Saints bolstered by brace at Bayview Wright enjoys comfortable win
Shaugnessy was thwarted by keeper Goodfellow Pics by Graeme Hart/PPA
Tommy Wright watches the pre-season game from the dugout with Callum Davidson as Saints complete their successful summer run East Fife ............. 0 St Johnstone ...... 2 Saints headed into Saturday’s clash with East Fife looking to continue their fine run of friendly results.
Having secured the signing of Michael O’Halloran prior to kick-off, Tommy Wright fielded a strong line-up as his players looked to finish preseason in style.
Saints duo Liam Gordon and Greg Hurst were both listed as trialists for the Fifers – and played 90 minutes each.
The Perth side got the game underway and the first chance came on 13 minutes when Wotherspoon dummied a free-kick to Craig who struck at goal from 18 yards but Goodfellow saved that effort and the rebound from Cummins.
A wonderful 40-yard run from Wotherspoon culminated in the winger threading through Craig but the midfielder was adjudged to be offside and saw his cool finish chalked off.
Saints dominated the early possession and Scougall’s curling free-kick was headed at goal by Shaughnessy but Goodfellow kept his clean sheet.
East Fife trialist Hurst almost gave Saints a scare on the half-hour mark, dragging a shot wide from the edge of the box.
Saints took the lead on 38 minutes when Stefan Scougall headed a Cummins cross beyond Goodfellow following good build-up play on the right.
A fantastic run from the impressive Hurst saw the attacker deliver a pinpoint cross to Paul Willis who blazed over from eight yards.
The teams went in at half -time with the score at 1-0. Comrie, Gilchrist, Easton, Kane, Paton and O’Halloran all came on for the second period, replacing Foster, Shaughnessy, Tanser, Cummins, Millar and Alston, the latter of whom had picked up a knock just before the break.
Saints doubled their advantage on 58 minutes when a brilliant cross from substitute Thomson was poked home by Wotherspoon.
Paul Paton and Chris Kane came close in a goalmouth scramble but the East Fife defence kept the deficit at two.
In the dying moments, youngster Callum Hendry saw his close-range effort gathered after a good through ball from the left from Kane.
However the match finished at 2-0 which meant that Saints extended their excellent run of friendly results with another win and another clean sheet. Stefan Scougall takes a shot at goal Scougall’s opener
Mannus, Foster (Comrie, 46), Shuaghnessy (Gilchrist, 46), Anderson, Tanser (Easton, 46), Alston (O’Halloran, 46), Millar (Paton, 46), Craig, Wotherspoon (Hendry, 59), Scougall (Thomson, 55), Cummins (Kane, 46). Unused subs: Clark, Davidson. Goals: Scougall (38), Wotherspoon (58)
East Fife: Goodfellow (Trialist, 46), Trialist (Young, 46), Trialist, Watson, Trialist, Wilkie (Dunsmore, 46), Wilson (Slattery, 55) Millar (Reilly, 46), Trialist (Inglis, 46), Flannagan (Duggan, 55) Willis. Unused subs: None.
Peter Stuart David Wotherspoon celebrates Callum Hendry holds off Ben Reilly