Kane is able to give his gaffer the three points he craved
Callum Davidson had waited two months for a league win, so the St Johnstone manager was delighted to “win ugly”.
A controversial Chris Kane strike shortly after the interval ended a 10-game run without a victory for the Perth club.
Jim Goodwin’s Buddies, who played out the closing 35 minutes with 10 men after midfielder Cameron Macpherson was redcarded, failed to muster a single shot on target during a grim affair.
St Johnstone also struggled to make an impression, but Davidson was not complaining as his defence kept the Buddies at bay.
“When you haven’t won in a while, it can sometimes be difficult to get over that line,” he said.
“I didn’t think we were good enough on the ball in the second half and we allowed them to get into certain areas, but I would say we defended very well.
“I asked the players for a bit more energy at half-time and we got the early goal.
“Once we did that and they got a man sent off, I didn’t think we were good enough.
“But I’m just delighted to get the win.
“The three points are so important.”
After a run of three successive draws, Saints manager Davidson restored skipper Jason Kerr and midfielder Craig Bryson at the expense of Liam Craig and Murray Davidson, while rival boss Goodwin turned to midfielder Macpherson and handed recent recruit Eamonn Brophy his first start since moving in on loan from Kilmarnock.
It was the Perth side who fashioned the first openings, with teasing crosses delivered by wingbacks Scott Tanser and Shaun Rooney evading their strikers within the space of 60 seconds.
Midfielder Ali Mccann required stitches to a head wound and almost missed out on a 21st-minute goal.
Midfield colleague David Wotherspoon swept a 25-yard free-kick over the defensive wall, only to miss the target by inches with keeper Jan Alnwick scrambling.
One-time Perth skipper Joe Shaughnessy posed an aerial threat, but his 23rd-minute header squeezed past the post.
The Irishman was in action minutes later in his own penalty area to divert a close-range strike by Guy Melamed for a corner as the Israeli striker threatened to slam the dominant home side ahead.
Neither side managed to work the goalkeepers in the first half, although Shaughnessy again did well to mop up the threat posed by a Wotherspoon cross by heading over this own bar.
St Johnstone wasted no time in testing Alnwick after the interval and the one-time Rangers keeper was found wanting.
He spilled Kane’s initial effort after the centre latched on to a Melamed touch at the edge of the penalty area, with the Buddies claiming the Israeli had used an arm.
And the confident centre followed up his midweek strike against Dundee United by bundling the loose ball under the panic-stricken keeper.
The Buddies were reduced to 10 men in the 55th minute when Macpherson, booked on the stroke of half-time, was red-carded by referee Maclean for another foul on Melamed in the middle of the park.
The midfielder protested that he had taken the ball before the man, but Maclean’s mind had been made up.
In the 67th minute, Kane passed up a chance to double the Perth side’s lead, lashing his shot over the target from 15 yards after being played in by Wotherspoon.