Kilmarnock 1 - 2 St Johnstone: Saints dare to win with help of SAS

ST JOHNSTONE yesterday proved that their loss to Hibs in midweek was merely a blip on their fine away record in the SPL this season. Of the 15 points that put them into fourth place last night, 11 have been gained on the road and, if they tighten up at home, more than just a top six finish is beckoning, especially if Francisco Sandaza and Cillian Sheridan maintain their striking partnership.

Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels was nevertheless adamant: “We have lost a game we really should have won.” St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes was equally adamant: “The best side won.”

Though it may seem a tad illogical, there is a truth in both statements. St Johnstone all round were the better side because they scored goals, but Kilmarnock could have scored plenty and hit the bar. Luck wasn’t with them, and that made the difference between no points and one or three.

Though their team once again played attractive flowing football, the Kilmarnock fans were concerned at the several errors which meant that their did not get at least a draw. Kenny Shiels said afterwards that he would not be changing the philosophy of playing attacking football despite the fans booing his side off: “I don’t mind because they were in an emotional state of imbalance, as I am after a defeat.”

To adapt an old cliche, it was a game of four quarters, with St Johnstone winning the first and last while Kilmarnock did not capitalise on their dominance in the middle two.

Manager Shiels gave James Dayton a run from the start and he put in a good shift before hobbling off late on, while McInnes continues to have to shuffle his squad, Sean Higgins being the latest injury, though Callum Davidson had recovered from his torn calf muscle in time to make the teamsheet.

The underfoot conditions were slippy but not too treacherous following the torrential rain, and credit to both sides for trying to play a good open game full of passing football. It wasn’t always high quality, but that would have been too much to expect on a foul day.

After a bright opening by Kilmarnock in which Dayton shot straight at Peter Enckelman and Dean Shiels fired an effort wide before the goalkeeper and David Mackay combined to keep him out, it was the visitors who began to turn the screw.

Zdenek Kroca and Steven Anderson took it in turns to make last-ditch clearances from Sheridan and Sandaza respectively, with Sheridan also being denied by Cammy Bell.

St Johnstone won a series of corners but failed to take advantage and, on the one occasion their concentration slipped, Anderson was booked for bringing down the escaping Dayton.

St Johnstone’s opener in the 22nd minute was clinical. David Robertson’s pass left Manuel Pascali all at sea and allowed Sandaza to run in and place his shot adroitly past Bell.

Pascali took the blame afterwards: “I could have done better but on the surface the ball went really fast and I misjudged the ball.”

If the first quarter had been mostly St Johnstone, the second quarter was all Kilmarnock. Clearly stung by the concession of the goal, the home side charged forward.

Enckelman really is a goalkeeper in form, however, and he made a string of fine saves, though he could do nothing about Rory McKeown’s blistering 30-yard shot that came back off the bar in the 28th minute. Paul Heffernan was then denied by Anderson before Enckelman saved well from the Irishman.

Kilmarnock’s equaliser was inevitable, even if the execution of it was bizarre. Enckelman denied Heffernan by deflecting his shot wide, and from the corner Mohamadou Sissoko and Pascali leapt alongside Anderson, when to the surprise of attackers and defenders alike, the ball looped up and described a perfect parabola into the net.

Pascali claimed the goal – “It was 100 per cent mine” – but pictures clearly showed that the ball had come off Anderson’s head last.

Kilmarnock went on a spree then, Enckelman denying Dayton and Kroca either side of a Jamie Fowler shot that went wide.

The second half started with Kilmarnock again on top, Fowler’s curling drive going just over before Enckelman did superbly in dealing with a deflected Heffernan shot.

St Johnstone rallied and after 67 minutes Sheridan and Sandaza combined in nearly devastating fashion, the former supplying a fine cross which the latter headed goalwards only for Bell to intervene.

The supply route was reversed six minutes later, Sandaza pouncing on a fankle by Sissoko and sending Sheridan clear, the 22-year-old finishing like a veteran by rounding Bell and slotting home.

Jody Morris summed up St Johnstone’s mood as they look down on two thirds of the SPL below them: “We are better placed than we were at this point last year but we are not getting ahead of ourselves.”