Clark to the rescue for flat Saints Late header seals a point in dull game
ST JOHNSTONE ................... 1 LIVINGSTON ......................... 1 Robbie Chalmers
Let’s get it out the way – this was not a classic.
“A real fight” is what Saints manager Craig Levein called it.
Nicky Clark’s 87th minute header to rescue a point was a rare moment of quality in this dour and scrappy contest plagued by stoppages.
The 32-year-old striker cancelled out Andrew Shinnie’s first-half goal, despite Perth players struggling to get any rhythm throughout.
It was a far cry from the performance levels hit at Pittodrie in midweek.
But maintaining an 11-point lead over Livi and positive results elsewhere – with defeats for Ross County and Aberdeen –
has nonetheless given Levein a boost. The men from Mcdairmid leapfrog the Dons into ninth place and extend the gap over Ross County to five points.
But for much of this game a positive result for the home side rarely looked on the cards.
Levein kept the same team that won in midweek with Adama Sidibeh making a welcome return to the bench.
It was an uneventful start to the game with the ball spending much of the time in the air. It took until the 24th minute for the first half-chance to come and it was the away side that pounced.
Dan Phillips’ pocket was picked leading to a David Mackay shot. Captain Liam Gordon came to the rescue with a block.
Livingston began to look slightly brighter as defender Ayo Obileye was inches away from knocking in the opener following a Shinnie flick-on.
The home support then fell silent on the 36th minute as The Lions took the lead from a set piece. Michael Devlin headed on Sean Kelly’s corner before Shinnie flicked it past Dimitar Mitov.
To emphasis the number of stoppages here, eight minutes were added on at the end of the opening 45.
In that period came Saints’ best and only clear chance of the half. Clark’s darting header flew straight into the arms of a grateful Shamal George after a teasing Matt Smith cross.
Either side of the goalkeeper and it was 1-1.
The second half could, surely, only get better.
Stern words were likely said in the Perth changing room as Saints came out the tunnel with more energy.
But Mitov was soon called into action, making a brilliant save to first deny Mackay’s swerving effort and then substitute Kurtis Guthrie’s follow-up.
In a further blow skipper Gordon came off with an eye injury on 56 minutes, replaced by Andrew Considine, and Benji Kimpioka was subbed for Stevie May.
Saints were throwing balls in the box at any chance they could but Livingston lapped them up with relative ease.
Levein’s frustrations at the constant stoppages began to show. Enough for referee Chris Graham to flash him a yellow.
Considine then gifted the ball to Guthrie on 77 minutes who could only drag his shot wide.
The bright spot of the day for Saints was Sidibeh’s return to the field in place of Matt Smith. What a story it would be if he grabbed the equaliser.
The last 20 minutes played into Livingston’s hands who looked to slow the game down at every turn.
But up stepped Clark to head home expertly, his second goal in four days, after Graham Carey’s delightful cross.
The home support found their voice again, urging the team forward for an equaliser.
They had plenty of time - 10 minutes of injury time was added on. But Livi were the ones who so nearly stole the points but Jason Holt could only blaze over.
St Johnstone never really got going in a physical game, but Clark’s late goal keeps the Perth side at arm’s length from the drop zone.