THE St Johnstone manager, Derek McInnes, is much too polite to say so, but this was the match his players had been waiting for: a visit by one of the SPL's lesser teams.
Goals by Collin Samuel, Chris Millar and Murray Davidson gave the Perth side a first home win of the league season, and more importantly, a five-point lead over the bottom club, Falkirk, which even this early in the season is a useful cushion.
Th
e outcome was settled by two goals in the space of three second-half minutes, the last of them by Davidson, whose box-to-box performances are growing more accomplished by the week. The former Livingston midfielder was given a standing ovation when he was substituted near the end. "He is difficult to stop," said McInnes. "It doesn't matter how big you are, he is an imposing figure, and he will get his share of goals. He is on three now, and it could have been more."
How Falkirk could do with such an all-rounder who is also a regular goal threat. Although they equalised just after half-time through Carl Finnigan, this was another miserable outcome for Eddie May's side, who are still without a win in the SPL. Until now, the fans have been prepared to cut the manager some slack, but many of them left early yesterday, and those who stayed to the bitter end greeted the final whistle with a chorus of boos.
During the first half, May was a visible presence in the technical area, but he took a back seat after the interval. For the second week in succession, his assistant, Alex Smith, preferred the dugout to the stand. He also fulfilled May's press duties afterwards, explaining that the manager was "still in with the players". These are perilous times for May and his young sidekick, Steven Pressley.
"Every single person involved with the club has to pull together, but mainly the players and the management team," said Smith. "We have two very promising young managers wanting to learn the game, and we have to give them as much knowledge and information as possible."
Having secured all four of their points from scoreless draws, the closest thing Falkirk have to a strength is in defence, but even that deserted them here. Eighty seconds was all it took for them to concede. Like the autumn sun that streaked across the Perth pitch, Dave Mackay's cross was deceptive and low and difficult to deal with. At least two defenders swiped at it before Samuel poked the ball past Robert Olejnik. To make matters worse for Falkirk, Jackie McNamara's attempts to prevent the goal were costly. He was taken off with ligament damage, and could be out for a while.
His replacement, Finnigan, tested the goalkeeper with a firm shot, but the game's best chances were always at the other end. St Johnstone are fed up of being told that they play better than their scores suggest, that they may come to rue their missed chances, but none of their squandered opportunities have been more embarrassing than Liam Craig's yesterday. When Samuel executed a neat exchange with Kenny Deuchar and flung in a low ball across the penalty box, Craig had an open goal to shoot at from eight yards, but somehow contrived to dribble the ball wide.
The naysayers who warned the Perth side they would be made to pay for their profligacy were proved right four minutes into the second half. A long ball out of defence by Marc Twaddle was flicked on by Kjartan Finnbogason. Anticipating the manoeuvre, Finnigan stole in behind the defence and drove it low past Graeme Smith. A penny for Craig's thoughts.
St Johnstone, though, did not allow themselves to be demoralised. McInnes, who had replaced Filipe Morais with Millar at half-time, took off Samuel for Jonatan Johansson, and was rewarded with two goals in quick succession. The first came when Johansson fed the ball wide to Millar, and the substitute's crisp shot whistled into the far corner. It was the highlight of a fine second-half performance by the substitute. "Every time I leave him out, he makes me think I've made the wrong decision," said McInnes. "If anybody could get man of the match for 45 minutes, it is him."
St Johnstone's second was quickly followed by a third, and Craig will be delighted to report that he set it up. He is far better at crossing than he is at finishing, as Olejnik discovered, punching only as far as a posse of players on the six-yard line. Davidson was the man who wanted it most, rising to net with a header.
