A Wright fright ... then it’s all right Boss Tommy happy after ‘scare’ of Elgin equaliser
“We didn’t pass the ball as well as we did in the first half and didn’t handle the conditions well.”
Dundee handed starts to summer signings Michael Duffy, Danny Williams and Mark O’Hara while fellow new recruits Vincent and Yordi Teijsse took their place on the bench.
Last season’s League Two champions started brightly against the Premiership big boys and only a last-ditch Darren O’Dea tackle halted Scott Mercer’s marauding run on goal.
East Fi fe keeper Muir was rarely threatened by a Dark Blues side who had the bulk of play without having any real cutting edge.
The travelling fans became increasingly agitated as their side wasted a series of chances to break the deadlock, with passes misplaced in the final third and crosses sliced out of the park.
It was going to take something special to open the game up for Dundee and that moment of magic arrived from the left boot of talisman Hemmings.
Jason Kerr didn’t get the distance he wanted on a headed clearance and the ball fell kindly to the Dundee striker who lashed a dipping volley in off Muir’s post.
The Fifers had proved more than a match for Dundee and deserved something for their efforts.
They got their reward in 77 minutes when Naysmith’s side were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box after Kevin Holt had brought down Chris Duggan.
Skipper Smith stepped up and coolly curled the ball into the top corner.
Delighted Bayview gaffer Naysmith hailed his heroes and said: “I wanted a good shape to the team and we had that all through the game.
“We started the first 15 minutes better and were the dominant team.
“I wanted us to have a real go at them and we did that.
“Coming towards the end of the game we were the better team.”
St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright praised his team for making their superiority count despite a second-half scare.
The Perth men dominated but their failure to rack up the goals before the break saw them made to sweat by their hosts, before Saints went on to win comfortably.
Graham Cummins and Steven MacLean both bagged strikes in the final 18 minutes to see the Premiership men through in the end, after Jamie Duff cancelled out Danny Swanson’s opener.
Wright said: “We should have won by more but when it’s only 1- 0 anything can happen. They had that moment of quality from a set play and they were level, but other than that scare we were comfortable.
“Zander Clark didn’t have any other saves to make so in the end 3-1 is a credit to Elgin for the way they defended and how their keeper played.”
Wright refused to single out any individual but said every player made their contribution to the win, admitting his midfield four of captain Chris Millar, Swanson, Liam Craig and new boy Blair Alston shone throughout the contest.
In former Falkirk man Alston’s case, Wright was thrilled with his contribution in setting up MacLean’s killer third goal.
He said: “Blair just kept going for the whole game and he’s done brilliantly for the third goal. The quality of it was excellent.”
Saints pressed from the start and home keeper Stewart Black had to be sharp to race
Alasdair Fraser
out to the edge of his box and smother when Cummins chased a through ball and he denied the frontman again soon after from 15 yards. Amidst a flurry of corner kicks for Saints, Liam Craig curled the ball on to the head of MacLean but the striker’s glancing header skimmed wide of the far post. On 13 minutes, Alston slotted a pass through to skipper Millar who dragged his effort wide from just inside the area. Elgin finally gave in to the pressure in 16 minutes as Saints grabbed their opener for the campaign. Swanson was allowed space to make a diagonal run across the edge of the box and swerved a superb effort into the bottom corner. Another Craig corner in 22 minutes was met by full-back Keith Watson’s diving header which looped over Black but landed on top of the net. Alston seized upon defensive uncertainty four minutes later and curled an effort from similar range to Swanson’s goal but the ex-Falkirk man’s strike bent inches wide of the target. Next up for a crack on the Elgin goal was Mi l lar but he too was narrowly off the mark on 31 minutes. Right before the break a slick passage of Saints passing play ended with Cummins cracking in a 22-yard effort which Black palmed away for a corner. Cummins then glanced a header wide from a Watson cross from the right.
But the Premiership men were stunned four minutes after the restart when their hosts conjured up an equaliser out of the blue.
Daniel Moore’s 30-yard free kick was met by the slightest of touches by defender Duff to glance it past keeper Clark.
The goal gave Elgin a lift and they had a spell of pressure during which Craig Gunn f ired narrowly over from 25 yards.
At the other end Cummins got in behind the home defence but Black stretched to push his effort away. Then in 70 minutes, Cummins crossed from the right and Craig got under his close range header and sent it over.
Saints finally got their noses back in front in 72 minutes after a Millar pass found Cummins who sidestepped Black and rolled home.
A minute later, Cummins saw his drive cleared off the line by Matthew Cooper.
And 10 minutes from time victory was secured for the Premiership side when Alston crossed for MacLean to force home at the near post.
Craig volleyed over after being presented with another great chance two minutes from time as Saints tried to finish with a flourish.
Elgin boss Jim Weir, who skippered Saints during a 13-year career in Perth, missed the clash as he was taking part in an Ironman endurance competition, leaving No.2 Gavin Price in charge.
Price said: “We were pleased to go in at half time only 1- 0 down because we had been under some heavy pressure. I felt then we had a chance, maybe from a set-play and that’s how we got the equalising goal. For a spell we were on top, that’s when you have to make your chances count.”