MURRAY DAVIDSON SEALS VICTORY FOR ST JOHNSTONE AT KILMARNOCK –
Midfielder gives Saints festive boost
LIKE a particularly persuasive fleet of travelling salesmen, St Johnstone continue to prosper on the road. This latest success strengthened their grip on fifth place in the Premiership.
You have to go back to August to find the solitary away defeat suffered by Tommy Wright’s men in the league. Since then, they have not succumbed in seven trips. This latest example provided an effective explanation of why.
The more threatening team for much of the first half, Saints secured the lead through Murray Davidson’s smart finish. From then on, they neutralised Kilmarnock.
Frustration inevitably simmered in the home ranks. Right-back Luke Hendrie took it too far when he earned two yellow cards in quick succession before the final whistle.
There was sign early on that Zander Clark may still have been feeling a little tender after his aberration last weekend, when he fumbled a cross into his own net.
The Saints keeper was tested inside three minutes by a skidding shot from Rory McKenzie. His nervous push wide for a corner wasn’t full of conviction.
In Clark’s defence, Storm Barbara ensured conditions were far from ideal for someone in his position. Although less fearsome than earlier in the day, high-velocity gusts still whistled around Rugby Park. Torrential outbreaks of rain left the plastic pitch particularly slick.
Wright was able to restore Steven Anderson and Danny Swanson to his team after missing the Motherwell game through illness and injury, respectively. While the former brought experienced assurance to defence, the latter’s creative promptings offered moments of subtlety amid the general melee.
A pinpoint Swanson corner almost delivered a lead for the visitors with 20 minutes on the clock. Met by a Davidson header, a goal was denied when McKenzie headed off the line.
Killie’s attempts to find some fluency weren’t helped when McKenzie hobbled off, with Dean Hawkshaw assuming the task of trying to create for Souleymane Couilbaly and Nathan Tyson.
They remained isolated until the break. Instead, it was Saints who secured a 43rd-minute lead. Blair Alston did the donkey work, winning a corner off Greg Taylor.
Alston then took it himself, with his flighted delivery sailing over the heads of the home defence to land in front of Davidson. His composed first-time finish slotted the ball beyond Jamie MacDonald.
Kilmarnock badly needed some inspiration from top scorer Coulibaly to get back into contention. An opportunity arrived with a direct free-kick 25 yards from goal. It was decently struck, but without the direction to trouble Clark.
By now, the home fans were distinctly drained of festive cheer. Cries of frustration accompanied their team’s failures to fashion clear-cut opportunities against well-marshalled opponents.
They thought one had arrived when the ball rebounded to Jordan Jones 12 yards out. Again, though, a Saints defender stuck out a foot to block. This time it was Brian Easton showing his resilience.
Killie boss Clark waited until just after the hour mark to make his second change, the first through choice. Kris Boyd was summoned from the bench to replace Tyson.
Boyd was quickly in the mix at the edge of the six-yard area. When the ball broke back for William Boyle, his shot was too straight.
The visiting No 1 took no chances when pushing away a Coulibaly free-kick but it was his opposite number who excelled next.
Alston picked out sub Graham Cummins. Somehow, though, MacDonald denied his header at point-blank range before saving second time round with his feet.
Clark then pitched 16-year-old Innes Cameron for a debut in place of Steven Smith as Saints’ superior know-how was made to count.