Staying up as vital as cup glories for Saints

TWELVE months on from securing a cup double, St Johnstone face two huge games to secure their Premiership status. Callum Davidson’s Scottish Cup and League Cup winners may not officially be in the two-legged playoffs just yet, despite being six points clear of Dundee with two games left and a superior goal difference to he Dark Blues.

But when Dens Park boss Mark McGhee admits it’s now ‘nigh impossible’ for his side to avoid outright relegation, you can take it as read Saints will finish 11th.

For Stevie May, the task that lies ahead in the play-off final against Arbroath or Inverness is every bit as important as those unforgettable days last season when silverware was lifted into the sky.

A local boy who also won the Scottish Cup with Saints in 2014, the 29-year-old does not want to blemish an otherwise immaculate CV with relegation for his hometown side.

‘This is as important as anything I’ve been involved in — we have to keep the club in this league,’ said May after Saturday’s draw at Livingston.

‘Murray Davidson touched on it last week as well. He’s been here a long time and all the time we’ve been here we have never been in this situation.

‘We’ve been bottom at times but have always managed to do enough to get out of it.

‘This season is tougher than we’ve been in before, so it’s about grinding out results now.

‘If we’re in the play-offs, the team we play will be desperate to get up. We’ll have to match that desire.’

St Johnstone were busy in the January transfer market — but it was telling that, in Davidson’s hour of need, his team on Saturday was largely made up of the tried and trusted.

With barely 20 seconds on the clock, Callum Hendry spurned a great chance to open the scoring, turning Melker Hellberg’s cross over the bar.

Livingston should have gone in front after the break when Ayo Obileye send Odin Bailey racing clear on goal. His shot was straight at Zander Clark, who stuck out a foot and saved the day.

Home sub Alan Forrest curled a shot just wide before Saints took the lead 14 minutes from time.

James Brown swung in a cross that fellow sub Glenn Middleton headed past Ivan Konovalov at the back post.

However, Livi struck back at the death when Jason Holt’s cross was flicked towards goal by Scott Pittman. Clark made a wonderful diving save only for Jack Fitzwater to divert the loose ball into the back of the net.

Saints should have won with the last move of the game but Hendry shot straight at Konovalov when a square ball would have left Middleton with an open goal.

If losing a late leveller was a blow, the fact the performance was miles better than a dire 1-0 home loss to St Mirren the previous weekend was encouraging for Saints.

‘We had the chance to try and stay up automatically but we didn’t take that against St Mirren,’ said May, whose side host Aberdeen on Wednesday before rounding off their campaign at Hibs on Sunday.

‘The manager wasn’t happy with the way we played against St Mirren But we knew that ourselves. We had to come to Livi and try to put that right.

‘It would have been nice to get the win but the point takes us further away from the bottom.

‘The bigger picture was that we’re in a better position now than we were before the game, so we have to take it.

‘There is still a chance we can be caught so, until it’s mathematically impossible, we have to assume it can happen.

‘But we also want momentum because, if we’re in the play-offs, we want to go into them on the back of good results.

‘This club means a lot to me. I want to play my part in us staying in the league.’

Livi scorer Fitzwater has challenged the Lions to finish the season unbeaten as ‘best of the rest’.

David Martindale’s side were floored last month when a late equaliser from Rickie Lamie saw Motherwell finish in the upper half at their expense.

They have bounced back strongly in their post-split fixtures, and Fitzwater says that reflects the character within the home dressing room.

‘After the Motherwell game we were devastated,’ said the defender.

‘We had a little break and said we wanted to finish the season five unbeaten or with five wins.

‘We’ve won two and drawn one going into the last two games. We want to finish as the best of the rest and it sets us up nicely.’

LIVINGSTON (4-3-3): Konovalov 6; Devlin 6, Fitzwater 7, Obileye 7, Boyes 6; Holt 6, Pittman 6, Kelly (Soto 80); Bailey 7 (Forrest 64), Nouble 7, Shinnie 6 (Chukwuemeka 77).

Subs not used: Maley, Longridge, Sibbald, Montano, Lewis, McMillan.

Booked: Shinnie.

St Johnstone (3-4-1-2): Clark 6; Cleary 6, Gordon 6, McCart 6; Rooney 6, Davidson 6, Hallberg 6, Booth 5 (Brown 58); MacPherson 6; May 6 (Middleton 69), Hendry 6.

Subs not used: Parish, Middleton, Mahon, Bair, Crawford, Ciftci, Sang, Butterfield.

Booked: Hendry, Davidson.

Man of the Match: Joel Nouble.

Referee: Willie Collum. Attendance: N/A.