Veteran’s brain freeze was all Saints needed
It’s been on the cards for weeks but Dundee’s relegation to the Championship has still to be confirmed.
With St Johnstone ahead at Livingston, the basement side’s defeat at the SMISA Stadium looked set to end any hopes they harboured of avoiding automatic relegation.
However, Livi’s late equaliser at Almondvale prolonged Dundee’s agony until Tuesday at least, when the Dark Blues entertain Hibs at Dens Park.
For Saints, meanwhile, this was a first victory in front of their own supporters on a Saturday since 2019 and the first consecutive wins under new manager Stephen Robinson since he replaced Jim Goodwin in February.
“We’re absolutely safe now but we’re trying to finish seventh,” said the Irishman.
“The fruits of our hard work is showing now.
“There’s been an intensity in the last two games and a press that has represented the people
of Paisley. They’re a hardworking community and we want a team on the pitch that represents that.
“We’ve got things in place that maybe weren’t in place before and can take the club forward.”
Dundee manager Mark Mcghee had chosen an attacking formation in the knowledge that draws were no longer any use to his club.
He asked his players to go all out for the win they needed.
It was the right approach but, as Mike Tyson said, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. In this case, though, Dundee punched themselves in the face.
All it took was a brain freeze from the most-experienced player on the park after less than four minutes.
Captain Charlie Adam was in the headlines a fortnight ago for an extravagant dive against St Johnstone which Tom Daley would have envied, and he took centre stage again in Paisley.
The 36-year-old had chances to clear the ball or punt it upfield. Instead, he feinted this way and that before electing to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Harry Sharp from the byline.
Unfortunately, he used his weaker right foot and succeeded only in picking out Saints’ New Zealand striker Alex Greive inside the six-yard box.
The 22-year-old was so surprised he almost fluffed his
lines but composed himself in time to fire home.
Goals change games and that one sucked the confidence out of Mcghee’s men. Sharp pulled off an impressive one-handed save to claw away a net-bound Curtis Main header from Richard Tait’s cross as the Buddies piled forward.
Midfielder Greg Kiltie fired inches wide of Sharp’s goal from 18 yards and Conor Mccarthy also went close with a header.
Dundee did well to reach the interval only one goal down.
During the break, former Saints player, manager and chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick was presented with a replica of the Scottish Cup winner’s medal from 1987 that he had lost. How Dundee could have done with a replica Gordon Wallace or Billy Dodds.
Ryan Sweeney at least forced a save from Jak Alnwick with a looping header from Adam’s free-kick and then, following a scramble to end all scrambles, Jordan Mcghee scuffed a shot against the far post and into Alnwick’s arms.
Just as the Taysiders appeared to be getting a foothold in the game, Saints doubled their lead.
Marcus Fraser’s deep cross from the right found Main on the far corner of the penalty area and the striker took a touch before lashing the ball high behind Sharp.