on the sidelines, replacing the suspended Alex Gogic and Mikael Mandron started ahead of Toyosi Olusanya at the focal point of the Buddies’ attack. St Johnstone also made 2 changes with Croatian defender Bozo Mikulic replacing Kyle Cameron in the heart of the Perth sides’ defence and Adama Sidibeh came in for Sven Sprangler. In a half where clear cut chances were few and far between, the deadlock was broken after 10 minutes by the visitors. A well-timed pass by Mandron found Killian Phillips in acres of space and the Irishman calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net putting his side in front. The away side continued to pile on the pressure, utilising the wide areas and smart, interchanging runs from Greg Kiltie and Conor McMenamin caused the home side issues. An expert pass from McMenamin found Kiltie in the box but the Saints number 11 couldn’t get the ball under control in what would have been almost a certain 2nd goal. Up the other end, Ellery Balcombe gathered 2 trickling shots from Sidibeh as the home side became more threatening in the closing stages as the half fizzled out. Half Time: St Johnstone 1-0 St Mirren St Johnstone came out firing in the second half and dominated the opening stages. Benjamin Kimpioka was a thorn in the side of the St Mirren defence, effortlessly gliding through their back line and linking up well with Sidibeh but it was Mackenzie Kirk who squeezed the ball past Balcombe from a tight angle to level the game for the hosts. Trouble would hit St Mirren as ever-present centre back Richard Taylor had to be stretched off, in what they hope will be less severe than it looked. Stephen Robinson would turn to his bench and introduce youngster Luke Kenny to the fold. The Saintees continued to pile on the pressure and the visitors would have Kenny to thank to keep Sidibeh at bay. The pacy striker went racing through after a mix up from Marcus Fraser and Alex Iacovitti but the St Mirren academy product stood firm and made an important interception in his box. The away side looked to their bench to try and turn the tide of the game. Toyosi Olusanya, Declan John and Roland Idowu entered the game with immediate effect. Olusanya let the ball run through to John who crossed the ball and Phillips flashed his effort over the crossbar. With 10 minutes to go, Kimpioka used his trickery to ease past Bwomono. He played a pass to Drey Wright before receiving the return and firing his side ahead. The game looked dead and buried for St Mirren but highly rated 17 year old Evan Mooney had other ideas. Phillips looked to be taken out by Rae in the St Johnstone goal but Mooney was first to react at smashed the ball into the back of the net with 2 minutes left to play. His first professional goal breathed much needed life into the Buddies who went searching for a winner. Olusanya’s effort forced an excellent save from Josh Rae. St Johnstone had a chance of their own, Nicky Clark heading over the bar with a chance he ought to have done better. 7 minutes of added time followed. Roland Idowu danced and weaved through the St Johnstone low block and his shot hit the hand of Drey Wright and after a lengthy VAR check a penalty was awarded. St Mirren captain Mark O’Hara stepped up but after a stuttered run up his penalty was saved, yet again. Elation in the home end was short lived though as the penalty was ordered to be retaken with the St Johnstone stopper coming off his line. This time, Idowu took the ball and put it straight down the middle, snatching the game at the death. St Johnstone look ahead to a tough trip to Tynecastle next weekend meanwhile the Buddies make the long trip north to Dingwall to face Ross County. Full Time: St Johnstone 3-2 St Mirren Teams: St Mirren– Balcombe (GK), Fraser, Iacovitti, Taylor (Kenny, 64”), Tanser (John, 64”), Bwomono, O’Hara (C), Phillips, Kiltie (Mooney, 80”), McMenamin (Idowu, 69”), Mandron (Olusanya, 69”) St Johnstone– Rae (GK), Mikulic, Sanders, Neilson (Keltjens, 46”), Holt, Clark (C), Wright, Sidibeh, Smith, Kirk, Kimpioka

December 14, 2024

St Johnstone

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