logo
Elliot Watt's winner gives St Johnstone hope of beating the drop

Elliot Watt's winner gives St Johnstone hope of beating the drop

Elliot Watt's second-half winner kept St Johnstone's William Hill Premiership survival hopes alive and cranked up the heat on freefalling Ross County.
Simo Valakari's Saints – nine points adrift at the foot of the table in January – moved within three points of the second-bottom Staggies, with a marginally better goal difference, after defeating them 2-1 in a tense showdown at McDiarmid Park.
The Perth side, who needed a win to realistically prolong their hopes of extending their 16-year stay in the top flight, went ahead through Daniels Balodis, only to be pegged back by an Alex Samuel equaliser before the break.
But Watt's strike on the hour proved decisive as County – who had a late Ronan Hale strike chalked off – were consigned to a seventh successive defeat, leaving them in real danger of being overtaken by Saints over the remaining two games of the campaign.
Saints, who had lost their previous four matches in all competitions, made three changes to the side that started the 2-0 home defeat by Kilmarnock as Jason Holt, Adama Sidibeh and Sam Curtis were all restored.
There were four changes to the County side that started the 3-1 home defeat by Hearts, with defender Will Nightingale pitched in for his first appearance since August after a knee injury.
St Johnstone were the brighter team in the opening half an hour, and they carved out the first real opportunity of the match in the 27th minute when Curtis stabbed just wide from six yards after getting on the end of Josh McPake's cross.
The breakthrough came for the hosts in the 31st minute when Balodis headed Watt's corner in off the underside of the crossbar.
Shortly afterwards, Saints forward Sidibeh saw a shot deflected just wide.
County started to build their way into the game as the interval approached and Samuel and Hale both threatened with attempts from the edge of the box.
The visitors drew level from their first clear chance of the match in the 41st minute when Kieran Phillips fizzed over a low cross from the right that was turned in at the near post by Samuel.
Saints had a couple of big opportunities to restore their lead in the 51st minute when Taylor Steven nodded McPake's cross into the danger area but Sidibeh was unable to get a clean shot away before Uche Ikpeazu scooped his effort over the bar from close range.
The home side went back in front on the hour when Watt curled home the loose ball from 12 yards after Sidibeh had shot straight at goalkeeper Jordan Amissah following a Barry Douglas delivery into the box.
There was a huge moment in the 81st minute when County thought they had equalised through Hale, only for it be ruled out for offside following a lengthy check. The visitors' misery was compounded in the 10th minute of stoppage time when Zac Ashworth was shown a straight red card for dissent.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Graham Carey joins the big ex-St Johnstone contingent at Livingston
Graham Carey joins the big ex-St Johnstone contingent at Livingston

The Courier

time9 hours ago

  • The Courier

Graham Carey joins the big ex-St Johnstone contingent at Livingston

Livingston have confirmed the signing of former St Johnstone playmaker, Graham Carey. The 36-year-old was one of 16 players released by Saints following their relegation from the Premiership. And, if Stevie May stays at West Lothian, Livi will have four members of the Perth club's 2022/23 squad on their books. Ryan McGowan was a defensive stalwart for David Martindale as they bounced back to the top-flight through the play-offs. Earlier in the week, Connor McLennan, a Callum Davidson loan recruit at Saints, moved up a division from Ayr United. Livi fans know all about Carey's game-changing ability, with the Irishman's stunning long-range shot denying them a place in last season's Scottish Cup semi-finals. He won't be the only ex-Saint staying in the Premiership next term. Drey Wright, who was offered a new contract, is set to join Dundee.

Stuart Kettlewell makes Jamie Brandon his first Kilmarnock signing
Stuart Kettlewell makes Jamie Brandon his first Kilmarnock signing

STV News

time9 hours ago

  • STV News

Stuart Kettlewell makes Jamie Brandon his first Kilmarnock signing

Stuart Kettlewell has made his first signing as Kilmarnock boss with Jamie Brandon joining on a two-year deal from Livingston. The 27-year-old former Hearts defender captained the Lions to their return to the William Hill Premiership following a play-off win over Ross County. Killie boss Kettlewell, who took over from Derek McInnes following his departure to Hearts, told his club's website: 'We're delighted to sign Jamie. There have been a lot of clubs competing for his signature, so to get this over the line, we are extremely pleased. 'He's been a standout performer for Livingston, and he adds to the leadership qualities that we already have in abundance here. 'He's exactly the type of character we want at this football club, he understands the demands of Scottish football. 'Jamie fits in with the profile of players that we already have here, his addition will complement our squad. 'We want to build a squad with strong foundations and a real hunger to push forward. 'Jamie ticks all the boxes in that regard, and I'm delighted he's chosen to continue his career here at Kilmarnock.' Brandon, who can also play in midfield, said: 'I'm delighted to be here. Once the manager spoke to me and said he wanted me to be part of his plans, I was delighted to come here and couldn't wait to get it done. 'Kilmarnock is a big football club and you can see that with the number of season tickets already sold. You can see the highs that this club can get to with playing in Europe last year.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

Ex-Celtic winger Gary Mackay-Steven finds new club
Ex-Celtic winger Gary Mackay-Steven finds new club

The National

time11 hours ago

  • The National

Ex-Celtic winger Gary Mackay-Steven finds new club

The 34-year-old spent two and a half years at Parkhead, scoring 10 goals and assisting 11 across 62 appearances. He departed for Aberdeen in 2017 and has since enjoyed spells at New York City and Heart of Midlothian. Read more: Mackay-Steven was recently released by Kilmarnock after a brief stint at Rugby Park, and he has now returned to County, where he started his career before departing for Liverpool as a teenager. "Ross County FC are delighted to announce the signing of Gary Mackay-Steven on a one-year deal," a club statement read. "Gary is an experienced winger with over 400 career matches with teams such as Celtic, Aberdeen, New York City FC and most recently Kilmarnock. He is familiar with the club, having come through our youth ranks before joining Liverpool at the age of 17." County were recently relegated to the Scottish Championship after losing their survival play-off to Livingston. Manager Don Cowie expressed his delight at securing Mackay-Steven's services as his team bid to return to the top-flight at the first time of asking: "Gary is another great addition to the group as he makes his return to the club," he said. "He offers us good experience in the wide area of the pitch, and we are delighted he has chosen to head back up North for the next chapter of his career."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store