The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Committed Saints douse Accies’ fire
HAMILTON 1 ST JOHNSTONE 2: Victory keeps hopes of seventh place alive
St Johnstone’s end of season charge to the finish line continued last night with a second away win in four days.
The Perth side followed up their 4-1 thrashing of Motherwell with a 2-1 victory against the other Lanarkshire Premiership team.
Hamilton were a team fighting for their lives but Saints matched their commitment and got the result they deserved, with goals from David McMillan (penalty) and David Wotherspoon.
Manager Tommy Wright said: “We knew it was going to be difficult – and it was.
“The first half you could say they edged it but it was pretty even. We asked them for more energy when we had the ball.
“I think we controlled it in the second half and deserved to win the game. We saw it out professionally after losing a goal late on.
“Tonight’s win keeps us with a chance of seventh and guarantees eighth.
“We’ll be desperate to win against Ross County on Saturday.”
Matty Willock had to come off early with a hamstring injury.
He was replaced by young Ali McCann and Wright said: “He was outstanding. He coped with the physicality of their midfield and showed composure on the ball.
“He’s going to be an excellent player for us.” Accies are all but safe after Partick Thistle lost to Motherwell.
Boss Martin Canning admitted it was a night of “mixed emotions”.
HAMILTON 1 ST JOHNSTONE 2
St Johnstone completed a Lanarkshire double, with their second win on the road in four days.
David McMillan will certainly have an affection for this part of the country as he scored again for Tommy Wright’s men to add to his header against Motherwell – this time a second half penalty opener.
David Wotherspoon was the other scorer, with Dougie Imrie’s strike shortly after it proving to only be a consolation.
On a night when Hamilton’s need for points was greater, this was another encouraging performance for the McDiarmid Park side, who began slowly but turned the screw in the second half.
They will now be looking to complete an end of season hat-trick of wins against Ross County on Saturday.
Saints made two changes to their team from the weekend, with McMillan and Liam Gordon coming in for Steven MacLean and Steven Anderson.
For Accies, there was the welcome return of star man David Templeton who was sorely missed for them at Dens Park.
The hosts made a bright start and Zander Clark had a tricky floated cross to the back post to deal with on five minutes.
His fingertip touch took it on to Darren Lyon but he had no time to bring it down and the ball bounced kindly straight into the arms of the keeper.
There was no rhythm to Saints’ play in the early stages and their cause wasn’t aided by a forced substitution. Matty Willock hobbled off on 14 minutes to be replaced by Ali McCann.
Out of a midfield arm wrestle sprung a moment of excitement when Templeton split the Saints defence with a nicely weighted through ball for Danny Redmond.
The home fans were screaming for a penalty – or at the very least a free-kick on the edge of the box – when Redmond went down as Joe Shaughnessy tried to stop him but they got neither as referee Kevin Clancy instead decided to book him for a dive.
They were a bit happier when a free-kick was awarded on 27 minutes for a Jason Kerr foul on Marios Ogkmpoe.
With the big men up from the back, Templeton chose to ignore them and try to catch Clark out with a shot. It proved to be the wrong call though, with the big goalie comfortably making a save.
That set-piece was nearer the touchline than the penalty box but another a few minutes later – when Murray Davidson body-checked Templeton – was more central.
The former Hearts and Rangers man was quite right to go for goal on this occasion and Clark had to make an excellent shot low to his right to keep it out of the bottom corner.
Accies were in control of the contest at this point and they should have taken the lead on 35 minutes.
Redmond was one on one with Clark after bursting through the heart of the Saints defence but lacked the necessary composure and dragged his shot wide.
There had been nothing approaching a clear-cut chance for Saints but that changed on 41 minutes when George Williams volleyed a Wotherspoon cross against the top of the post from six yards out after sneaking in between the two Accies centre-backs.
And then Tanser smashed the woodwork with a sweetly struck 18-yarder as the Perth men finished the half on the front foot.
Accies were first to threaten after the re-start and it took a fine reaction save from Clark to keep out a Darian Mackinnon near post header on 48 minutes.
Imrie had an afternoon to forget in Dundee on Saturday with his late penalty miss and he had his head in his hands again when he skied a shot over the bar after a corner found its way to him at the edge of the six yard box.
The Accies defenders got caught flat-footed by a ball over the top on 65 minutes which Williams got to ahead of keeper Ryan Fulton, who had raced off his line. The Welshman was cleaned out and there was no debating Clancy’s penalty award.
McMillan sent Fulton the wrong way with his spot-kick and Saints were one up.
Callum Hendry made his return from injury and illness on 76 minutes, replacing the goalscorer.
Within four minutes the former Blackburn Rovers man played a part in Saints’ second when his shot was saved but only half-cleared and Wotherspoon drilled home a low finish on the angle.
That two goal lead didn’t last long – two minutes to be precise. Imrie was the man who found the net for Hamilton with a back post header.
It didn’t spark a comeback, though, as Saints were able to see out the game with comfort.