St Johnstone are in new territory in terms of the current crisis.
But there have been occasions over this decade and a bit of uninterrupted top-flight football when they have desperately needed a victory to change the narrative and end a worrying spell of form.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s clash with Dundee that gives Callum Davidson’s men an opportunity to move off the bottom of the Premiership, Courier Sport looks back on three pivotal season-changing results.
2010 – Aberdeen 0-1 St Johnstone
In their first season in the top flight under Derek McInnes, Saints never had a run worse than two defeats in a row throughout the campaign.
So in 2010 it was a new challenge to lose five matches on the bounce and be just one point off the bottom in mid-November.
It was the proverbial ‘any type of win will do’ at Pittodrie that changed things when a Zander Diamond own goal was enough for a 1-0 victory over Mark McGhee’s struggling Aberdeen.
It ended a near 500-minute wait for a goal.
Saints subsequently lost only two of their next 12.
2018 – Dundee 0-4 St Johnstone
This was the first season since Saints returned to the Premiership that they were in danger of being dragged into relegation trouble deep into the season.
After losing 2-0 to Kilmarnock at the start of March, they were just six points above the play-off spot having won one league game out of their previous 10.
In the pouring Dens Park rain, Tommy Wright turned to his tried and trusted and the result couldn’t have been more emphatic.
The 4-0 win stopped the bleeding and Saints would go on to lose just two of their last nine fixtures.
2019 – St Johnstone 3-2 Hamilton Accies
It was the end of October, Saints were bottom of the table and still without a win in the league.
Their previous game had been a defeat on the road at St Mirren, when Wright’s side folded badly.
Saints raced to a 2-0 lead against Accies through a David Wotherspoon double, only to see that advantage cancelled out with just a few minutes left on the clock.
Substitute Callum Hendry was the 89th minute hero, finding the target with a sweet back post finish that got the Perth side up and running in the Premiership and out of the Premiership basement.
St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson: ‘If you’re not ready to fight then don’t bother staying here’
