St Johnstone overturned a two-goal deficit with a stunning second-half fightback to leapfrog Kilmarnock into eighth place.
They had paid the price for squandering an excellent opportunity in the opening minute – Ali McCann firing weakly and straight at goalkeeper Danny Rogers after his excellent close control had given him the entire goal to aim at – when Killie took the lead shortly afterwards.
It was a well-taken goal, although there were question marks over the Perth side’s defending.
George Oakley headed the ball back across goal and, when Jason Kerr and Nicke Kabamba ended up on the ground as they challenged for it, the ball landed at the feet of Chris Burke.
He feinted to his left and then moved to the right, turning Scott Tanser inside out before sending a low drive past Zander Clark, who showed too much of the goal to the winger.
St Johnstone come close
Saints redoubled their efforts and David Wotherspoon shaved the crossbar with a shot from 25 yards and Guy Melamed saw an overhead kick cleared off the line as they pressed for an equaliser.
Instead they found themselves two down when Killie hit them with a sucker punch. Burke and Kabamba were involved again, the former crossing for the latter to send in a volley which struck team-mate Aaron Tshibola.
The midfielder didn’t know much about it but he was first to the loose ball and his shot on the turn from inside the six-yard box left Clark with no chance.
Melamed was left frustrated again when Zeno Rossi blocked another net-bound effort from the striker.
Yet it could have been all over bar the shouting on the stroke of half-time if Clark hadn’t managed to turn an Exocet from Burke behind for a corner.
The fightback begins
However, it was one-way traffic after the break and Melamed pulled one back from Tanser’s cross in the 54th minute.
That set the tone and Murray Davidson levelled the score 14 minutes later when he was on hand to force the ball over the line after Jason Kerr had nodded down a Wotherspoon free-kick.
The impressive Melamed then set up McCann 20 yards out and he placed his right-foot shot inside Rogers’ left-hand post.
