Perth men boost hopes of top-six finish with win over Inverness Caley.

ST JOHNSTONE 1 INVERNESS CT 0: Kane goal sees off visitors’ 10 men

St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright has echoed the recent sentiments of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and insists people should only judge his side at the end of the season.

Saints secured a 1-0 victory over 10-man Inverness last night, just their second league victory in 12 games.

Wright pointed out that despite that run, his side sit in fifth spot in the Premiership and are only two points worse off than at the same stage last season.

The manager said: “It is difficult because of the run you are on people from outside get very negative about your position. But you would be more concerned if you were in 10th place on the run we’re in.

“But we were sitting in fourth, fifth and sixth on a bad run. So we are two points worse off than what we were last year.”

“Arsene Wenger is a wise man – judge people at the end of the season,” said Wright.

“I think people were too easy to judge us again but what we’ve done is won a football match that has given us an opportunity to try to get top six again. We are happy tonight but we are not getting carried away.”

David Wotherspoon missed a penalty for Saints before Chris Kane popped up with his late winner and Wright added: “I am obviously pleased. It was a good win, a deserved win.

“There wasn’t much between the teams in the first half.

“They probably had more possession but they didn’t really trouble us. We finished the half strongly and took that into a very strong second-half performance which got us a deserved win.

“Missing the penalty, you think the goal is not going to come but we created enough chances to win the game in the second half and eventually we took one.

“With David missing the penalty, he could have gone into his shell but he didn’t and finished the game strongly.

“The attitude is never a problem and the desire to do well is never a problem. We have given ourselves a good opportunity with a positive result.”

Inverness manager John Hughes claimed Warren’s sending-off for picking up a second yellow card – he was booked earlier for a foul on Simon Lappin – changed the game.

He said: “Yes, that was it. I don’t think there was much in the game before that. The sending off certainly advantaged St Johnstone.”

Picture: SNS Group. Chris Kane’s celebration run is ended by Simon Lappin, left, and Danny Swanson as the Saints’ match-winner is wrestled to the ground after netting the goal that earned the hosts only their second league win in 12 games.