St Johnstone’s season has sparked into life with a 3-0 victory against St Mirren.
The result matched the best in the Premiership in Callum Davidson’s time as manager and Perth fans will be hoping it’s a sign of what’s to come.
Nicky Clark had a debut to savour, scoring the first of the three.
Drey Wright made it 2-0 in the second half and another recent recruit, Connor McLennan, earned a late penalty that was smashed home by Graham Carey.
Key moments
What a way for Clark to get his Saints career up and running.
The opening goal was a superb one from a team point of view and the former Dundee United man’s finish at the end of it a touch of six-yard box class.
Wright beat his man down the right, hung up a cross to the back post and Stevie May’s header across goal was judged perfectly.
There was still plenty to do, though.
Many a centre-forward would have rushed and squandered the opportunity but Clark’s calm chest control bought him enough time to get a shot away that Trevor Carson had no chance of saving.
If anything, the Saints’ second was an even better passage of football.
Montgomery might have his flaws going back the way but that's a superb bit of football to sit the St Mirren defender down and pick out Drey Wright https://t.co/DpR8GfMaJd
— Eric Nicolson (@C_ENicolson) September 3, 2022
May slipped a ball between the St Mirren centre-half and full-back and Adam Montgomery did brilliantly to let another visiting defender commit himself before picking Wright out unmarked with his cut-back.
The finish itself was a pretty straightforward one but it was great to see the Englishman bursting into the box.
Star man: Nicky Clark
The finish was of a penalty area predator and, even though Saints didn’t always make the best of Clark’s assured hold-up play, that quality will be a big asset to the team over the next couple of years.
He looks like a striker who was worth the long wait.
Player ratings
Matthews 6, Wright 8, McGowan 6, Mitchell 7, Considine 7, Montgomery 7, Hallberg 6 (Gordon 5), Carey 7, Murphy 7 (Bair 5), May 7 (McLennan 7), Clark 8 (Phillips 5).
Manager under the microscope
After a run of tough fixtures, this really did feel like a very important one in Saints’ season.
Fielding a central midfield of Melker Hallberg and Carey carried a big risk – and there were times when they were over-run – but a winning team selection is a good team selection.
The fact two goals came from Davidson’s wing-backs pushing high up the pitch will delight the Perth boss, whose three at the back system has had plenty of critics.
Man in the middle
St Mirren fans were on Colin Steven’s back pretty much from the first minute to the last but he didn’t get any obvious big decisions wrong.
The late penalty awarded to Saints when Marcus Fraser swiped Connor McLennan’s standing leg was an easy call to make, albeit Steven took his time to point to the spot.
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