4 St Johnstone talking points as 9-man Perth side are held to 0-0 Annan Athletic draw and lose penalty shoot-out

St Johnstone’s season is off to a stuttering start.

Reduced to nine men as a result of a first half sending off for Dan Cleary and a late one for Cammy MacPherson, the Perth side were held to a 0-0 draw by League Two Annan Athletic in their first Premier Sports Cup fixture.

And, when the match went to a penalty shoot-out to determine who won the bonus point, Michael O’Halloran and Andy Considine’s misses from the spot saw the visitors grasp it.

Courier Sport picks out three talking points from the McDiarmid Park opener.

No need

A punch? A push? A dive by Annan’s Tom Muir?

You’ll not see TV highlights of this game so Cleary’s ordering off with just under 30 minutes on the clock won’t get the forensic analysis guaranteed on Sportscene if it had been a league game.

What is beyond doubt is there was no need for the Irishman to get involved in an incident that had nothing to do with him – especially when his team were in total control and it looked like merely a matter of time before they got themselves in front.

Cleary won’t need telling that his dismissal was a key factor in the end result.

“Higher Charlie”

Charlie Gilmour starting as the right wing-back for Saints’ first game of the season wouldn’t have been predicted by many.

A minor injury for new signing Drey Wright has opened up a vacancy.

And the fact that the former Arsenal youngster got the nod ahead of two senior pros who have played the position far more regularly, James Brown and Michael O’Halloran, was a show of faith in itself from his manager.

Gilmour certainly has the physical attributes needed.

Like double legend, Shaun Rooney, height to defend his back post isn’t an issue and the athleticism to get up and down the flank all day long is a big asset.

It’s the attacking side of the role, understandably given he’s been a holding midfielder most of his footballing days, that needs the most work – crossing in particular.

And “higher Charlie” was a regular shout from Callum Davidson in the first half-hour.

In that time he came close to scoring when a ball was played across the six-yard box by Adam Montgomery and nearly set-up Theo Bair for a goal with a ball to the near post after cutting inside – proof he was taking the words on board.

The job description changed after Cleary’s red card, with Gilmour dropping deeper in a back four, but if he’s to become a long-term rival for Wright at wing-back front-foot instincts will need to become more ingrained.

Last 16 pressure is on

This looked like the perfect game to start off the League Cup.

A home match against League Two part-timers would seamlessly transition Saints from friendly football to the stuff that matters as the build-up for the Premiership campaign gathers momentum.

And in terms of progression to the knockout stage of the tournament, it was an ideal opportunity to seize control of their group.

Saints were playing nicely with 11 men and the link-up between Considine and Montgomery was an eye-catching combination down the left.

But, even though they still controlled the match with 10 – albeit Annan’s Josh Galloway squandered a one v one on 80 minutes – there wasn’t a cutting edge.

With Graham Carey and Jamie Murphy getting match sharp, that will hopefully come.

In the short-term, however, there’s little, if any, room for Group F error after this result.

Raw wounds

Wounds are still raw in the St Johnstone fanbase.

That’s one of the big reasons a fast start to the season was (is) so important.

Viewing this campaign as an extension of the last is to be avoided at all costs.

There needs to be a quick and decisive bounce-back at Palmerston.

🎙 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒎 𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒔𝒐𝒏 – 𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒏

The manager spoke to #SaintsTV after last night's game against Annan Athletic.#SJFC pic.twitter.com/k57GyKWJSI

— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) July 13, 2022

But, whether you like it or not, the reality is these League Cup games are closer to pre-season matches than Premiership ones.

Always have been, always will be.

Should things proceed as expected on the recruitment and injury front, I’d expect five changes to the starting line-up against Hibs – a new goalkeeper, Liam Gordon, Drey Wright, Murphy and Carey.

Maybe even a different centre forward.

Theo Bair’s Perth form trajectory is encouraging but Tuesday night’s action reinforced the belief Davidson needs another central striking option.

Drey Wright back in training for St Johnstone as David Wotherspoon takes big step closer to comeback