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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 draw extends Dons’ winless run to five

Aberdeen 1 – 1 St Johnstone Leighton Clarkson rescued a point as Aberdeen’s draw with St Johnstone saw them cede further ground to Celtic. St Johnstone raced to an early lead through Makenzie Kirk’s opener just five minutes in before Clarkson ensured the spoils were shared. The visitors impressed in difficult conditions, Adama Sidibeh denied a winner by an excellent Nicky Devlin block. Jimmy Thelin’s men have struggled in recent weeks and had few chances on the night. Substitute Duk providing the assist but unable to drive his side to the three points. Aberdeen are now winless in their past five games and with two games in hand, Rangers could narrow the five point gap between the sides. Attendance: 15,880 Line-ups: Aberdeen: R. Doohan, J. McGarry (N.Devlin 46′), G. Molloy, S. Rubezic, J. Milne (T. Keskinen 71′), S. Heltne Nilsen (A. Palaversa 46′), J. McGrath, L. Clarkson, S. Morris (Duk 46′), K. Nisbet (V. Besuijen 77′) Substitutes: P. Ambrose, V. Besuijen, N. Devlin, Duk, T. Keskinen, A. MacDonald, A. Palaversa, T. Ritchie, E. Sokler St Johnstone: J. Rae, D. Wright, K. Cameron, J. Sanders, L. Neilson, J. Holt, S. Sprangle, M. Smith (A. Sidibeh 63′), B. Kimpioka, N. Clark, M. Kirk (G. Carey 88′) Substitute: G. Carey, A. Essel, F. Franczak, D. Keltjens, M. Kucheriavyi, J. McPake, A. Sidibeh, R. Sinclair

December 7, 2024

Rangers pick up a much needed 3 points in McDiarmid Park victory

Philippe Clement’s side came out on top in a narrow victory over St Johnstone Rangers headed into the game looking to build on their resounding win in the South of France on Thursday, with St Johnstone hoping to record back-to-back league victories at McDiarmid Park. Two changes for Rangers today following their 4-1 victory over Nice, with skipper James Tavernier replacing the injured Dujon Sterling and Ianis Hagi coming in for his first start for the club since May 2023, in place of Mohamed Diomande. Simo Valakari named the same XI that defeated Kilmarnock 1-0 last weekend. It was St Johnstone who started the brighter of the 2 sides in the opening exchanges. A great run by Sanders down the right-hand side nearly led to a chance for St Johnstone but the ball was cleared away from danger by Rangers. Rangers then began to get a foothold of possession and looked threatening whenever they got the ball forward. Cerny came close with an attempt from the edge of the box but the ball fizzed past the side netting. Rangers continued to probe and Bajrami had the best chance of the half, as the ball fell to him inside the 6 yard box but couldn’t sort his feet out quick enough. St Johnstone struggled to get any sort of possession in the first half but looked dangerous whenever they were able to get at Clements side. A failed offside trap by the Rangers defence allowed Kirk to race through on goal but Butland was able to save his attempt with relative ease. Half Time – St Johnstone 0-0 Rangers Philippe Clements half time team talk looked to have taken an effect on his men as Rangers started the second half promisingly. A couple of early efforts on goal were thwarted by the Saints keeper, including a good save to deny Tavernier from a free kick. Rangers finally found the breakthrough in the 63rd minute. A looping cross inside the box by Yilmaz was bundled home by Jason Holt just a few yards from his own goal, with Tavernier applying the pressure just behind him. Rangers continued to dominate and almost added a second through Danilo but Josh Rae was there again to keep the score at 0-1. There was only one team who looked like scoring the second, with St Johnstone unable to get out of their own half. Danilo missed a golden opportunity to wrap the game up late in the tie but fired the ball straight at the Saints keeper. Rangers stifled any potential St Johnstone threat in the dying embers of the game and held on for a comfortable victory. It was a much-needed win domestically for Phillipe Clement in a pressure easing week for the Rangers boss. It was only their second away win in the league this season. For St Johnstone, it wasn’t the result they were hoping for but there were some positives to take from the game for Valakari and he will be hoping his side can build on this performance against Aberdeen next weekend. St Johnstone – Rae (GK), Wright, Sanders, Mikulic, Raymond, Carey (Essel 46’), Sprangler (Sidibeh 66’ Mcpake 81’), Holt (Kucheriavyi 81’), Clark (C) (Neilson 58), Kirk, Kimpioka Rangers – Butland (GK), Tavernier (C), Souttar, Propper (Balogun 46’), Jefte (Danilo 58’), Barron, Raskin, Cerny (Dowell 86’), Bajrami (Yilmaz 46’), Hagi, Igamane (Diomande 76’) Attendance 7,446

December 1, 2024

Killie fail to crack Saints

A glancing Makenzie Kirk header gave the Saints a much needed victory at McDiarmid Park. The result means Kilmarnock must now overcome a slump of their own if they are to fight their way back into the top six. Killie began the fixture looking like to home side but the Saints grew into the game quickly. Benjamin Kimpioka’s curling shot parried by Robby McCrorie was the closest either side would come to a goal in the first half. Joe Wright fired one for the visiting side from distance but it sailed over the bar. Danny Armstrong similarly unable to hit the target with a free kick of his own, the ball passing comfortably past Josh Rae’s left-hand side. David Watson’s thigh injury meant he was replaced by Fraser Murray at the break as manager Derek McInnes was hampered in his attempts to find an equaliser. The second half seemed to pick up where the first left off with few chances created. That was until Andre Raymond’s whipped cross was met by a fantastic header from Makenzie Kirk to open the scoring. St. Johnstone had lost their previous three games but you wouldn’t have guessed it judging by their performance, looking much improved with the ball at their feet as the game progressed. In something of a rarity, they also looked solid at the back. The fourteen corners they defended without conceding a marked improvement on weeks gone by. Meanwhile Killie’s struggles to find the target continued, Liam Donnelly firing yet another shot over the bar for the away side. His evening would soon go from bad to worse as a second yellow saw the midfielder leave his side a man short for the second time this season. Unable to crack the defence open, they make the trip home empty handed once again. Resolute Saints hold out The honeymoon had clearly ended for manager Simo Valakari but tonight’s result helped prevent disillusionment from rearing its head in Perth. Three defeats in a row did not spell the end of the world but the Saints had some questions to answer about their defensive solidity. With twenty-seven shipped in thirteen, they entered this fixture as the league’s leakiest backline. Fair to say an impressive display for only their second clean sheet of the season will have put some of those questions on the back-burner. A first start for Bozo Mikulic, Valakari’s first signing, saw him paired with Jack Sanders at the back. The duo keeping out Marley Watkins and Darius Vassell, no mean feat given the damage they’ve done to other teams this season. Difficult games against Rangers and Aberdeen await in the coming weeks but the display tonight will give the side now just three points off to top six a much needed boost. Killie yet to kick on A fifteen minute delay to kick-off was perhaps a bit of foreshadowing for the side still waiting to get their own season going. Finishing fourth represented a big achievement for the Ayrshire side last season but McInnes’ ambitions will not let him be satisfied with it being a once in a few years occasion. The European run had stunted their start to the campaign but a few months on and with the international breaks in between, tired legs have ceased to be an excuse. Now with three defeats on the trot, the manager will need to re-energise his side if they are to fight their way back into the top half, now sitting six points behind St. Mirren. As the game wore on it became difficult enough for them to score with eleven men, but Liam Donnelly’s second yellow made the task all the more difficult. It is the fifth time they have seen a man sent off this season. Speaking to SPFL News Now, McInnes’ acknowledged his frustrations with the performance of the officials but was quick to point that they had ‘not lost the game because the referee, I need to stress that’.

November 23, 2024

Preview – St. Johnstone vs Kilmarnock

Craig Levein picked up his only league win of the season the last time these sides met. Just over three months on from the 3-0 victory, Derek McInnes will hope to come away with the spoils and create some distance from the Perth club. We take a look at the biggest talking points from the sides separated by only two points. Killie waiting to kick into gear Six games without a win would have put most managers amongst the bookies’ favourites for the sack, but not Derek McInnes. It seems the man can do no wrong after guiding Kilmarnock into the European places last season, making Rugby Park into one of the league’s most difficult grounds to visit in the process. The subsequent play-off games as the side were knocked out the Europa and Conference Leagues proved to be too tiring for a squad that seemed to lack the depth to handle the congested fixture list. Results improved as the side recovered from tired legs, winning half their games since their exit, with Rangers another casualty of Killie’s giant-killing prowess. Unfortunately, their impressive fourth place finish last season means McInnes has become a victim of his own success. The bar has now been set and fans will expect a similar result come the end the season. In order to get anywhere near the upper echelons of the table again, they must find some consistency in their results. Defeats to Ross County and Dundee are not as easily forgiven as they once were and another to the Saints would be a further setback in Killie’s attempts to cement their place amongst the top sides. The manager’s job is by no means on the line, but will nonetheless be desperate to avoid being on the receiving end of another bloody nose. Saints must halt slow decline Simo Valakari will no doubt realise that attacking football is little comfort to fans if they find themselves looking at the drop. What started as the most promising kind of new manager bounce, with six points from nine (Rangers grabbing the difference), has turned into something of a mini-slump for the Saints. Three defeats on the trot have exposed the fault lines in the squad for all to see. A destructive attacking trio on their day, Benjamin Kimpioka, Nicky Clark and Adama Sidibeh have given new life to a squad that looked out of ideas only a couple of months ago. For all their promise going forward, St. Johnstone have failed to solve the conundrum that has plagued fellow strugglers Hibernian, how to prevent sides from cutting through them. With twenty-seven shipped this season, they are the league’s worst defensive unit. The poor form of Ross Sinclair and Josh Rae between the sticks has not helped matters either. If Valakari is impatiently counting down the days until he can make his first purchases to remedy the situation, he will need to keep one eye on the seven games before the window opens. Not making the most of the twenty-one points available could see them too far back for any signings to turn things around.

November 22, 2024

Saints must strike balance to arrest slump

St. Johnstone have made clear progress under Simo Valakari but their attacking efforts have been repeatedly undermined by a wayward defence. A glaring issue that must be addressed if they are to prevent a slow decline into relegation contention. Arriving on the 1st of October, Valakari’s immediate impact saw his side take six points from a possible nine. A marked increase from the club that had only managed four from twenty-one prior to his appointment. A defeat away to Rangers was arguably expected and it was followed by convincing wins over Ross County and Dundee. The hiring seemed to have given his players a new and finally positive outlook on football, with more possession than their opponents in every game bar the trip to Ibrox. A statistic that would have been unthinkable during Craig Levein’s tenure, who saw every ninety minutes as something to survive. However, the optimism since the Finn’s arrival has dampened slightly as the following three games produced no points. Flaws in the team’s make-up, namely at the back, have become all too obvious to fans. With difficult games against Kilmarnock (H), Rangers (H) and Aberdeen (A), those supporters will be wondering how to remedy such a strong imbalance in an otherwise promising squad. Attack dazzles as defence struggles Perhaps not even the most experienced mystiques could have predicted that the same team that mustered an abysmal 29 goals in 38 league games last season would find themselves with two goal scorers joint-top the charts. Yet in Nicky Clark and Benjamin Kimpioka, supported by Adama Sidibeh, Valakari has at his disposal an attacking trio with the fluency to turn Premiership defences inside out. The Saints are not wasteful with their chances either. Clark and Kimpioka’s goal conversion rates are 31% and 24% respectively, more than double those of Niklas Kuhn (14%) and Kyogo Furuhashi (10%). Whilst two of their last three goals have come from penalties, the opportunities from the spot are down in large parts to their application of pressure in the final third and Clark has shown an ice cold temperament from the spot Which is more than than can be said about the defensive half of the Saints’ set up. Fans of the Perth club can only dream of the challenge for the top half their side could launch if their defence had anywhere near the same promise their attacking ensemble has shown. Their twenty-seven goals conceded this season, including six at home to Celtic in September, make the Saints this season’s poorest defensive side. Statistics alone cannot tell the whole story however. The ease with which attacking players can ghost in to finish off crosses as Motherwell’s Tawanda Maswanhise did at the weekend points to a lack of communication and spatial awareness in the St. Johnstone ranks. Worse yet was Beni Baningime making his way towards goal from just inside the opposition half before Kenneth Vargas’ finish, bearing a strong resemblance to playing a much younger sibling on FIFA. So what happened to the side that had the (not fantastic by any stretch) seventh best defensive record in the league last season? Struggles for Mitov’s heirs Craig Levein must have thanked his lucky stars to have had Dimitar Mitov at his disposable when he arrived in Perth. Having been picked up from Cambridge United in the summer, the Bulgarian was without a doubt the leading contributor in keeping his side out of the bottom two, making more saves than any other keeper and was named both Player and Players’ Player of the Year for his efforts. Unfortunately for all who voted for him, Mitov’s release clause was met by then fellow strugglers Aberdeen and he left without giving a new contract a moment’s thought. Just a few months on the keeper is part of a remarkable Dons squad, as his replacements between the sticks continue to flounder. Josh Rae was signed in June but was soon dropped by Levein after a shaky outing at Dundee United. Academy graduate Ross Sinclair was called into action it but has similarly failed to convince. Brought off at half time against Hearts because of a muscle injury, the former Scotland under 21s keeper does not seem to have done enough to have earned himself a starting place when he returns to the squad. If neither show signs of improvement in the coming months, there is a good chance Valakari will look to dip into the transfer market as he aims to turn marginal errors into points on the board. Close calls haunt Saints Whether it be bad luck or poor organisation, St. Johnstone have found themselves ruing what could have been had it not been for VAR. Kimpioka was twice denied in their 3-1 defeat to St Mirren, with both himself and Kyle Cameron deemed offside for the respective efforts. During last week’s defeat to Motherwell, Jack Sanders was also condemned by the monitor, his potential equaliser in the 91st minute ruled to have been scored using his arm. On the plus side, St. Johnstone are showing that they can create chances and are only a few marginal calls from getting something from games. Yet that might be of little comfort as the side prepare to welcome Kilmarnock and Rangers before travelling to Aberdeen for arguably the most difficult test of the three. What began as an auspicious start to Simo Valakari’s tenure at the club could soon turn sour if his side cannot find a balance between their attacking and defensive efforts.

November 12, 2024

Motherwell’s Counter-Attack Masterclass Sinks St Johnstone as Valakari’s Return Falls Short

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari’s return to Fir Park was a challenging one, as Motherwell handed his team a third consecutive defeat in the Scottish Premiership. Valakari, a former Motherwell player, faced a familiar setting but found no favours as the hosts took a 2-0 lead by half-time with an impressive counter-attacking display. Motherwell’s quick and decisive breaks repeatedly troubled St Johnstone’s backline, with right-back Marvin Kaleta particularly effective down the flank. Kaleta’s pinpoint cross set up the first goal, finished sharply by Tawanda Maswanhise. Tom Sparrow added to the tally soon after with a low, well-placed shot, leaving the visitors struggling to keep up. Under manager Stuart Kettlewell, Motherwell continue to capitalise on their strengths and have now opened up a notable seven-point gap above seventh place, underlining their ambitions for a top-six finish. Kettlewell praised his side’s ability to exploit the open spaces left by St Johnstone, a team trying to adopt a more attacking style this season but currently grappling with defensive vulnerabilities. St Johnstone did show some resilience in the second half, with Valakari making defensive adjustments to try and stabilise the game. Bringing on Lewis Neilson and Andre Raymond at the break bolstered their defence, allowing them to regain some control. They were given hope when VAR awarded a penalty after Andy Halliday’s handball, which captain Nicky Clark converted confidently to reduce the deficit. In a dramatic final phase, St Johnstone thought they had found an equaliser when Jack Sanders tapped in from a corner. However, VAR intervened again, ruling out the goal for handball and dashing the visitors’ late hopes. Motherwell’s composed performance saw them hold on to secure their fifth-place position, now tied on points with Dundee United and Rangers. Meanwhile, St Johnstone, facing a string of recent setbacks, sit in 10th as they work to balance their newfound attacking intent with greater defensive solidity. Full time: Motherwell 2-1 St Johnstone Attendance: 4,306

November 9, 2024

Preview – Motherwell v St Johnstone

Simo Valakari set for emotional return to Fir Park this afternoon. St. Johnstone manager Valakari takes his team to Motherwell this afternoon as he returns to the club he spent four years at as a player. The hosts Stuart Kettlewell’s side narrowly missed out on a League Cup final place after a late winner sent them out of the competition to Rangers last weekend. The Steelmen have been going strong in the league, sitting in fifth spot with 16 points to their name. Motherwell look set to be without both captain and vice captain as Paul McGinn and Stephen O’Donnell are still on the treatment table. 18-year-old Lennon Miller captained the side in last weekends cup tie so it is expected he will take the armband once again. The teenager has been a standout in a strong Motherwell side this season. The Scottish sensation has equipped himself beautifully in his third full season at senior level and continues to improve. Showing a touch of brilliance in the midfield, he has been a key influence in how Well’ have preformed this season. The youngster has been highly tipped for a move in the summer, with several premier league clubs keeping an eye on him. The visitors St. Johnstone come into the fixture on the back of two defeats on the spin, dropping points to Hearts and St. Mirren. Newly appointed Simo Valakari had made an impact with wins against Ross County and Dundee but questions are being asked already as The Saints are starting to slide down the table. The Saints can be a serious goal threat though, striker Benji Kimpioka has had a brilliant start to life in his first full season with the club, netting five goals already this campaign. Aside from Uche Ikpeazu, St. Johnstone are largely at full strength today as they try and get themselves away from the bottom end of the table. Previous meetings The clubs have met once already this season with Motherwell taking all three points, claiming a 2-1 victory. That was a St. Johnstone side managed by Craig Levein however, with the manager being sacked after a poor run of form. The last meeting on this ground though was won by The Saints however, prevailing 2-1 in the last fixture of last season. Predicted lineups Motherwell: Oxborough; Balmer, Gordon, Casey; Kaleta, Wilson, Halliday, Seddon; Miller; Stamatelopoulos, Maswanhise St Johnstone: Sinclair; Wright, Sanders, Cameron, Douglas; Carey, Sprangler, Holt; Clark; Sidibeh, Kimpioka

November 9, 2024

Hearts battle to victory away to St Johnstone

Hearts battled to a 2-1 victory against St Johnstone on a cold afternoon at McDiarmid Park. The game saw two sides play entertaining, attacking football, which ebbed and flowed in the battle for possession and attacking momentum. St Johnstone knew victory would have seen them rise to 6th in the table from 9th. Simo Valakari, the Saints new head coach, was in the home dugout for the first time. They made two changes to their squad that lost midweek to St Mirren. Barry Douglas—the one-cap Scotland international who signed two weeks ago as a free agent—and Graham Carey came into the squad for Matthew Smith and Lewis Nielsen. The visitors knew victory would leapfrog them into 11th above their Edinburgh rivals, Hibernian, who play on Sunday—their loss midweek to Kilmarnock ended Neil Critchley’s new manager bump. They made three changes, with Yan Dhanda, Malachi Boateng and Daniel Oyegoke coming in for Adam Forrester, Cameron Devlin and Kenneth Vargas. First Half The first real moment of the game was when Boateng fired a pass straight through the Saints defence to Shankland. He hit it first time just wide of the post. Hearts continued to be the more threatening side in the first half, with quality and zip to their forward play. Early on, St Johnstone continuously tried to play out from the back, but misplaced passes and a good Jambos press halted that. Saints’ defender Kyle Cameron tried to ask his players to calm down after some early pressure, but Hearts kept coming. Dhanda and Forrest provided attacking impetus on the wings, and Beni Baningime and Boateng controlled proceedings in the middle of the park. The game began to open up, and St Johnstone started getting a foothold. They were awarded a free kick in a dangerous area outside the box. There was a question mark on whether the new man, Douglas or captain Nicky Clark, would take it. But the captain stepped up, with Gordon making a relatively comfortable save. Hearts racked up the corners throughout the first half, and that’s how they got their first goal. A Blair Spittal delivery was put over the line by Clark, who scored an own goal in the 24th minute. The Saints responded with some attacks of their own. Following one corner was a goalmouth scramble, which Gordon clung onto and subsequently won a foul. In another moment in the latter stages of the first half, Sidibeh put a tame effort wide after doing well to beat his man just outside the box. Second Half At halftime, Simo subbed his goalkeeper, Joshua Rae, for Ross Sinclair after his number one picked up a knock in the first half. St Johnstone came flying out the blocks. Jason Holt led the charge with a curling effort that rattled off the crossbar after his attempted pass inside the box deflected back into his path. Veteran Craig Gordon kept his team in the lead with some good saves early in the second half, with the pick of the bunch, a low dive to his right. Critchley had seen enough and decided to make two early substitutions to try to change the course of the game. Devlin and Vargas came on for Dhanda and Boateng. There was uproar from the Saints fans after they thought Kye Rowles—already on a yellow card for a foul in the first half—brought their player down. The referee disagreed and just awarded the free kick. Following a corner, referee Chris Graham was called to the monitor after VAR Alan Muir said there was a possible penalty kick. After watching it, he pointed to the penalty spot after the officials believed Devlin wrestled Cameron to the ground inside the box. Devlin got a yellow card, and Clark took the game ball. He stepped up and fired it straight into the bottom corner past Gordon, cancelling out his own goal from the first half. Hearts responded positively to the setback, gaining momentum with the substitutions providing fresh energy. The substitute Vargas got onto the scoresheet with a lovely finish into the bottom corner after some sublime footwork from Baningime. St Johnstone tried to push for a late equaliser but struggled to create chances due to Hearts’ stern 4-4-2 shape. It was their story of the match; progressing the ball nicely from the defence to the midfield but falling short in attack. Hearts continued to exploit the space behind the St Johnstone defence, with an over-the-top ball played into Vargas who ran in on goal. Rae made a terrific one-on-one save to give his side hope going into the game’s final phase. The keeper came up to help St Johnstone from a corner in the dying moments, but ultimately, Hearts defended well enough to clinch all three points. The Hearts fans will return to Edinburgh to celebrate and look forward to their midweek European tie against German opponents, Heidenheim. Teams St Johnstone (4-1-3-2): Sinclair (GK) (Rae, 46th), Cameron, Sanders, Douglas, Wright, Sprangler, Carey, Holt, Clark (C) (Smith, 80th), Sidibeh (Kirk, 80th), Kimpioka Subs: Rae, Essel, Kucheriavyi, Smith, McPake, Kirk, Keltjens, Bright, Franczak Hearts (4-4-2): Gordon (GK), Kent, Oyegoke, Rowles, Penrice, Dhanda (Vargas, 57th), Baningime, Boateng (Devlin, 57th), Forrest, Spittal, Shankland (C) (Grant, 85th) Subs: Clark, Kingsley, Halkett, Grant, McKay, Devlin, Wilson, Forrester, Vargas Match Officials: Chris Graham (referee), Paul McAvinue and Craig Macrae (assistants), Duncan Williams (fourth official), Alan Muir (VAR) Attendance: 5,917.

November 2, 2024

St Mirren Win the Battle of the Saints as They Cruise Past St Johnstone in Paisley

It was showtime indeed for the home side as they were greeted to the pitch with fireworks and a Beetlejuice display from a packed SMISA stadium. However, the feel good factor was short lived as their Perth counterparts took the lead after just 8 minutes through in form Kimpioka and he was denied his second shortly after by VAR. Ex Saintees full back Scott Tanser struck back for the home side after half an hour with a sublimeeffort from outside the box looping over Sinclair and into the back of the net. From here the Buddies really grew into the game and just before the hour mark Captain Mark O’Hara got their 2nd. Some good battling from the impressive Greg Kiltie set Marcus Fraser free to cross the ball to his skipper and he makes no mistake heading his side in front. Killian Phillips who had another solid showing in the middle of the park thought he added a third but this was subsequently chopped off by VAR for a foul in the build up. St Mirren continued to put pressure on the St Johnstone goal and eventually a third goal stood when substitutes Mikael Mandron and Jonah Ayunga linked up with the latter scoring with a fine finish into the top left hand corner. A late red card scare for the hosts was waved away by VAR in a game that had it all. St Mirren looked back to their usual selves after a rocky few weeks and Simo Valakari will hope his side find their rhythm in the coming weeks to steer them clear of the sides below them. Next up for St Mirren is a home tie for Ross County, meanwhile St Johnstone face Hearts at McDiarmid Park in a game they may view as a must win. Our Standout Performers: Greg Kiltie and Marcus Fraser both off the back of signing new contracts showed exactly why they are so important to this St Mirren side. Kiltie who’s work rate and desire can never be faulted looked back to his pre-injury self and fans around the ground weren’t shy in identifying him as the missing piece of the puzzle. Fraser, who had an unusual shaky game last week was composed as ever down the right hand side and played a vital role in the 2nd goal. Solid defensively and good in attack he lived up to his name as Mr Reliable. Teams & Stats St Mirren: Balcombe (GK), Fraser, Gogic, Dunne (Taylor, 52’), Tanser, Bwomono, O’Hara (C), Phillips, Kiltie (Ayunga, 85’), Olusanya (Mandron, 67’), Scott (McMenamin, 67’) St Johnstone: Sinclair (GK), Cameron (Douglas, 68’), Neilson, Sanders, Wright, Holt, Sprangler, Smith (Carey, 68’), Clark (C), Kimpioka (Kirk, 68’), Sidibeh Referee: Steven McLean Attendance: 6,042

October 30, 2024

St Johnstone

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