ST JOHNSTONE continue to work wonders on a shoestring budget.
This comprehensive victory over disappointing Dundee all but guarantees Saints a top-six finish for the sixth successive season.
It’s some achievement, given the relatively modest numbers they attract through the turnstiles at McDiarmid Park.
Manager Tommy Wright certainly knows how to get the best out of his side.
They played Dundee off the park and finishing third isn’t beyond them on this form.
Yet Wright refused to get carried away.
“We won’t allow ourselves to become overconfident,” he stressed.
“I’ve told the players we’ve put ourselves in a great position but we can’t relax until a top-six finish is a definite.
“We were dominant from the first whistle .
“Our tempo was great with and without the ball. Not many teams can stay with us when we play like this.”
Saints set the tone for the afternoon when they scored with just 12 minutes on the clock.
Joe Shaughnessy picked out Graham Cummins on the left with an accurate through pass.
With Dundee’s defence all over the place, Cummins played the ball into a huge area of empty space and Paul Paton beat a hesitant Scott Bain to the ball to head home from around ten yards.
Dundee couldn’t say they weren’t warned as Saints should have scored even earlier.
However, Cummins could only head straight at Bain from Steven MacLean’s cross when it looked easier to score.
With Dundee all over the place, when the second goal came it was hardly a surprise.
The ever-alert MacLean laid the ball off to Blair Alston. He struck the ball well from 20 yards but Bain should have kept it out.
Saints out- muscled Dundee to bully and boss the game.
To Dundee’s credit they came more into the match after the break.
However, they never threatened to pull a goal back.
Dundee manager Paul Hartley admitted: “We were second best all game.
“It was a really flat performance.
“There has been a bit of Jekyll and Hyde about us all season and that was evident again here.
“We had too many misplaced passes and players off the pace.
“It’s a massive blow to our hopes of being in the top six at the split.”