St Johnstone’s season got a Fir Park lift-off thanks to a thrilling late victory over Motherwell.
Stoppage time looked to have heaped more pain upon the Perth side when a scruffy own goal from a corner wiped out a lead that had lasted for over an hour.
But there was time left for another conclusion to be written – and it was a far more palatable one this time.
Courier Sport picks out three talking points from a much-needed victory that lifted Saints into the middle of the Premiership table.
Pressure relieved for now
Make no mistake, pressure was building.
That’s what happens when you’re coming off a close shave with relegation, you’ve failed to negotiate a soft Premier Sports Cup group and two key positions have yet to be strengthened in the transfer window.
Yes, it was only the second league game of the season.
But there was no getting away from the feeling that this campaign was already in danger of becoming an extension of the last one rather than a clean break from it.
And, with Rangers, Aberdeen and Hearts to follow Motherwell, it wasn’t just eternal pessimists fearing that if Saints lost in Lanarkshire – or even if they drew – the table would make for grim reading by the end of the month.
For the moment, the pressure has been relieved.
𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙢 𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙨𝙤𝙣 – 𝙋𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 🎙#SaintsTV spoke to Callum Davidson after our dramatic 2-1 victory over @MotherwellFC 🎉#SJFC | @spfl pic.twitter.com/Kg8txcpEE1
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) August 6, 2022
As far as recruitment is concerned, a central midfielder and a striker are still needed.
But there’s not the same urgency now that the next game on the fixture list is a trip to Ibrox, which would likely be a near write-off at the best of times.
Stevie May has allowed deep breaths to be taken.
Carey the entertainer
As long as Graham Carey is on the pitch, watching St Johnstone this season is never going to be dull.
No wonder he is talked about as an all-time great at Plymouth Argyle.
The man has mesmeric close control.
There are plenty of other Premiership footballers who could claim the same and will open up their box of tricks in the safety of the training ground.
This guy has the (much rarer) chutzpah to do it in the heat of battle.
His technique in getting over the ball to keep a volley on target (a proper volley, not your one bounce then shooting that seems to pass for a volley these days) from an out-swinging corner to the edge of the box was exquisite.
62'| MFC 0-1 SJFC
Carey produces a moment of magic with a Rabona cross, which Motherwell clear for a corner #SJFC | #cinchPremiership
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) August 6, 2022
A second half Rabona cross that nearly led to a goal wasn’t too shabby either.
And a penny for Callum Davidson’s thought when he nutmegged a Motherwell attacker 20 yards from his own goal to start a Saints counter-attack just before half-time.
Carey is bringing star quality to the league.
Zander will have been impressed
It doesn’t feel right that Zander Clark is without a club two weeks into a new season.
Let’s hope the double-winning legend still gets the big move south his consistent heroics for St Johnstone merit.
I’m sure there’s no cause for panic on that front.
For the moment, the Scotland squad man’s Saturday afternoons are his own and he spent the latest one at Fir Park watching his old team in action.
Clark will have been extremely impressed with the speed at which a new-look defensive unit has knitted together.
All achievements over the last decade and a bit have been built upon that central foundation and the latest quartet has gelled effectively in the shortest time of them all.
These three centre-backs and goalkeeper have yet to concede an open-play goal and the two that have gone in from corners have been as a result of a wing-back (Drey Wright) and forward (Carey) getting their body positions wrong.
Davidson couldn’t have wished for better from Andy Considine, Alex Mitchell, Ryan McGowan and Remi Matthews – individually or collectively.
Clark’s eye will, of course, have been drawn to Matthews.
Thanks to the three men in front of him, he didn’t need to produce a man of the match performance.
Enjoy your weekend +3 😀 @StJohnstone
— Remi Matthews (@Remi_matthews) August 6, 2022
It was the same against Hibs.
But the biggest compliment I can pay the on-loan Crystal Palace man is that it was a Clark-esque display of commanding his box, punching the ball a good distance when he was called upon to, making his one good save look routine (tipping a Sean Goss shot over the bar) and exuding calm when pressure was mounting.
After a summer of far more transfer and selection movement in back-line positions than expected, to have such defensive solidity already is a coaching and playing accomplishment that should neither be taken for granted nor minimised.
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