SAINTS AS DUNDEE COMPLETE FINE DOUBLE

‘But we’ve got to learn to start the game better. The first three minutes set the tone for the first half.

‘After the sending-off it was going to be an uphill struggle, but we did well to get in at half-time and change the shape and we created more than enough in the second half to have got something.’

Perhaps Foster should have sensed that it wasn’t going to be his day when he was turned a shade too easily by Haber for the opener.

McGowan and LeitchSmith had combined to fashion the chance and Haber completed a fine finish when he slipped the ball between Zander Clark’s legs from eight yards.

Haber was denied a second goal a minute or so before half-time when Clark did well to push the striker’s hot into the air and his captain, Joe Shaughnessy executed a goal-line clearance.

The introduction of Liam Gordon in place of Denny Johnstone brought a greater sense of urgency to the home side’s play in the second period.

But, after Stefan Scougall had knocked on wood with a free-kick and Gordon and Murray Davidson had forced saves from Elliott Parish, Dundee once again flexed their muscles as an attacking force.

Faissal El Bakhtaoui was especially effective in place of Scott Allan and within minutes of his arrival on the scene had made his presence felt.

Moments after gathering a short pass from Mark O’Hara and threatening Clark’s goal with a dipping shot, El Bakhtaoui went even closer when he clipped the goalkeeper’s left-hand post.

El Bakhtaoui also had a significant hand in his team’s second goal in stoppage time when he dispossessed Michael O’Halloran before releasing Leitch-Smith, who kept a cool head before dispatching a right foot shot past Clark.

Dundee manager Neil McCann expressed mixed views when assessing his team’s first league victory in Perth since 2014.

‘To come here and get a second victory is really pleasing,’ he said.

‘It’s a huge win and vitally important when you see how the other results have gone.

‘But I am not pleased with the way we managed the second half. The players refused to do certain things.

‘I felt that it was on for us to turn St Johnstone a little bit because we invited pressure on, especially when we were a man up.

‘But I am also keen to highlight the positives. We looked a real threat in the first half and scored two really good goals.

‘You always want your two up top to find the net and ours did. Now we’ll let the boys turn down the engines for a week and enjoy a well earned rest.’