Saints are spot on to leapfrog Livi in race for a top-six berth
ST MIRREN produced a commanding display to not only leapfrog Livingston into the top six but threaten an improbable move towards third place.
Stephen Robinson’s squad travel to Tynecastle next Saturday hoping for a win that would squeeze them up within a point of off-form Hearts.
It’s exactly the type of challenge that this tight-knit group can be fearless in tackling.
Livingston were smothered from the first whistle and forced into conceding a penalty — the contest’s defining moment — within the first 20 seconds.
The handball by Luiyi de Lucas was the first of two VAR-inspired awards that helped St Mirren on their way but they were well worth victory regardless of those interventions.
Livingston, so rarely second-best at these battles, were made to look uncharacteristically sedate and unsure of themselves at the back.
Their rally came too late and Trevor Carson, with two standout saves, ensured the game got no more intriguing in the second period. St Mirren reclaimed a top six berth and, with three games to go, can be serious about helping their manager to a career high.
Robinson said: ‘To be sitting here in fifth after 30 games is an incredible achievement.
‘That’s credit to the players and I’m desperate for them to finish off the season with what they deserve.
‘Top six would probably be my biggest achievement. I’ve got to cup finals, coached at the Euros, finished third and got into Europe.
‘But with what’s been going on here in terms of the finances and cuts I’d be delighted if we could do it.’
Mark O’Hara (right) put Saints in front in the fifth minute. Yet the offence occurred on St Mirren’s raid from kick-off and De Lucas handling a Ryan Strain cross.
Play was waved on by John Beaton all the way to an award of a Livingston free-kick and an O’Hara booking for tripping Andrew Shinnie before VAR got involved.
That was curious enough. Then a long wait ensued before Beaton was invited to make a monitor check.
There were ultimately no complaints from St Mirren at the length of time taken, with Robinson privy to the news that an offside was also under review.
O’Hara had warmed up sufficiently to confidently sweep in from the spot, with help from a Shamal George slip.
Livingston’s back three looked uncomfortable in the face of pressure and struggled to shut down the twin threat of Curtis Main and Tony Watt.
Indeed, the advantage was doubled by the combination of Robinson’s excellent strike force.
Main clipped a delightful delivery to Watt whose fancy footwork did the rest, dragging the ball round George and tucking home his first goal for the club.
Joel Nouble should’ve fared better than a weak header over the bar from Nicky Devlin’s cross.
It was a chance rued because Saints stretched further clear as VAR did Beaton’s job for him again.
Jason Holt’s awkward handling was punished and O’Hara’s routine work exemplary once more to net his 10th goal of the campaign.
A Shinnie drive came off the bar and post, with Livingston contesting the ball had crossed the line.
The only call that went their way all afternoon was the one that denied the home side a greater interval lead.
Main briefly thought he’d volleyed in a fourth before an offside flag tempered Saints delirium.
A three-goal lead sufficed and, despite Livingston threatening more with a direct approach in the second half, they failed to muster a reply.
Within seconds of the restart a superb save from Carson turned sub Cristian Montano’s header round his right-hand post.
Devlin scraped the paint on the same upright with a diagonal drive and Nouble blazed over after shrugging off Charles Dunne to go clear on the keeper.
Livi’s VAR vexation was complete when sub Stephen Kelly’s penalty claim for being tripped was denied after a check.
Kelly did find an opening for a consolation with six minutes left but Carson’s reactions and fingertip touch ensured an impressive clean sheet.