Saints stroll it as desperate Dundee’s dire run continues

ST JOHNSTONE 2 Hendry 16 Kennedy 60 DUNDEE 0 ALISON McCONNELL at McDiarmid Park

St Johnstone became the latest team to inflict further misery on Dundee as the Perthshire side claimed the spoils in the tayside derby with a comfortable victory courtesy of a goal in each half from Callum hendry and Matthew Kennedy.

It was the Dens Park side’s sixth consecutive league defeat, a run that explains their precarious position at the foot of the table.

Gallingly for manager Jim McIntyre, this was a game where his players scorned good chances at key times — the best coming from ethan Robson — but finding a way to arrest the current alarming slide still eluded them.

the only positive for Dundee to take from McDiarmid Park was the news st Mirren’s defeat to Celtic means they did not put further daylight between them in the battle for survival in the top flight.

‘I’ve still got faith and we’ve not lost any ground,’ said an upbeat McIntyre. ‘I’ve said all along the five after the split will be huge.

‘the players kept at it second half and we got a brilliant chance through ethan. he knows he should score — it was one of the better moves. then we lost another goal. It was great play from Kennedy but that was the story of the match — they took their chances and we didn’t.’

For a team who have little impetus between now and the end of the season given the fact their slim top-six ambitions evaporated with the limp showing at Fir Park on saturday, st Johnstone had a lively start to the game.

Liam Craig, the villain of the piece with a missed penalty at the weekend, stung seny Dieng’s palms with a free-kick from distance that was comfortably saved by the Dundee goalkeeper in the opening minutes and it was only an offside call shortly afterwards that prevented tommy Wright’s side from netting.

st Johnstone had picked up just four points from a possible 30 going into this game. But if their recent run has been frustrating, it pales in significance when compared to the desperate nature of Dundee’s.

As McIntyre’s men looked to rouse themselves from a slumber that has underpinned their sink to the bottom, it was veteran striker Kenny Miller who looked to get them moving.

Miller had one left-foot drive parried by Zander Clark but was at the centre of the most incisive moment of the game immediately after when he took the ball round Clark but spent too long to get his effort across goal for the on-rushing Robson.

the pass eluded him and st Johnstone were swift in making the visitors pay for their profligacy.

Richard Foster went off down the right flank before sending a looping cross in towards hendry, who met it with a dinking effort into the corner.

It was the 21-year-old striker’s first league goal for the club from his first start of the season and witnessed by dad Colin — the former scotland and Rangers defender — who was in the stands.

‘People might ask why Callum hasn’t played,’ said saints boss Wright. ‘he’s had a stop-start career. he’s had too many injuries to get him a run in the team.

‘he has to stay fit. he has to keep working at his game and if he does that he’s got a good future.

‘But it’s how he plays — he’s fully committed like his dad and he picks up injuries.’

Martin Woods tried to spearhead a Dundee revival with a long-range drive that was pushed away by Clark, while John o’sullivan had a half-hearted shout for a penalty after a coming together with Michael o’halloran as McIntyre’s side tried to force their way back into the game.

Yet, when they scorned a glorious chance to find parity immediately following the interval, there was a feeling that their efforts might be in vain. Jesse Curran’s cross fell to Robson in the six-yard box but, with the goal gaping, he contrived to volley his effort over the bar.

Dundee’s night could have got worse before the hour mark when Kennedy (above) brought out a fine save from Dieng with an effort that looked set for the top corner.

It was a portent of what was to come, however, with Kennedy adding the killer second just a minute later.

having collected a pass from o’halloran, Kennedy forced his way into the box before sliding an effort past the exposed Dieng.

ST JOHNSTONE (4-4-2): Clark 7; Foster 6, Shaughnessy 6, Kerr 6, Tanser 6; O’Halloran 6, Craig 6, Callachan 7, Kennedy 8 (Northcott 90); Hendry 6 (Davidson 73), Kane 7. Subs not used: Bell, Swanson, Comrie, Gordon, Goss. Booked: Callachan. DUNDEE (4-4-2): Dieng 6; Horsfield 6 (Dales 63), R McGowan 6, O’Dea 6, Ralph 6; Curran 7, Woods 6 (C Curran 77), O’Sullivan 6, Robson 5; P McGowan 5, Miller 7 (Nelson 63). Subs not used: Parish, Kusunga, Wright, Moore. Booked: O’Dea. Man of the match: Matthew Kennedy. Referee: Greg Aitken. Attendance: 3,767.