Thistle run comes to an end as Saints march on
THE recent winter break has evidently served St Johnstone well. Since returning from the three-week hiatus, Tommy Wright’s side have lost only once — narrowly away to Celtic — and won their three other games without conceding a goal. Lest there was ever any doubt, this narrow victory away to Partick Thistle pushes them ever closer to yet another top-half finish when the Premiership splits in two for the final five games of the season. Few can match them for consistency.
It was nowhere near as cavalier as their 3-0 thrashing of Hamilton Academical at the weekend, but a Steven MacLean strike and some obdurate defending were sufficient to squirrel away the win at the expense of a Thistle side looking to re-join their opponents in the top six. Instead, they were made to stomach a first defeat since December 20, their agony exacerbated by the straight red card shown to Christie Elliott in the final minute of the game.
Alan Archibald’s side had set out hoping to record a fifth consecutive clean sheet and were almost half-way towards doing so when a mental aberration in defence led to them conceding their first goal since before Christmas. St Johnstone had barely offered anything as an attacking force until the 40th minute but were clinical when opportunity belatedly arose.
Callum Booth tried to cushion a header back to his goalkeeper but there was nowhere near enough purchase on it and MacLean nipped in before volleying beyond Tomas Cerny for his 10th goal of the season.
The goal evidently deflated Thistle, especially given it was they who had created — but spurned — the majority of the first-half chances. Ryan Edwards, their ever-eager Australian, was at the heart of their early opportunities, lashing one shot well over and then sending a diving header into the side netting after Steven Lawless’ shot had been well saved by Zander Clark.
Clark, in fact, would produce an even better save minutes later when Niall Keown, with dad Martin sitting in the Firhill stand, thought he had put his team in front with a ferocious blast from close range. The St Johnstone goalkeeper, however, thrust up a palm and somehow repelled it.
MacLean’s goal undid all of Thistle’s good work and added greater urgency to their second-half promptings, with manager Archibald trying to bring a freshness to his side’s play by throwing on Ade Azeez and Abdul Osman from the bench.
A side as streetwise as St Johnstone were never likely to capitulate without putting up a fight and Thistle toiled to master them. Kris Doolan, looking to edge closer to his 100th Thistle goal, had a near-post header well saved.
St Johnstone seemed content to soak up Thistle pressure and hit on the counter attack although they were frustrated not to win a penalty when Danny Swanson tumbled to the ground with several defenders in close proximity. Swanson, instead, looked up to see referee Crawford Allan thrusting a yellow card in his face for simulation.
An increasingly disgruntled home support howled in derision every time the winger touched the ball thereafter, and even called for a second booking for Swanson given the time it took him to make his way across the field when he was substituted. Instead it was Thistle who would end the game with 10 men, Elliott sent off for kicking Graham Cummins as he ran down time.