St Johnstone Women made the trip to New Douglas Park on Sunday to take on league leaders Hamilton Accies A strong second half showing by the home side saw them run out convincing 6-0 winners The first half started with both sides looking fairly evenly matched Saints had a couple of early chances both falling to Steffi Simson She picked up a ball and struck a shot which goalkeeper Chloe Nicolson was forced to push out for a corner Saints didn’t capitalise on the corner but a few minutes later they did capitalise when Jodie Malcolm won a ball from a poor kick out by the keeper She passed inside to Simson who this time saw her effort narrowly clear the crossbar Hamilton soon slipped into their trademark style of direct play with long balls looking to catch out the Saints defence Josephine Giard latched onto one through ball after a quarter of an hour held off Niamh Irvine and rounded Bobby Cochran in the Saints goal but lost her footing falling to the ground and the chance was gone Another through ball saw Melissa Reid bearing down on goal but she saw her lifted effort saved above her head by Cochran.  Reid only had to wait a few minutes to get her name on the scoresheet Saints conceded a freekick in the centre circle for handball This time when Reid received the long ball she was able to come in from the right and place the ball beyond Cochran tipping the ball to her right for a Saints corner picked up a ball from at least twenty-five yards from goal and showing great vision looked to lift the ball over Nicolson which she did Giard fired wide from close range and Chloe Muir tried to lob Cochran but her effort again went wide Cochran had made a few comfortable saves in the first half and one less comfortable with an unorthodox – and unintended – save of a Giard shot with her face Hamilton scored with three minutes left on the clock A cross was swung out wide to the left with Abigail Tobin driving down the wing before crossing back in Saints defender Rebecca McMillan got a touch but it only directed the ball goalwards with Chloe Muir nipping in to slot the ball home from close range Hamilton began to exert more pressure than they had in the first half with Saints really struggling to get out of their own half This pressure eventually told when Hamilton scored a third shortly after the hour mark Giard picked up a ball into the box and struck powerfully beyond Cochran Sophie Townsley was played through on goal and used her pace to get beyond Cochran and Ellie Jones and was able to place the ball into the empty net Giard got her second of the match five minutes later when she was able to loft the ball over Cochran who was returning to her goal after previously making a good clearance The ball wasn’t won in midfield and Giard the top goalscorer in the league this season With just five minutes of the ninety remaining Hamilton rounded off the scoring from twelve yards and while Cochran saved the resulting penalty with her feet Brown reacted quickest to knock home the rebound Saints have two matches remaining of the season and next week face another away trip to Rossvale Rossvale’s 2-2 draw with Livingston on Sunday means that Saints will once again play SWPL 2 football next season with Ayr United and Rossvale battling out the relegation Our newsletterStay up to date with all things SaintsSign up to receive our newsletter to get our latest news and offers Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player St Johnstone fans are clinging onto the hope that they may see their team compete in the play-offs to preserve the club’s Premiership status It’s a long shot and their relegation to the Championship will be confirmed on Saturday if Ross County follow Kilmarnock’s lead and win at McDiarmid Park there will have already been much drama and excitement north and south of the border Courier Sport explores Perth connections supporters might want to keep an eye on Which club wins the third golden ticket to the Premier League doesn’t hold any ex-St Johnstone interest but it’s a different story a tier below Three of the clubs involved in the Championship play-offs feature players who have spent time at McDiarmid on loan in recent years The most popular of the trio was Alex Mitchell Having played 29 games for Saints in the 2022/23 season he returned to Millwall and got more loan game-time at Leyton Orient Charlton bought him in the summer and Mitchell was initially a regular under Nathan Jones He dropped out of the first XI over the winter but, after not starting since the end of January, returned to the team on the final day of the season, scoring in a 3-1 win over Burton Albion. Charlton travel to Wycombe for the first leg of a play-off semi-final on Sunday with the return game scheduled for the following Thursday night at the Valley The other semi is Leyton Orient against Stockport County who was signed on loan by Steven MacLean but was hampered by injuries in his season in Scotland And one of Stockport’s stars is Isaac Olaofe ‘Tanto’ only got 41 minutes of St Johnstone game-time at the start of the cup double season before returning to Millwall two months into the Covid campaign Olaofe scored 21 goals in a League Two promotion season and he’s already hit the target 12 times in League One Stevie May and Ryan McGowan fly the flag for ex-Saints at Livingston was a prolific striker in his one season at McDiarmid under Tommy Wright Connor McLennan and Jamie Murphy are still featuring Saints would gladly take on one of the three clubs over two legs later this month. Valakari will no doubt keep a close eye on those games anyway with a view to summer recruitment and getting a better understanding of what he’s likely to be up against in the Championship next season Stenhousemuir have three ex-Saints in their squad – scorer of wonder goals at Ibrox, Blair Alston; scorer of a League Cup winner against them two years ago, Euan O’Reilly; and another McDiarmid youth academy product Stenny will have a tough task getting beyond their semi-final against an Airdrie side that has found some form The most significant new story in these play-offs The 20-year-old centre-back missed three months of his season-long loan with Cove Rangers through injury but has been back in Paul Hartley’s team since February Parker did well in difficult circumstances as a second half substitute against Alloa he would have been a contender to play in the Premiership run-in given the injury crisis at centre-back can further his cause to be offered a new contract with Saints and follow Taylor Steven’s lead in catching Valakari’s eye Cove will battle Queen of the South (away first on Tuesday) for the right to take on Airdrie or Stenhousemuir Comments are currently disabled as they require cookies and it appears you've opted out of cookies on this site. To participate in the conversation, please adjust your cookie preferences in order to enable comments. © DC Thomson Co Ltd 2025. All Rights Reserved. Police were called to Moore Avenue at 2am on April 9th after a collision involving a Range Rover and a motorbike 28 year old Joey Johnstone from Bournemouth 36 year old Zoe Treadwell from Bournemouth has been charged with murder She's due to appear at Poole Magistrates court today Two 17 year old boys - arrested on suspicion of murder - remain on police bail A 39 year old man - arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice - has been released under investigation of Dorset's Major Crime Investigation Team said: “Our thoughts are very much with the family and loved ones of Joey Johnstone and we are continuing to keep them updated with the latest developments in our investigation “This matter will now be the subject of court proceedings and we would urge members of the public to refrain from speculation or commentary relating to this case as it is vital that the justice process is allowed to follow its course without prejudice “Local officers continue to carry out regular reassurance patrols in the area and can be approached by members of the public with any information or concerns.” Kilmarnock picked up a crucial draw on the road as we defeated St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park on Saturday 3rd May David Watson and Danny Armstrong both grabbed goals to secure the 2-0 victory in an important post-split clash It was an unchanged XI named by Derek McInnes with Matty Kennedy replacing Ethan Brown on the bench being the only change to our 20-man matchday squad Josh McPake had a decent chance for Saints in the opening minutes as he took advantage of a slip from Danny Armstrong on the edge of the box before cutting inside and shooting from the edge of the box – it was blocked well before reaching Kieran O’Hara’s goal though Fraser Murray tried his luck from distance in the 6th minute – his long-range effort almost troubled Andy Fisher but he managed to control it the second time round to ensure Bobby Wales was unable to follow-up with a rebound David Watson fired Killie in front after 12 minutes with a fantastic strike from the edge of the box after great build-up play from the Ayrshire said Makenzie Kirk had a decent chance for Saints on 17 minutes as he was teed up by Uche Ikpeazu inside the area but Kirk’s shot was blocked by the ever-present Watson Stuart Findlay went close just before the half-hour mark with a header from a corner Kieran O’Hara pulled off a massive save after 34 minutes after an Ikpeazu shot from close range looked goalbound until the goalkeeper stopped it at point-blank range Defender Daniel Balodis had a go from distance in the 42nd minute but he couldn’t quite steer it on target Ikpeazu went close just after the break but he couldn’t direct his header on target Five minutes later Killie were awarded a penalty after a VAR check decided Rory McKenzie was fouled Danny Armstrong made no mistake from the spot as he calmly coverted from the spot to make it 2-0 A Whitehaven man who sexually assaulted and raped a 16-year-old girl has been jailed by a judge who branded his behaviour predatory was high on alcohol and cocaine when he led the extremely drunk teen to a town park and took advantage of her Johnstone had earlier sat in a Whitehaven bar for a prolonged period with the intoxicated teen who was captured on CCTV in the early hours of August 21 2022 both with her head on a table and then stumbling on a dance floor While in the bar Johnstone was warned off the girl — to whom he’d made a sexualised comment days before — by a bystander But instead he followed the teen after she left the premises and took her to the park by guiding her or at least holding her up on the way She had limited recollection of what then occurred but told others after the incident: “He told me to do things “She was scared throughout that no-one would believe her,” said prosecutor Tim Evans as he read a victim impact statement during Johnstone’s sentencing hearing who said her self-confidence had since completely disappeared no matter how much I try to distract myself.” The girl’s devastated mother described the family being left broken “but if this experience gives just some people the courage to speak out about rape and sexual assault then hopefully our awful experience will not have been wasted.” A raft of references provided in support of Johnstone spoke of a different person who ordinarily was gentle But as he imposed a six-and-a-half year prison sentence Judge Nicholas Barker told the defendant: “I am satisfied that you behaved in a predatory manner towards her that night She was an extremely drunk 16-year-old girl I am satisfied that the only reason that you were sat there with her was because you harboured a sexual interest towards her.” must serve two-thirds of the jail term before being considered for release from custody He must sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and will be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates 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Privacy Statement Phone: 01768 862313Email: admin@cumbriacrack.com Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited No: 12475190VAT registration number: 343486488 © 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme We are back at home this weekend when we welcome Ross County to McDiarmid Park in the William Hill Premiership It’s a 3pm kick-off in Perth and as always we have introduced a number of special ticket deals for this match family and spread the message around Perthshire We’re offering a “Bring a Friend for Free” deal exclusively for season ticket holders at the Ross County match this Saturday This is a fantastic opportunity to bring someone along to support the Saints as we push through the crucial final stage of the season GET YOUR 'BRING A FRIEND FOR FREE' TICKET HERE! We also have a great value 'Ormond Unit' deal in the Ormond Stand where four family members or friends (any age) can attend either game for just £30 in total.  We hope this offer will encourage more families and friend groups to enjoy the matchday experience together and help build a strong atmosphere at McDiarmid Park GET YOUR ORMOND UNIT DEAL TICKETS HERE! please select your £30 seat first prior to adding your Ormond Unit Friend tickets to your basket.  A maximum of 3x Ormond Unit Friend tickets can be added to 1x Ormond Unit Deal ticket.  We have also dropped regular ticketing prices for this match to £20 for adults and £10 for concessions The family deal for an adult and two under-12s is £15 Your support throughout the season has been immense now let’s pack the stands and get behind Simo and the players for a final push Goals from David Watson and Danny Armstrong secured the three points for Derek McInnes’ side with Saints ultimately failing to find a crucial goal in the final third We had a number of chances in the contest through the likes of Uche Ikpeazu and Makenzie Kirk but we were unable to take anything from the fixture Ross County were also defeated in their last match The Highland outfit lost out against Hearts in Dingwall last weekend Ronan Hale did put the hosts ahead on 26 minutes but a Lawrance Shankland double and a late Alan Forrest goal were enough for managerless Hearts to take the three points The Junior Saints Zone is open from 1.30-2.30pm in the Muirton Gym ahead of our match against Kilmarnock soft play darts and a visit from Brogan the Beagle there will also be a special guest appearance visit from a member of the first team squad.  The match will also be shown live on SaintsTV to international subscribers Commentary from this match will be broadcast live on SaintsTV.  Only SaintsTV UK and Ireland subscribers will be able to listen to this Saints Fans Supporting Foodbanks (SFSF) will be in attendance before this fixture and will again be supporting Perth and Kinross Foodbank Volunteers will be positioned at the corner of the East and Ormond Stand prior to kick-off (1:15pm-2:45pm) and all donations are much appreciated you can drop off any donations at the club shop.  Why not kit yourself out in Saints colours before our game with County located at the corner of the Ormond Stand and East Stand The shop stocks a great range of kit and merchandise so make sure to get up to the stadium early and wear our colours with pride.  Fancy a drink and some socialising before kick-off Head down to the Muirton Suite (located under the Main Stand) from 11am Make sure to join us in the Muirton after the game too.  St Johnstone midfielder Cammy MacPherson’s injury curse has struck again in America The 26-year-old joined Tampa Bay Rowdies on loan in February having not made a single appearance under Simo Valakari Before the Finn took over from Craig Levein MacPherson’s Perth career had been dogged by injury He had to undergo surgery to his groin and thigh and twice dislocated his shoulder. After making a promising start to his spell in Florida MacPherson was taken off at half-time of a cup game a week ago Tampa Bay, who sacked former Dundee United manager, Robbie Neilson, recently, were back in league action on Saturday but MacPherson wasn’t in the squad which drew 1-1 with Birmingham Legion His loan deal in Tampa runs out at the end of this month and there is no prospect of Valakari seeking to extend his Saints contract Comments are currently disabled as they require cookies and it appears you've opted out of cookies on this site. To participate in the conversation, please adjust your cookie preferences in order to enable comments Kilmarnock travel to McDiarmid Park this Saturday for a huge post-split clash With the campaign edging towards its conclusion Derek McInnes’ side head to Perth knowing a victory could take them a huge step closer to securing top-flight survival – and for bottom-placed St Johnstone Killie come into this crunch clash on the back of two impressive home wins over Ross County and Motherwell McInnes praised the response from his side we’ve played against teams who are in the bottom 6 I thought we were the better team in both games but the response was what I would hope for and what I expect for the team.” Killie are looking to take that belief on the road – something McInnes knows will be essential if the club is to finish in a strong position “We’ve got two more home games and we’re strong at home,” he acknowledged “but for us to finish 7th or 8th in the league we’re going to have to pick up points on the road are in desperate need of points and will be throwing everything at this one I’d still feel we had a real chance,” said McInnes “I think they’ll come right after us They’ll see this as a real chance for them We’ve got to be ready to fight fire with fire.” Despite their position at the foot of the table Saints have proven they can pose problems for any team having already beaten Celtic at home this season McInnes is well aware of their threat: “This is a St Johnstone team that They’re capable of big moments in games… and they’ve got real attacking threats It’s something that we’ve got to be mindful of.” The Killie gaffer also acknowledged the psychological edge of a victory “A win would put us in a really strong position in terms of meeting objectives now,” he said “It would relieve a bit of anxiety about everybody at the club We can just look forward to the last few games.” And while the senior squad remains focused the feel-good factor around the club was boosted midweek as Kilmarnock’s Under-18s lifted the Scottish Youth Cup in front of a strong travelling support at Hampden “It was good to see so many Killie fans at the game and my first team squad turned up showing their support as well it was a good evening for everybody at Kilmarnock.” We are set to be without Joe Wright (hip) and Brad Lyons (groin) this weekend due to injury Tom Wilson-Brown remains sidelined Kyle Magennis is aiming to be back in full training next week Rory McKenzie should be fine after a full week’s training St Johnstone WFC head coach Josh Henderson is determined to bounce back following defeat against Boroughmuir Thistle last time out in SWPL2 with matches against Rossvale and Livingston to come before the season is concluded Looking ahead to the remaining games of the campaign Josh said: “We need to keep the ball better going forward We can’t feel defeated after conceding goals “We need to have more belief about ourselves Our last couple of games have reminded me of how we were at the start of the season “We need to start playing football like we know we can play “It is going to be a tough game going down to Hamilton “We need to do better both on the ball and off the ball We need to have belief about ourselves.” Following the 0-5 defeat against Boroughmuir last time out Josh added: “I thought for the first 30 minutes in the game we were good we were a lot better than our previous game “The game was tight and we conceded from a set piece We just never really settled back into the game after that We were 4-0 down at half-time and when you do that you are giving yourself a mountain to climb We know there was a lack of concentration there “Our response after conceding was not good We didn’t get ourselves going again.” Luke Jephcott endured a footballing nightmare at St Johnstone after the former Perth striker’s career descended even further in Wales the 25-year-old has bounced back to become a promotion hero in the SIXTH tier of English football Jephcott was signed by Steven MacLean in the summer of 2023 having built a reputation as a reliable goalscorer at Plymouth Argyle He made a promising League Cup debut at Alloa but his lack of a pre-season became more exposed when the Premiership got underway Jephcott made one only three starts in the league the last of those away to Hearts in November didn’t see a future for him at McDiarmid Park and a permanent transfer to Newport County was agreed in the January window Levein said: “Jephcott was a player who you need when you’re dominating games and gets loads of chances “Because the best part of his game is finishing He just doesn’t fit with what we need right at this moment in time staying in the opposition half and creating chances then he’s one you’d want in the squad.” Jephcott played 16 games for Newport in the second half of the 2023/24 season then another 16 during the current campaign He still couldn’t get on the scoresheet and dropped into the National League South in February with Truro City Jephcott found the net at the first time of asking and has gone on to help Truro secure a dramatic last-day title triumph on goal difference (three goals better than Torquay United) grabbing the opener in a 5-2 victory over St Albans City They have become the first club from Cornwall to reach the National League still has a year left on his contract with Newport We are delighted to unveil a bold new chapter in our history with the launch of a refreshed brand identity delivered in collaboration with leading creative agency RYSE The rebrand represents a renewed sense of purpose and ambition for the club as we look to the future while remaining deeply rooted in the proud traditions and values that define St Johnstone the new brand reflects our commitment to growth innovation and connection with our supporters – both in Perth and beyond a Perthshire-based team renowned for its creative insight and strategic approach we’ve crafted a brand that captures the spirit of the Saints – strong St Johnstone CEO Fran Smith said: “This partnership with RYSE has been in the pipeline for a while now and received a positive response when shared with supporters at our well-attended fans’ forum “It has allowed us to reimagine how we present ourselves but as a vital part of our city and community “We’re proud of our heritage and this new identity provides a platform to build on it – for our supporters today and for future generations “We are hugely excited as a club to see the new brand rolled out across our digital platforms and beyond in the coming months.” RYSE CEO Matty Souter said: “We are delighted to unveil the reimagined club crest for St Johnstone The team at RYSE have worked passionately to evolve the club’s existing imagery into something refined recognisable and powerful – a crest that pays tribute to the club’s rich history while enhancing its visibility for the future “This new crest marks the beginning of a wider transformation we’ll be introducing a refreshed visual identity across club merchandise collateral and at McDiarmid Park – aligning every element with a bold this project has been nothing short of a dream come true From standing on the sidelines as a mascot week out with my dad – St Johnstone has been a constant throughout my life “That spirit has been at the heart of every decision we’ve made during this rebrand fulfilling the club’s motto: One Club “The new crest is a commitment to unity progress and to every supporter who calls St Johnstone home We hope the fans love it as much as we do.” The new branding will be rolled out across digital platforms official merchandise and throughout McDiarmid Park over the coming weeks and months with a dedicated campaign offering fans a closer look at the inspiration and process behind the redesign We would like to extend our thanks to RYSE for their passion and to our supporters for their unwavering loyalty This is your club and this new identity is a reflection of all that we stand for – past Head over to Saints TV to watch our full interview with Matty Souter of RYSE.  Sven Sprangler is well aware of the enormity of the task facing St Johnstone And he is well aware of the enormity of the stakes when Ross County visit McDiarmid Park next weekend Bottom v second bottom is a win or bust fixture for the Perth side who are six points adrift with just nine points left to play for The Saints captain is confident his team can summon up a performance fitting of the occasion despite the fact that they fell to another crushing defeat against Kilmarnock on Saturday “We have to keep pushing until the end of the line. “It’s still positive that there are still opportunities for us “When you lose a game it is always frustrating but it feels it is even more frustrating in this situation we are in “We know what we have to do – win all our three games.” added: “This could be the biggest game I’ve played since coming to Scotland “We will prepare well and do everything to get the win.” Sprangler was deployed at right-back at the weekend the third starting position he has filled this season “I am grateful for the opportunity to play,” said the Austrian “It’s a huge trust from the gaffer that he plays me in different positions “I want to give him everything back and also do it for the club I don’t mind it as long as I can help the team.” That's all from us on another topsy turvy day in the Scottish Premiership - and the conclusion of the main season in Leagues 1 and 2 our feast of football continues with Sportscene's Premiership highlights show kicking off at 19:15 BST on the BBC Scotland channel which is repeated at 23:40 on BBC One Scotland 63Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThe battle for third...published at 18:00 British Summer Time 3 May18:00 BST 3 MayScottish Premiership with kick-off between Rangers and Celtic at high noon at Ibrox Only pride and city bragging rights are at stake for both the visiting champions and hosts already secure in second Hibs have the advantage but must visit Celtic next weekend as Dundee United host St Mirren and Aberdeen travel to face Rangers There could be more twists and turns to come in the race for those European qualification places 93Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Officials contrived to disallow Portales goal' - Dochertypublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 3 May17:55 BST 3 MayFT: Dundee 1-2 Motherwell "The officials are killing the game." 224Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRobinson praises 'great finish'published at 17:54 British Summer Time 3 May17:54 BST 3 MayFT: St MIrren 1-0 Aberdeen St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson tells BBC Scotland: "We struggled at the start we just couldn't get into a rhythm or get hold of the ball I don't remember too many clearcut chances from Aberdeen "We can play better than what we did today but it shows the character of the players and the quality when we've needed it It was a great finish from Mika [Mandron] - a set play we've worked on tirelessly." 176Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Massive team performance'published at 17:51 British Summer Time 3 May17:51 BST 3 MayFT: Hibernian 3-1 Dundee United Hibernian head coach David Gray tells BBC Scotland: "The result was the most important thing - the reaction from the players to the defeat last weekend "Everyone was looking to see how this Hibs team would bounce back and I got that today "Credit to Dundee United in the second half they got a bit of a foothold in the game and we lose a really poor goal "The players showed me massive character to make sure we saw the game out 304Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingMcDiarmid Park showdown at bottompublished at 17:48 British Summer Time 3 May17:48 BST 3 MayScottish Premiership Today's results set up a massive game at McDiarmid Park next Saturday St Johnstone host Ross County in a battle of the bottom two and anything less than a win will surely end the Perth side's hopes of avoiding automatic relegation who are now four points ahead and would end their own relegation fears with a victory 72Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDons 'not good enough to deserve win'published at 17:41 British Summer Time 3 May17:41 BST 3 MayFT: St Mirren 1-0 Aberdeen Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin tells BBC Scotland: "We wanted more but they used the opportunity from the set play to score that goal "The final pass today didn't arrive in the right spaces - that's football sometimes "We need to improve some parts in the away games and do better because we now have three more important games in the league "We have to believe and try to do some things better in our away games." 87Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We never felt we couldn't win the game' - Wimmerpublished at 17:38 British Summer Time 3 May17:38 BST 3 MayFT: Dundee 1-2 Motherwell Motherwell manager Michael Wimmer tells BBC Scotland: "I'm very happy especially in the second half - and the first half we lacked a little bit of energy and also the defence from the two throw-ins was not good enough 122Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Hard to pick yourself up' - Valakaripublished at 17:35 British Summer Time 3 May17:35 BST 3 MayFT: St Johnstone 0-2 Kilmarnock St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari tells BBC Scotland: "The fight continues Other results give us a little lifeline and that's what we need to grab "We could not perform well enough today it will be difficult and I'm very disappointed in how we give away the first goal "We are very honest with ourselves - it was not good enough how we defended in crucial moments We have these three matches to grab something 38Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingEast Kilbride to face Bonnyriggpublished at 17:33 British Summer Time 3 May17:33 BST 3 MayFT: Brora Rangers 3-3 East Kilbride (agg 4-7) East Kilbride completed their passage into the Pyramid Play-off final after sharing a six-goal thriller with Brora The Lowland League champions' 4-1 first-leg win proved crucial against their Highland counterparts and they will face Bonnyrigg 50Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBeaten County 'can't feel sorry for ourselves' - Cowiepublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 3 May17:30 BST 3 MayFT: Ross County 1-3 Heart of Midlothian Ross County manager Don Cowie tells BBC Scotland: "We get the first goal it's important we keep it at 1-0 going in to half-time but we are still in the game - then we make a mistake and are punished Ronan has a great opportunity at 1-1 and doesn't take it "There is no point feeling sorry for ourselves we have to get ready for a massive week next week "I've got belief in the group and myself but we've got to get act upon it." 17Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingKilmarnock 'didn't need to be brilliant' - McInnespublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 3 May17:29 BST 3 MayFT: St Johnstone 0-2 Kilmarnock Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland: "The pitch is really difficult but that is really difficult for the players to try and connect We could have been more effective with our work We saw the importance of another midfielder arriving late in the box "Davie [Watson] has the quality to get on the road "We knew the second goal didn't need to come it put pressure on them and we stayed strong within our structure professional performance and the exact one that was needed we just need to be steady with our work." 192Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIME RESULTSpublished at 17:28 British Summer Time 3 May17:28 BST 3 MayScottish League 2 The League 1 play-off semi-final line-ups have been decided with Edinburgh clinching third place despite losing their derby with Spartans That's because fourth-top Elgin also lost - to runners-up East Fife It means the Fifers will take on Edinburgh while Elgin face Annan who finished second bottom in the league above Bonnyrigg fall agonisingly short in their bid to avoid the Pyramid play-off to stay in League 2 A victory away to Stranraer was not enough as Forfar's draw with Stirling keeps the Angus side ahead on goal difference 41Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingShankland will 'score goals wherever he plays' - Foxpublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 3 May17:22 BST 3 MayFT: Ross County 1-3 Heart of Midlothian Interim Hearts head coach Liam Fox tells BBC Scotland: "We are delighted after a difficult week for the club "We had to fight through a period where we lost our way but stuck to what they were asked to do That shows the players' courage and we scored three really good goals "There's natural disappointment when County scored but we were asking them to be brave and pass the ball and "We did a lot of work this week on the structure of the team and how we want to create chances Lawrence Shankland will score goals wherever he plays I just felt we need him in and around the box to hopefully get him the chances he did today he usually hits the back of the net." Asked if Fox expects to be in charge against Motherwell next weekend Fox replies: "Unless I hear otherwise 174Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIME SCORESpublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 3 May17:20 BST 3 MayScottish League 1 The Championship play-off semi-final line-up are complete Queen of the South and Stenhousemuir sealing their places Cove finish second after a convincing win over Annan and will face Queen of the South who finish third after drawing with champions Arbroath into fourth after a win over Dumbarton and will face Airdrieonians who finished second bottom of the Championship 40Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingHibs see daylight in third-top racepublished at 17:15 British Summer Time 3 May17:15 BST 3 MayScottish Premiership Hibs started the day in pole position to finish third and they end it with a three-point gap between themselves and Aberdeen - and six clear of Dundee United 3811Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 3 May17:12 BST 3 MayStay with us for manager reaction from around the Premiership.. 20Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingAnd then there were three...published at 17:10 British Summer Time 3 May17:10 BST 3 MayScottish Premiership but it looks like this afternoon has shaken down the potential Hearts and Kilmarnock have healthy cushions with Dundee and Ross County in a head-to-head to avoid the play-off spot 133Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIME Dundee 1-2 Motherwellpublished at 17:06 British Summer Time 3 May17:06 BST 3 MayA sensational second-half fightback from 10-man Motherwell and Michael Wimmer's side secure their Premiership safety After a largely dominant first 45 from Dundee in which Antonio Portales' scored two beautiful volleys - albeit one ruled offside - Motherwell came out fighting in the second half and Tom Sparrow rifled the ball into the roof of the net to draw them level They kept battling after Koutroumbis was shown a red card for a challenge on Ziyad Larkeche and Tawanda Maswanhise's late header sealed all three points are just two points off second bottom Ross County 5527Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIME St Mirren 1-0 Aberdeenpublished at 17:04 British Summer Time 3 May17:04 BST 3 MayIt's another excellent outcome for St Mirren who are loving life in the top six once again safe from danger with aspirations still to chase It's unlikely Mikael Mandron's winner will deliver a European place given they have to overall an eight-point deficit to Aberdeen in three games it's not impossible and the chase for fifth is now on with Dundee United next up They will point to Jeppe Okkels' strike being ruled out for an earlier handball Watch on iPlayerAndrew PetrieBBC Sport ScotlandSt Johnstone have been given "a little lifeline" thanks to results elsewhere according to manager Simo Valakari, despite a home defeat by Kilmarnock leaving their Scottish Premiership hopes' dangling by a thread. A fine strike from young midfielder David Watson had the visitors ahead before Danny Armstrong's second-half penalty extended the gap between the sides. St Johnstone's fourth loss in five league games leaves them eight points adrift of 10th place with three games to play - and six behind Ross County in 11th. "The fight continues," Valakari told BBC Scotland. "Other results give us a little lifeline and that's what we need to grab. "We could not perform well enough today. We knew against Kilmarnock, if you go 1-0 down, it will be difficult and I'm very disappointed in how we give away the first goal. "We are very honest with ourselves, it was not good enough how we defended in crucial moments. It doesn't matter who you play, you need to be better with that." Kilmarnock are now six points above the relegation play-off spot and, having won back-to-back games, will feel a lot more comfortable about their chances of staying up. It was Derek McInnes' side who made a fast start and midfielder Watson, who has only recently come back into the team, opened the scoring with a lashed, dipping finish from the edge of the box in the 12th minute. Uche Ikpeazu, the former Hearts striker, was making his first start of the season following injury and proved to be a handful for the Kilmarnock defenders, as he was in his first spell in Scotland. He rolled Stuart Findlay to set up Makenzie Kirk, only for the young striker to shoot wide before seeing his volley from a few yards out well saved by goalkeeper Kieran O'Hara. Ikpeazu kept causing trouble in the second half, glancing a header inches wide. However, referee Ian Snedden then trotted across to the VAR screen and awarded a penalty down the other end of the pitch. Rory McKenzie, on as a half-time sub for the visitors, was caught in the penalty box by Victor Griffith and Armstrong stepped up to squeeze his penalty under the legs of goalkeeper Andy Fisher. Subscribe to get all your St Johnstone news That is almost that for St Johnstone, but they will go down sticking to the principles of play that Simo Valakari has tried to install. They were beaten by a fine strike and a penalty - two little mistakes that were severely punished. The inclusion of Ikpeazu was the eyebrow raiser, finally returning from an injury picked up before the season even started. His signing, made by Craig Levein, was supposed to be a statement of intent, but unfortunately it has gone almost totally wrong. Try as he might, it just would not come off for him. It was not for lack of effort. He was bullying defenders, holding them off or winning headers, rolling them when they came too close. A bit of match sharpness and he might have been on the scoresheet and Saints fans might be left wondering what could have been. Winless in their past 12 away games, including 10 defeats, it was about time Kilmarnock turned up on the road. The 2-0 win over Motherwell at the start of April gave McInnes' side some confidence, as did the victory over Ross County last weekend. They turned up with that confidence, starting on the front foot and rarely letting up. The restoration of Watson to the midfield was long overdue and he repaid the confidence finally shown in him. St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "Disappointment, everyone is down, but we need to pick ourselves up. We have these three matches to grab something. "No time to feel sorry for ourselves. It's hard to pick yourself up, but we need to do it." Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes: "The pitch is really difficult. We tried to play the conditions, take the anxiety out of it. Davie [Watson] has the quality to get on the road, a brilliant finish from the wee fella. "We knew the second goal didn't need to come, but ultimately you still want it. We were able to breathe easy, it put pressure on them and we stayed strong within our structure. It was a very mature, professional performance and the exact one that was needed." The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made Yellow Card at 26 minutesSubstituteshome team Yellow Card at 26 minutesSubstitutesNumber 37 Watkins Match OfficialsReferee: Iain SneddenVideo Assistant Referee: Andrew DallasAssistant Referee 1: Graeme StewartAssistant Referee 2: Alastair MatherFourth Official: Matthew MacDermidAssistant VAR Official: Gary HillandMatch StatsKey JohnstoneKeyKilmarnockOverall possessionSTJ68.5%KIL31.5%St Johnstone 18Kilmarnock 131813Shots on targetSt Johnstone 3Kilmarnock 434Total touches inside the boxSt Johnstone 20Kilmarnock 17STJ2017KILGoalkeeper savesSt Johnstone 6Kilmarnock 262Advanced match statsAttackAttackShotsSt Johnstone 3Kilmarnock 434Shots off targetSt Johnstone 6Kilmarnock 464Attempts out of boxSt Johnstone 2Kilmarnock 121DefensiveDefensiveTotal tacklesSt Johnstone 12Kilmarnock 161216Total yellow cardsSt Johnstone 2Kilmarnock 121Total clearancesSt Johnstone 23Kilmarnock 482348Headed clearancesSt Johnstone 61Kilmarnock 576157Errors leading to shotsSt Johnstone 1Kilmarnock 010DistributionDistributionTotal passesSt Johnstone 468Kilmarnock 216468216Accurate passesSt Johnstone 358Kilmarnock 9935899Backward passesSt Johnstone 59Kilmarnock 245924Forward passesSt Johnstone 196Kilmarnock 139196139Total long ballsSt Johnstone 58Kilmarnock 805880Successful final third passesSt Johnstone 68Kilmarnock 466846Total crossesSt Johnstone 681Kilmarnock 405681405Touches in the boxSt Johnstone 20Kilmarnock 172017DispossessedSt Johnstone 4Kilmarnock 242GoalkeeperGoalkeeperGoalkeeper savesSt Johnstone 1Kilmarnock 010Saved shots from inside the boxSt Johnstone 1Kilmarnock 212Saved shots from outside the boxSt Johnstone 7Kilmarnock 13713Head to HeadSeason so farScottish Premiership Johnstone have won five of their last six Scottish Premiership home games against Kilmarnock with the exception a 0-2 defeat in April 2024 Kilmarnock have won three of their last five league meetings with St as many as their previous 13 beforehand (W3 D3 L7) Johnstone have won three of their last five home league games (D1 L1) one more than across their previous 20 beforehand (W2 D5 L13) The Saints could win back-to-back home matches in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since December 2023 Kilmarnock have lost each of their last six away league games last losing seven in a row on the road in the Scottish Premiership in May 2021 under Tommy Wright en route to relegation from the division Bruce Anderson is the first player to score 10+ goals in a Scottish Premiership season for Kilmarnock since Eamonn Brophy in 2018-19 (11) Anderson has scored just two goals in 16 appearances against St only scoring fewer against Celtic (0) and Hearts (1) among sides he had faced 6+ times Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. It was a disappointing afternoon for Saints today as they lost 2-0 to Kilmarnock at McDiarmid Park The visitors took the lead on 12 minutes when David Watson fired a fine effort from the edge of the area into the net Saints had chances to get back into the game as Makenzie Kirk saw his effort deflected behind for a corner before Uche Ikpeazu was denied from close range by Killie keeper Kieran O’Hara Danny Armstrong then wrapped up the points from the penalty spot for the Ayrshire side on 53 minutes following a VAR check for a foul on Rory McKenzie by Victor Griffth Today’s result coupled with Ross County losing 3-1 at home to Hearts means Saints remain six points behind the Dingwall side who they welcome to Perth next Saturday Saints welcomed Kilmarnock to McDiarmid Park this afternoon for their first home match of the post-split fixtures There were four changes to the side which started the 3-2 defeat at Motherwell last Saturday as Sam Curtis Jason Holt and Adama Sidibeh dropped to the bench and they were replaced by Barry Douglas Kilmarnock defeated Ross County 2-0 in their last match and manager Derek McInnes decided to go with the same starting eleven which started against the Staggies at the BBSP Stadium It was a sunny afternoon in Perth as Graham Carey got the match underway for Saints Josh McPake created the first chance of the match after 2 minutes as the winger did well to cut inside from the left away from Danny Armstrong before unleashing a low strike which was blocked by the Killie defence The visitors got their first sight of goal on 6 minutes as Bruce Anderson played the ball to Fraser Murray but his strike from just outside the box was gathered at the second attempt by Andy Fisher The breakthrough came on 12 minutes as Killie took the lead Corrie Ndaba played the ball to David Watson on the edge of the box and the midfielder moved the ball onto his right foot before unleashing a strike that nestled in the corner of the net PHOTO: Graham Carey is tackled by Corrie Ndaba Great play by Uche Ikpeazu on 17 minutes saw the forward hold off the Killie defence before sending a low ball across the face of the Kilmarnock goal his shot on the turn was deflected behind for a corner by Watson Graham Carey took the corner from the right and his delivery was met by Victor Griffith who put his header wide of the target picked out Ikpeazu and the forward saw his goal bound header cleared off the line by Ndaba play was pulled back as Ikpeazu was deemed to have fouled Stuart Findlay as he got up to meet the corner Killie came close to doubling their lead on 23 minutes as Murray broke down the left channel before sending over an inviting ball into the box the winger couldn’t make a clean connection with the ball as it went out for a throw-in Saints created a great chance to level the match with 11 minutes of the first half remaining A cross into the box from Elliot Watt was met by Kirk and the header from the forward saw the ball break to Ikpeazu who unleashed a side footed volley however Killie keeper Kieran O’Hara came out to make a brilliant block PHOTO: Uche Ikpeazu’s shot is saved by Kieran O’Hara Saints continued to press for the equaliser as the match headed towards half time On 42 minutes Carey picked out Watt on the edge of the area however his first time effort went wide of the target Ikpeazu got two good chances at the start of the second half to pull Saints level Firstly on 47 minutes the forward got on the end of a Carey cross however Then 3 minutes later McPake sent over an inviting ball from the left however Play was then stopped as there was a VAR check for a potential penalty for Kilmarnock after Rory McKenzie went down in the box under the challenge from Griffith Referee Iain Snedden was called to review the incident on the monitor by VAR official Andrew Dallas before deciding to award the visitors the penalty Armstrong stepped up to take it and he sent his effort low down the middle as it came off Fisher’s legs before landing in the net Saints were awarded a free kick on 56 minutes after Ikpeazu was fouled by Robbie Deas Both Watt and Carey stood over the free kick and it was taken by the latter as he curled his effort narrowly over PHOTO: Danny Armstrong beats Andy Fisher from the penalty spot Saints then made a double change as Adama Sidibeh and Nicky Clark came on to replace Makenzie Kirk and Victor Griffith There was another VAR check on 69 minutes as Sidibeh’s shot struck Findlay however the penalty appeals were quickly dismissed following the check Saints made another change on 79 minutes as Josh McPake made way for Fran Franczak As the match entered the closing stages Saints continued to try and find a way back into the game 5 minutes of additional time was added on at the end and in the second minute of stoppage time Sidibeh’s cross from the right was met by Ikpeazu however his header was straight at O’Hara who comfortably gathered the ball as the Ayrshire side departed Perth with the points For Saints attention now turns to next weekends must win match at home to Ross County VAR: Andrew Dallas                Tickets for our trip to Perth are now on sale as we get set to take on St Johnstone on Saturday 3rd May Kilmarnock supporters will be accommodated in the north end of the Geoff Brown (Main) Stand Sales will be online only* (with the exception of wheelchair tickets) as above) – please contact our ticket office to purchase on 01738 459090 option all ticket holders must enter via turnstile 5 which will be monitored by stewards – strictly 1 adult + max 2 U12s only The family deal will only be available online Tickets should be purchased online at https://www.perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk/travelling-support and this link is now live St Johnstone Football Club can today announce that head of our youth academy will be stepping down from his role at the end of June Alistair’s contribution to this football club has been immeasurable His tireless work ethic and unwavering leadership has proven instrumental in shaping the careers of countless young footballing talents at McDiarmid Park In recognition of his outstanding commitment and success the club is pleased to confirm that Alistair will be inducted into the St Johnstone Hall of Fame at a date to be confirmed later this year While Alistair has decided the time is right to take a step back as head of our youth academy we gratefully accept his offer to stay involved on a part-time basis as club co-ordinator and liaison officer His association with our youth development structure stretches back to 1993 and even within his first couple of years in the post Alistair’s influence was clear to see he assembled a talented group of players who would navigate all the way through to the 1994/1995 Scottish Youth Cup final at Hampden Alistair’s knack for scoping out ability was quickly evident and the likes of Danny Griffin Keigan Parker and Kieran McAnespie would all rise through the ranks to star for the first team After continuing his successful career at Hibs Alistair returned to Saints at the end of 2012 where he again fostered an environment of growth The club’s youth development set-up flourished further as players transitioned seamlessly into the senior squad Alistair - alongside dedicated coaches - has revelled in watching youth academy teams lift Club Academy Scotland league and cup silverware at various age groups His guidance has also helped numerous players achieve international recognition from U16 level through to U21 and catch the eye of English Premier League clubs Chairman Adam Webb stated: “Alistair is a legend at St Johnstone We cannot hope to replace his eye for talent and his compassion for young players and their families so we are very pleased that he will continue to help us with these roles on a part-time basis.” CEO Francis Smith said: “The name Alistair Stevenson is synonymous with St Johnstone Football Club and he is a hugely respected figure across Scottish football “It was important that the club recognised just what he has done for us Alistair will of course be a valuable sounding board moving forward and we thank him greatly.” said: “Alistair's skill and dedication are second to none His devotion to our academy players and their families has contributed mightily to our success over many years.” a hard decision to make but the main reason is so that I can spend more time with my family “I’ve had so many great colleagues and made so many great friends over the years “While I have been given credit for achievements in the academy I could not have done it without the people who have worked and volunteered alongside me “This is a great football club and that is why I am more than willing to continue to help out in whatever way I can.” The club thanks Alistair for his sterling service and we look forward to celebrating his achievements at the Hall of Fame induction banquet later this year.  Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup Semi-FinalSt Johnstone v CelticSunday The second Scottish Gas Men's Scottish Cup Semi-Final sees holders Celtic take on 2021 Scottish Cup winners St Johnstone on Sunday afternoon defeating Rangers 1-0 after a late goal from Adam Idah are back at Hampden for the first time since they won the 2021 Scottish Cup Final after a win over Hibs by the same scoreline The match will kick off at 3pm and is live on Premier Sports with highlights broadcast on the BBC Scotland Channel at 7:15pm The two sides last met at this stage in the Scottish Cup in the 2006/2007 season Celtic took an early lead through Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's penalty but Martin Hardie equalised for the Perth side with a lob over Artur Boruc Vennegoor of Hesselink restored Celtic's lead early in the second half with a near-post finish and Gordon Strachan's team would then go on to lift the cup that season defeating Dunfermline Athletic 1-0 in the Scottish Cup Final Celtic have the head-to-head advantage in the league games this season and St Johnstone will have scars from heavy 6-0 and 4-0 defeats suffered to the Glasgow side before Christmas But Simo Valakari's Saints have much fonder recent memories having defeated Celtic 1-0 at McDiarmid Park early this month It was only the fourth domestic defeat Celtic have suffered this defeat and it provided a much-needed boost to St Johnstone as they battle to avoid the drop in the William Hill Premiership Holders Celtic have won the Scottish Cup on 42 occasions and they also boast a formidable record in this competition under Brendan Rodgers having won 20 out of 20 matches over the course of his two spells at the club They were tested in the Fourth Round by Kilmarnock this season and Bobby Wales' cancelled out Callum McGregor's opener just before half-time Killie pressed and harried Celtic and were very much in the game until Daizen Maeda's coolly taken finish following Nicolas Kuhn's mazey run gave Celtic the 2-1 victory Maeda then grabbed a hat-trick in the Fifth Round as Rodgers' side ran out comfortable 5-0 winners against Raith Rovers Hibs were boasting a 15-game unbeaten run in all competitions when they arrived at Celtic Park in the Quarter-Final in what looked a tough test Kieron Bowie tested Kasper Schmeichel early on to give Celtic a warning before that man Maeda opened the scoring - reacting first after goalkeeper Jordan Smith had saved Kuhn's initial shot Hibs stayed in the game without really threatening and Celtic's dominance eventually told in the last minute as last year's cup final hero Idah met Luke McCowan's cutback to confirm Celtic's place in the last four This year's Scottish Cup campaign came at the right time for St Johnstone as they ended a nine-game winless run with a 1-0 victory over Motherwell at McDiarmid Park in Round Four That victory came through a solitary Makenzie Kirk goal and 1-0 would prove a familiar scoreline for the Perth side in this competition After a largely frustrating Fifth Round tie at home to Championship strugglers Hamilton Academical Adama Sidibeh diverted Graeme Carey's long-range shot past Accies stopped Dean Lyness to grab the game's only goal with three minutes remaining Carey would play an even bigger role in the Quarter-Final as St Johnstone travelled to Livingston David Martindale's Livi had the better of the first half but Saints got a grip on the match in the second period and the game was settled by a wondergoal from the St Johnstone midfielder Carey who led fly from fully 30 yards into the top right hand corner of the goal St Johnstone have won 7 of their last 13 matches in all competitions since that victory over Motherwell in the Fourth Round and they will be aiming to keep up their impressive clean sheet record in the Scottish Cup as they go into the Semi-Finals St Johnstone's Barry Douglas: "From the moment I started to immerse myself in football as a kid I knew that the Scottish Cup was something special I can’t say that there was one final or one moment that was a catalyst for that but there was always a dream to play at Hampden Although you might think you know who is going to win Every Scottish Cup game I’ve been involved with even when I was in the lower leagues with Queen’s Park “Then it was about trying to win the competition with Dundee United Now I’ve got a semi-final to look forward to with St Johnstone.” Celtic's Viljami Sinisalo: “It’s a great place to play football I played 45 minutes for Finland here (against Scotland),so good memories from Hampden "It was nice to play and I’m looking forward to going back It’ll be really interesting and there’ll be a lot of fans there so hopefully we can put on a show for them "We’ve got to make sure we do the business These are the games you want to be involved in every footballer wants to play for big things and that’s what we’re doing at the minute so we’re very much looking forward to that and our sights are very You can hear more from Barry Douglas and Viljami Sinisalo in Sunday's match programme, which can purchased at Hampden or here. with highlights on the BBC Scotland Channel on Sunday evening Programmes are available now through Ignition Sport Media To purchase your copy online, click here Both B5 size 68-page publications are packed full of exclusive content from the semi-finalists plotting their respective journeys to the final-four of the competition as well as historical lookbacks and analysis These official match-day publications are available around Hampden on matchday priced at £5 each as well as available for home delivery from the above link Want to advertise on this site? Email for further details.© The Scottish Football Association 2025 will soon learn if there’s any chance of defender where the centre-back’s hamstring injury will be assessed The 20-year-old’s absence has been a big blow to Saints’ hopes of staying the Premiership with a makeshift backline toiling against Motherwell on Saturday Valakari fully accepts that the McDiarmid Park side’s relegation battle won’t be at the front of the Charlton medical staff’s minds when they decide whether Mitchell can make a push to return before the season concludes “Zach has gone back down to Charlton as we planned,” the Finn reported “We are just waiting to hear what is happening “Charlton will make their decision based on what they think is best for Zach and they won’t take any risks with him “When you sign a loan player you know how this works so we just have to be patient and see what Charlton decide “If it was one of our players on loan at another club “Charlton will be looking at Zach’s career for next season so that will be a big part of their decision We just have to wait and see what they think.” Mitchell would strengthen the team at either centre-half or full-back Valakari said: “Is this the worst I have experienced with injuries “Yes, of course. Especially with our situation. “But there is nothing we can do about it other than come together and work hard on getting everyone familiar with their positions but we are doing everything in training to give them as many experiences as we can “Training is planned so that defenders are exposed to all different situations because that is the only way to learn “We have to do that as quickly as possible and fix as much as we can in a short space of time in matches things happen that you can’t totally plan for “It’s about giving them as much information about the opponents as you can and also preparing them in training for what is likely to happen “They are all working hard and are desperate to do well for the team and the club.” After taking over from Craig Levein, Valakari immediately identified central defence as the area most in need attention – and free agent, Bozo Mikulic, was his first signing. Mitchell and Daniels Balodis were added to the squad in January with the latter now the last and only centre-back left standing From the end of January to the start of April “Every successful team is built on having a solid defence and that mostly comes from the experience of playing together,” said Valakari Celtic – they all have a strong backline and that is the foundation of being successful “We have a lot of problems and it has made our situation difficult “There are four games more to fight so we can’t think about anything other than Kilmarnock this weekend and finding a way to win “It all has to be about Saturday and trying to find the keys to getting three points “All our effort is on trying to maximise our chances against Killie which players are available for the next match and then start planning for that one.” McGregor flashes in from 18 yards & Maeda slides in soon after; Idah bundles in third before Maeda nets fourth St Johnstone substitute Kirk has stunning strike ruled out after VAR review & Celtic penalty also overturned before Jota nets fifth Holders Celtic will face Aberdeen in final on 24 May St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari tells BBC Scotland: "That's what Celtic can do to any team in Scotland we didn't do enough good things to get anything out of it of course it wasn't what we wanted but that was our 2025 cup journey because we don't have the time or points to do it "In the second half we showed character to express better than what we did for the last 15 minutes of the first half "There is no opponent who will help us We own our own performance - there is no fear we will go with full attack and see where we are." 467Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Magnificent seven for Celtic'published at 17:28 British Summer Time 20 April17:28 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic Allan PrestonFormer St Johnstone defender on BBC Radio Scotland To have seven players on 10 goals or more is unbelievable They have got goal threats all over the pitch You think of the chances they have missed as well They create chance after chance after chance 6115Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWatch: Celtic cruise into cup finalpublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 20 April17:25 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic The will be Sportscene highlights and analysis at 19:15 BST on BBC Scotland Celtic hit five past St Johnstone to cruise into Scottish Cup final 4917Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRodgers close to third treblepublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 20 April17:22 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic Brendan Rodgers has overseen two of the eight domestic trebles won by Celtic With the League Cup in the cabinet and no real Premiership title challenge to speak of he is one game away from his own slice of history 9015Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We've got to keep it going'published at 17:19 British Summer Time 20 April17:19 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers tells Premier Sports: "The start of the game was why we kept the same team "You have to be really aggressive in your press and thankfully we were able to do that You wouldn't have wanted to play out there but the players were brilliant and the concentration was really good "What we had to reinforce last week was what we're all about When you're passive and play sideways They are an incredible group who want to improve and win "[Callum McGregor] is such a unique player with the balance he brings "We've got to keep it going and finish off what could be a fantastic season." 9422Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 17:15 British Summer Time 20 April17:15 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic The last Celtic - Aberdeen Scottish Cup final was in 2017 with Tom Rogic finding a stoppage-time winner Jonny Hayes had given the Dons an early lead but Stuart Armstrong levelled soon after Tom Rogic celebrates his dramatic late goal at Hampden in 2017 8623Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 20 April17:12 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic Celtic and Aberdeen played out an epic semi-final in last season's Scottish Cup sharing six goals before Brendan Rodgers' side prevailed on penalties It was a different story in the last four of the League Cup this term The most recent Premiership meeting was one-sided too The other meetings this season have been tighter a 1-0 success for Celtic at Pittodrie and a 2-2 draw in Glasgow in October 4114Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 17:07 British Summer Time 20 April17:07 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic A reminder that Callum McGregor has never lost a cup final He's got eight League Cup winners' medals and will be aiming for a seventh in this tournament next month 12833Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 17:05 British Summer Time 20 April17:05 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic That was Callum McGregor's 10th goal of the season The first time the Celtic captain has reached double figures since 2019-20 Celtic now have seven players with 10 or more goals this term 11318Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'The demand is always there'published at 17:02 British Summer Time 20 April17:02 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic Celtic captain and player of the match Callum McGregor tells Premier Sports: "A lot of football to be played before [the final] so work to do "I was feeling good about arriving into the box and thankfully it went in "After the game up there [at McDiarmid Park] it was a nice reminder that you have to stay on it The demand is always there to want more and keep pushing." 12118Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'No shame for St Johnstone'published at 17:00 British Summer Time 20 April17:00 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic St Johnstone were well beaten by a terrific side but there was no shame in their performance They battled away in the second half and scored a good goal that was ruled out 11835Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFive-star performancepublished at 16:57 British Summer Time 20 April16:57 BST 20 AprilFT: St Johnstone 0-5 Celtic It took Celtic 34 minutes to break St Johnstone down with captain Callum McGregor curling home a fine strike The cup holders then banged in three more goals in a devastating period before the interval with Daizen Maeda getting a brace either side of Adam Idah's close-range finish 17727Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIME St Johnstone 0-5 Celticpublished at 90 mins90 minsNo added time after two VAR delays and a rash of substitutions.. Celtic demolish St Johnstone to set up a Scottish Cup final with Aberdeen on 24 May 30682Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 90 mins90 minsSt Johnstone 0-5 Celtic It's been a tough watch for Saints boss Simo Valakari 21951Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 88 mins88 minsSt Johnstone 0-5 Celtic Celtic are still in the mood for more goals stringing together a long sequence of passes before Jota fires over 26548Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'McGregor dictates'published at 16:47 British Summer Time 20 April16:47 BST 20 AprilSt Johnstone 0-5 Celtic Pat BonnerFormer Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound even though we think of him as a holding midfielder 48360Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 84 mins84 minsSt Johnstone 0-5 Celtic BBC Scotland pundits Pat Bonner and Allan Preston are in agreement that Celtic skipper Callum McGregor is today's player-of-the-match He scored the first and set up the second in this rout 34652Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingYELLOW CARDpublished at 78 mins78 minsSt Johnstone 0-5 Celtic Celtic sub Luke McCowan goes into the ref's book for nibbling at the ankles of Taylor Steven Jason Holt can't do anything with the free-kick 94174Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingHampden bouncing as Celtic celebratepublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 20 April16:39 BST 20 AprilSt Johnstone 0-5 Celtic Martin DowdenBBC Sport Scotland at Hampden Park This stadium is actually bouncing as Celtic march towards another final You have to feel for the St Johnstone fans This was meant to be a distraction from their relegation fight 39592Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingIkpeazu enterspublished at 16:39 British Summer Time 20 April16:39 BST 20 AprilSt Johnstone 0-5 Celtic 9394Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingprevious pagePage 1 of 51234…5next pageThis video can not be played Ruthless Celtic scored four goals in 12 stunning first-half minutes against St Johnstone to set up a Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen and remain on course for a record-extending ninth domestic treble. Brendan Rodgers, whose own unbeaten Hampden run extends to 14 games, will bring his side back to the national stadium on Saturday, 24 May - live on the BBC - in search of a third consecutive Scottish Cup. Celtic fans could confirm that date in the diary by half-time as they were already home and hosed following an utterly rampant finish to the first half. Having penned St Johnstone into their own final third since the first peep of the whistle, the holders found their deserved breakthrough via captain Callum McGregor's peach of a placed strike. Why McGregor is 'glue' that binds Rodgers' Celtic Celtic's Scottish Cup dominance in numbers Premiership quartet fight for three European spots The goalscorer turned provider, threading through a perfectly-weighted pass for the onrushing Daizen Maeda. It shouldn't have reached him, but the sliding Sam Curtis skewed his interception, allowing the Japan international to slot in. Adam Idah tapped in the third a minute before the break, with Maeda rounding off a menacing press with his 33rd goal of the season 90 seconds later. Four goals in 12 minutes as St Johnstone went from dreaming to destroyed. Simo Valakari's side, who defeated Celtic in the league two weeks ago, would have been forgiven for wanting to hide in the changing room or head back up the road. Instead, they were forced to suffer through a scarring second half, where Rodgers inflicted further pain by bringing on the likes of Nicolas Kuhn and Jota. The latter squeezed in a fifth from the acutest of angles moments after an on-field penalty award for James Forrest was overturned by VAR. That was the second time referee Calum Scott was called to the monitor after the break, after Mackenzie Kirk's spectacular finish at 4-0 was reviewed, then disallowed, on a day that everything that could go against St Johnstone did. Wholesome moment as Jota celebrates with young fan Full-back Alistair Johnston said last week the defeat in Perth was a well-needed wake-up call for Celtic. Well, they were alive and kicking here. When in such a frightening mood, no one can lay a glove on them domestically. The speed they hit it, the ferocity they pounced with, and the intent they showed were all of the highest of level. It really was a matter of how many they wanted. Maeda and Forrest ran riot down the flanks and there was a scarcely believable amount of space for the midfielders to work their magic. To be able to bring on Kuhn, Jota, Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo with the game long done and dusted, is a luxury every team in the land must envy. Rodgers' remarkable record at Hampden was never in doubt of being spoiled, and should his side turn up in similar fashion next month against Aberdeen, you'd expect it would remain intact then, too. Yet another domestic treble appears only a matter of 90 minutes or so away. Doing so at such apparent ease is quite the indication of their superiority. Since that potentially priceless league win at McDiarmid Park earlier this month, many feared for St Johnstone in this semi-final. Valakari's side had poked the bear. Though they expected Celtic to be fuelled by revenge, they couldn't have prepared for the utter shellacking they suffered. To put it simply, St Johnstone were outclassed and punished for any mistake they made on the few occasions they were in possession. There will be moments in which Valakari and his players will have wanted to do better – intercepting the second and building out from the back better for the fourth – but all told, they were overwhelmed. Though shipping five is far from ideal, there were genuine fears at half time that the scoreline could have read much worse for a side who have five games left to try and save their Premiership status. 'Celtic having seven players on 10 goals or more is unbelievable' Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "I'm very impressed. Once we got the opening goal, we go on and produce a brilliant performance. "Today was about getting into the final and the players did that with a great performance. Our concentration level was very high, scored five and could have had one or two others. "Five league games [left] and we want to finish as well as we can. It's been a long season, the players have put in so much work - it's been phenomenal." St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "That's what Celtic can do to any team; they are relentless. No excuses, we didn't do enough good things to get anything. "We can't give silly goals away, because we don't have the time or points to do it. That's what we are working on. "I'm proud of my players, of course it wasn't what we wanted but that was our 2025 cup journey." Kimpioka at 46 minutesSubstituteshome team substituted for Paulo Bernardo at 70 minutesNumber 42 substituted for Jota at 63 minutesNumber 49 Trusty Match OfficialsReferee: Calum ScottVideo Assistant Referee: Andrew DallasAssistant Referee 1: Graeme StewartAssistant Referee 2: Dougie PotterFourth Official: Steven McLeanAssistant VAR Official: Alan MulvannyMatch StatsKey JohnstoneKeyCelticOverall possessionSTJ36%CEL64%St Johnstone 1Celtic 717Advanced match statsAttackAttackShotsSt Johnstone 1Celtic 414DefensiveDefensiveFoulsSt Johnstone 9Celtic 16916Total yellow cardsSt Johnstone 1Celtic 111GoalkeeperGoalkeeperGoalkeeper savesSt Johnstone 2Celtic 020Saved shots from outside the boxSt Johnstone 11Celtic 1111Head to HeadSeason so farScottish Cup We are pleased to confirm special ticketing offers for supporters ahead of upcoming post-split home fixtures at McDiarmid Park For both the match against Kilmarnock on Saturday May 3 (3pm kick-off) and the fixture against Ross County on Saturday we’re offering a “Bring a Friend for Free” deal exclusively for season ticket holders.  You can secure your bring a friend ticket for both matches HERE We’re also introducing a great value 'Ormond Unit' deal in the Ormond Stand You can get your Ormond Unit tickets HERE Regular ticketing prices for these matches are £20 for adults and £10 for concessions The family deal for an adult and two under-12s is £15 You can purchase individual tickets HERE ticketing details for our final home match against Dundee on Sunday has no interest in becoming the next manager of HJK in Finland It has been reported in Valakari’s homeland that the Helsinki club have identified him as a leading candidate to replace Toni Korkeakunnas who has been sacked just five games into their season Saints are clinging onto their Premiership status by their fingernails after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Kilmarnock But Courier Sport understands Valakari is totally committed to his job at McDiarmid Park When he was appointed at Craig Levein’s successor he knew that turning the ship around would be a big task Injuries in defence have piled up for Saints at the worst possible time with midfielders and forwards tasked with plugging gaps Beating Ross County next weekend would keep the great escape dream alive. is committed to the long-term project sold to him by new owner who has backed him to stay in post whatever the outcome of the relegation battle With only three games left of the season and another defeat to their name St Johnstone’s relegation to the Championship hasn’t yet been sealed Perth supporters who left McDiarmid Park after watching their side lose 2-0 to Kilmarnock talking up the prospect of a final fortnight great escape Second bottom Ross County falling to their sixth defeat in a row may have left them a “lifeline” but the Highlanders’ collapse also serves to make Saints’ own failure to capitalise all the more frustrating when you’re failing to sort your own performance levels out Courier Sport picks out three talking points from Saturday’s match. It’s a grim state of affairs when you’re comparing the three goals conceded against Motherwell to the two Kilmarnock strikes and arriving at the conclusion last weekend’s were more palatable Tony Watt ruthlessly exposed defenders playing out of position and out of form The David Watson opener for Killie and the incident that led to the VAR penalty were far more infuriating to not put his laces through the ball when it came to him on the goal-line was inexplicable anybody who has watched St Johnstone week after week this season would have got that familiar sinking feeling of an imminent goal This should have been coached out of a centre-half before he reached the age of 10 and certainly won’t have been coached into him at McDiarmid when it came to pressing once Kilmarnock were in possession in and around Saints’ penalty box two home players showed the required technique Victor Griffith lacked all three when he stuck out a lazy leg as Rory McKenzie took him on early in the second half The long delay for the ball to go out of play and the referee to be sent to check his pitch-side monitor naturally produces a feeling of being aggrieved but this was the type of challenge in the 18-yard area that VAR officials will be all over 10 times out of 10 a left-back at centre-half and a central midfielder turned centre-half at right-back was actually pretty solid as a unit for most of this game – far more so than the backline at Motherwell I can’t recall a game against Kilmarnock in recent memory when Saints were as comfortable dealing with balls into the box from dead balls and open play as this which suggest training ground work paying off But it doesn’t count for anything if you commit the sort of penalty box schoolboy errors that led to the two goals That Uche Ikpeazu was able to complete a full match would have surprised everybody in the ground There was no risk to his knee in keeping the powerhouse on the pitch and no sign of him running on fumes by the end of the contest It’s a credit to the man himself and Saints’ new physio, Caitlin Wright. Makenzie Kirk should have scored from a low cut-back he sent into a dangerous area from the left and then the roles were reversed later in the first half when the 30-year-old couldn’t direct a close-range volley past Killie goalkeeper There was a back post miss shortly after the break and a header he should have buried on 50 minutes – thank goodness he didn’t because it would have been disallowed as this was during the spell between Griffith’s challenge on McKenzie and referee Ikpeazu was still winning headers in injury-time long after some team-mates had resigned themselves to defeat been a prolific finisher so it’s likelier that the opportunities the former Hearts man passed up were just part of the package rather than a consequence of rustiness But if Saints are going to score goals in the last three games it’s a good bet Ikpeazu will be involved in them There are so many imponderables in football particularly when a team is hurtling towards relegation like this St Johnstone one Accusing players of not showing enough fight is a grey area at the best of times You have to factor in the mental aspect of playing the game which can often inhibit an athlete and make it appear to those of us in the stand that he isn’t putting in as much effort as this situation But what can be said with confidence is that it’s never a good look when two young fringe players show a greater willingness to take the ball than far more experienced peers Taylor Steven and Josh McPake shouldn’t be outshining others as markedly as they are And that’s without either being above a seven or eight out of 10 This isn’t a team which has “chucked it” to dig out the infamous words of Steven MacLean after what turned out to be his last game in charge. But there are a few senior pros who are getting very close to hiding in the dressing room has never been as stark in the post-January section of the season as it is now Valakari must be struggling to accept that his relentless positivity and commitment to raising standards on the training ground isn’t producing a going down with a fight finale from players who beat champions Celtic just a month ago. desperation and controlled aggression that flirted with uncontrolled at the start of the post-split phase of the campaign Quantifying what that looks like isn’t easy Too many are giving off the air of believing their fate has been sealed They should be raging against the dying of the light Remember we will back with live coverage of Sunday's two Premiership games Rangers travel to Aberdeen needing a draw to prevent city rivals Celtic clinching another Scottish title That's the early kick-off at high noon with third-top Hibs entertaining relegation-threatened Dundee at 14:30 123Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWatch Premiership highlightspublished at 17:59 British Summer Time 12 April17:59 BST 12 AprilBBC Scotland That's about all from us here on the website but remember that highlights of today's three Premiership games will be on Sportscene at 19:15 on the BBC Scotland channel and repeated at 23:30 on BBC One Scotland 70Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We could do better' despite win - Goodwinpublished at 17:57 British Summer Time 12 April17:57 BST 12 AprilFT: Dundee United 1-0 St Johnstone Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin is still looking for improvement despite a win that puts his side level on points with third-top Hibs "It pretty much panned out how we thought it would prior to kick off," he tells BBC Scotland "We spoke about trying to press high up the pitch and be aggressive and I think we forced them to go longer than they would have liked a lot of the time "There are things we could do better - we could be better on the ball and in possession "We didn't really create enough clear cut chances from open play." 156Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Hearts short of leadership'published at 17:51 British Summer Time 12 April17:51 BST 12 AprilFT: Motherwell 0-0 Heart of Midlothian Michael StewartFormer Hearts midfielder on Sportsound 3410Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingCritchley laments recurring problemspublished at 17:49 British Summer Time 12 April17:49 BST 12 AprilFT: Motherwell 0-0 Heart of Midlothian Hearts head coach Neil Critchley says it is "a hugely disappointing day" to miss out on a top-six place "We didn't do enough to win the game," he tells BBC Scotland "The first half was cagey from both teams We were too slow with the ball and made too many mistakes "We changed at half-time and played more simple football got the ball forward quicker and created some good chances That's probably the story of not just today but a few other performances where you could point to us being wasteful in front of goal "It was a tactical decision [the half-time changes] - it wasn't a reflection of the players' performance I thought in the second half we were in control of the territory but we didn't do enough in and around the goal." 1329Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'Incredible achievement' for St Mirren - Robinsonpublished at 17:45 British Summer Time 12 April17:45 BST 12 AprilFT: St Mirren 3-2 Ross County St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson describes reaching the top six for a third season running as "an incredible achievement" "To achieve this level of consistency with the resources we have it's an outstanding achievement from everybody at the football club," he tells BBC Scotland I'm delighted with the group of players I'm delighted that they've achieved this you get what you deserve and we've deserved to be a top-six side." 765Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBonnyrigg heading for play-offpublished at 17:44 British Summer Time 12 April17:44 BST 12 AprilScottish League 2 It's not looking good for Bonnyrigg at the foot of the SPFL after a 2-0 defeat at home to second-top East Fife - and seven points adrift of second-bottom Forfar Forfar's draw away to Clyde means they both move further clear of the Pyramid Play-off spot Leaders Peterhead and third-top Edinburgh also won but Stirling move to within two points of fourth-placed Elgin 40Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingCounty should've taken point - Cowiepublished at 17:40 British Summer Time 12 April17:40 BST 12 AprilFT: St Mirren 3-2 Ross County Ross County manager Don Cowie is frustrated at St Mirren's late winner "Our players put everything into it," he tells BBC Scotland we looked like the team that was maybe going to go on and win the game it's important that you don't lose the game That's the frustrating aspect of the game I saw an awful lot that I really enjoyed from my team "We know where we are and we have to get ready for five really big 214Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharing'We do the right things' - Valakaripublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 12 April17:37 BST 12 AprilFT: Dundee United 1-0 St Johnstone St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari tells BBC Scotland: "Overall We knew it would be tight margins and unfortunately the goal we concede comes from a crazy thing happening "Everyone who watched today saw what we are all about 117Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingDisappointed Wimmer settles for pointpublished at 17:35 British Summer Time 12 April17:35 BST 12 AprilFT: Motherwell 0-0 Heart of Midlothian Motherwell manager Michael Wimmer tells BBC Scotland: "I'm a little bit disappointed - the guys in the dressing room were disappointed so at that point I was okay to get the point because it could be important [later in the season] "I feel sorry for the guys that they can't reward themselves for the effort but you saw after the game the fans appreciated the effort "I'm okay with the point because Hearts is a strong opponent if you see the expectations Now I know what we have to develop and what you need in this league to be successful." 136Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 17:31 British Summer Time 12 April17:31 BST 12 AprilStay with us for manager reaction from the three Premiership games 30Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingWill Arbroath clinch title live on BBC?published at 17:27 British Summer Time 12 April17:27 BST 12 AprilScottish League 1 Arbroath are on the brink of clinching the title despite second-top Cove's win away to Dumbarton The Red Lichties are eight points clear and a win over third-placed Stenhousemuir in the match about to kick-off live on BBC Alba will be enough to secure promotion back to the Championship Kelty marked their first game since Charlie Mulgrew resigned as manager with a win in Inverness Watch Arbroath v Stenhousemuir on BBC Alba. 100Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingScenes in Paisleypublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 12 April17:25 BST 12 AprilFT: St MIrren 3-2 Ross County The scenes in Paisley as St Mirren secure top six place 7812Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingMisfiring Heartspublished at 17:22 British Summer Time 12 April17:22 BST 12 AprilFT: Motherwell 0-0 Heart of Midlothian Hearts have failed to score in their latest three games in the Premiership Their last longer run of games without scoring a goal in the competition was a run of four games from 31 October 2018 to 24 November 2018 Lawrence Shankland missed two good opportunities in the second half 3616Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingLivingston reignite title challenge?published at 17:17 British Summer Time 12 April17:17 BST 12 AprilScottish Championship Livingston held on for victory in Greenock to move to within six points of second-tier leaders Falkirk Maybe David Martindale was premature with his suggestion that his rivals had also won the title Queen's Park drop to second bottom after losing at home to Dunfermline while Hamilton also rise to seventh after their win at Firhill Airdrieonians are only five behind Queen's Park after their draw away to Raith Rovers who are now two off Partick Thistle in fourth Jamie Gullan rescued a point for Raith Rovers 413Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIME RESULTSpublished at 17:13 British Summer Time 12 April17:13 BST 12 AprilScottish League 2 70Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIME RESULTSpublished at 17:13 British Summer Time 12 April17:13 BST 12 AprilScottish League 1 12Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIME RESULTSpublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 12 April17:12 BST 12 AprilScottish Championship 62Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingBuddies break Hearts and Wellpublished at 17:06 British Summer Time 12 April17:06 BST 12 AprilScottish Premiership What a topsy turvy day that was in the race for a top-six finish it was all down to the action as it fluctuated one way then the other in Paisley Eventually it was St Mirren who prevailed thanks to Roland Idowu's winner in a 3-2 victory over Ross County Dundee United are now just behind third-top Hibs after a Emmanuel Adegboyega goal leaves St Johnstone five adrift of Dundee at the bottom 8516Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFULL-TIME Dundee United 1-0 St Johnstonepublished at 17:02 British Summer Time 12 April17:02 BST 12 AprilDundee United thwart a St Johnstone fightback to strengthen their bid for third place as they move level on points with Hibs Saints failed to defend the set-piece with the ball bouncing to Emmanuel Adegboyega at the front post for the defender to tap in what proved to be the winner St Johnstone remain five behind Dundee at the bottom Emmanuel Adegboyega's goal separated the sides Watch Dundee Utd v St Johnstone highlights Watch on iPlayerBrian McLauchlinBBC Sport Scotland Senior ReporterDundee United boss Jim Goodwin praised his side's "great resilience" as they recorded a third consecutive clean sheet to edge out St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership and strengthen their bid for European football. Defender Emmanuel Adegboyega profited from slack set-piece defending to tap in the first-half winner and move the hosts level on points with third-place Hibernian. St Johnstone, who boosted their survival hopes last weekend with a shock win over Celtic, responded strongly in the second half but could not find an equaliser and remain five points behind Dundee at the foot of the table. "Our defensive record this season has been really good and the last three weeks in particular, three back-to-back clean sheets," Goodwin told BBC Scotland. "Of course we'd like to score more goals and make it a little bit more comfortable than what it has been but the group has shown great resilience. "In the dying moments St Johnstone threw everything at it and we got some great blocks in." The decisive moment came when a corner was played deep to the back post and Declan Gallagher knocked the ball back across for on-loan Norwich City defender Adegboyega to convert. Although the hosts had control of the game, St Johnstone came close to an equaliser before half-time through Stephen Duke-McKenna and Victor Griffith. The visitors had a real go in the second period and ended with five strikers on the pitch, but it was United who looked more likely to extend their lead. Gallagher twice had free headers that he couldn't bury, while Louis Moult passed up a golden opportunity when one-on-one with Andy Fisher, who made a stunning block. Substitute Josh McPake had two powerful drives deflected wide as Saints searched desperately for an equaliser, while Benjamin Kimpioka also fired wide. On current form, United are more than worthy of their place at the top end of the table. The players are showing a confidence that has been evident for the vast majority of the season and it's clear to see the fans, who are turning up in great numbers, are enjoying the work ethic and quality on show. The only worry is that Sam Dalby, United's top scorer, went off injured in the second half. He will be a huge loss if he misses any of the remaining games. The emergence of Sam Cleall-Harding has soothed injury worries in defence and the 19-year-old looked solid in just his second outing. The final five games will ultimately decide if Europe awaits for United but, regardless, this season is one to remember for the Tannadice club. Although they left Tannadice without any points, the Saints fans could not fault the attitude or application from the players at Tannadice. They refused to give up until the final whistle, still creating chances despite the odds going against them. Although plenty was made of the original strikeforce of Kimpioka and Adama Sidibeh at the start of the season, they don't seem to have the clinical edge in front of goal that could save the Perth side. Saints are the joint lowest scorers in the division and while they registered 15 shots - compared to United's nine - just two were on target. Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin: "There are things we could do better, we could be better on the ball and in possession, we didn't really create enough clear-cut chances from open play." St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari: "Overall, we played well. We knew it would be tight margins and unfortunately the goal we concede comes from a crazy thing happening. "The boys put everything in. We created chances and now the regular season is done. Five games to go, the fight continues." Watt Match OfficialsReferee: Dan McFarlaneVideo Assistant Referee: Andrew DallasAssistant Referee 1: David RoomeAssistant Referee 2: Brian ChristieFourth Official: Grant IrvineAssistant VAR Official: Dougie PotterMatch StatsKey JohnstoneOverall possessionDUU44.3%STJ55.7%Dundee United 44.3%St Johnstone 151015Shots on targetDundee United 4St Johnstone 242Total touches inside the boxDundee United 26St Johnstone 15DUU2615STJGoalkeeper savesDundee United 2St Johnstone 565Advanced match statsAttackAttackShotsDundee United 10St Johnstone 242Shots off targetDundee United 4St Johnstone 646Blocked shotsDundee United 2St Johnstone 727Attempts out of boxDundee United 1St Johnstone 717Total offsideDundee United 1St Johnstone 111DefensiveDefensiveTotal tacklesDundee United 13St Johnstone 131313Won tacklesDundee United 4St Johnstone 141514Total yellow cardsDundee United 1St Johnstone 212Total clearancesDundee United 35St Johnstone 243524Headed clearancesDundee United 21St Johnstone 122112Duels wonDundee United 72St Johnstone 567256DistributionDistributionTotal passesDundee United 329St Johnstone 401329401Accurate passesDundee United 239St Johnstone 308239308Backward passesDundee United 51St Johnstone 635163Forward passesDundee United 137St Johnstone 170137170Total long ballsDundee United 57St Johnstone 755775Successful final third passesDundee United 45St Johnstone 764576Total crossesDundee United 10St Johnstone 261026TouchesDundee United 515St Johnstone 595515595Touches in the boxDundee United 26St Johnstone 152615DispossessedDundee United 9St Johnstone 999GoalkeeperGoalkeeperGoalkeeper savesDundee United 2St Johnstone 323Diving savesDundee United 1St Johnstone 111Saved shots from inside the boxDundee United 1St Johnstone 212Saved shots from outside the boxDundee United 1St Johnstone 111Keeper throwsDundee United 4St Johnstone 4134Head to HeadSeason so farScottish Premiership Scroll LeftScroll RightDundee United have won both of their league meetings with St but haven’t won three in a row against the Saints in the top-flight since January 2002 under Alex Smith (run of 4) Johnstone have lost each of their last four league games against newly promoted opposition (2 v Dundee last season as many as their previous 29 beforehand (W10 D15 L4) Dundee United have 47 points in 32 Scottish Premiership games this season (W13 D8 L11); since the competition rebrand in 2013 only four newly promoted sides have had 50+ points from 33 games when the division splits into the top and bottom halves: Hearts in 2015-16 (60) After only winning four of their first 23 league games this season (D3 L16) Johnstone have since won four of their last nine (D2 L3) beating league leaders Celtic 1-0 last time out Johnstone have 29 points in 32 Scottish Premiership games this season (W8 D5 L19); since the competition rebrand in 2013 only four sides have had fewer than 30 points when the league splits into two halves after 33 games and avoided relegation: Hamilton Academical in 2018-19 Important supporter information ahead of Saturday's clash with St Johnstone The CalForth Construction Arena at Tannadice Park A limited number of match tickets available you can buy your ticket right up until kick-off – giving you the flexibility to join us at Tannadice even at the last minute To make your entry as smooth as possible, we strongly recommend purchasing online in advance and most efficient way to secure your seat U12 - £5 Lower only with a full-paying adult Arrive hassle-free by downloading your digital Season Ticket onto your mobile device CLICK HERE for more details! CLICK HERE to shop online - while stocks last! The Hegarty Suite will be open from 11am for this fixture The CalForth Signature Garden will also be open for this match with supporters being able to enjoy a drink outside Here’s what you can look forward to:  Winners will be announced live via our PA system and the big screen at half-time with results also being posted on our social media channels you can secure your entry with a £2 donation per ticket which can be made with either cash or card from DUDA sellers in and around the stadium one hour ahead of kick-off Click here to check previous winners! If you're not at Tannadice, we'll have live action on DUTV! *Subscribers are advised to log in early ahead of kick-off to ensure their account is active We will have a holding screen live from 2pm to allow all subscribers time to connect Dundee City Council has introduced a restricted parking zone around the stadium New signage will be erected at the perimeter of the zone advising that parking restrictions apply when football matches are being played Residents will be able to apply for an exemption allowing them to park within the zone.  Attendants will be in the area to enforce the Pavement Parking initiative and tickets will be issued to any vehicles parked on paving areas CLICK HERE for full details! Supporters are advised that while cash will no longer be accepted inside the CalForth Construction Arena at Tannadice Park our Club Shop and Ticket Office will continue to have cash and cashless options available for now George Fox and Jerry Kerr stands will be open for Dundee United supporters St Johnstone supporters will occupy the Carling Stand.  Supporters are reminded that using pyrotechnics and entering the field of play are criminal offences - and may result in severe sanctions to the club and the individual.  Pyrotechnic use - even possession in a public place of an unlit device - is now a criminal offence it is also a real danger to all persons within the immediate vicinity Police Scotland further advises us that any person identified as having possession of a pyrotechnic will be arrested – either at the time or later as part of an investigation Those arrested and charged may be subject to a Football Banning Order.  Anyone identified by stewards or Police as having a pyrotechnic device will be prevented from entering the stadium may be arrested and may be subject to a Club ban.  Any person with full face masks/balaclavas will be denied entry Any person over-intoxicated will be refused entry Any person in possession of a pyrotechnic will be passed to the Police The Killie boss says St Johnstone won't be short of belief or motivation. The clash between the two at McDiarmid Park this weekend could see Kilmarnock take a huge step away from ending up in the relegation play-off and deliver another blow to the Perth side as they look for a miraculous escape from the drop. But that situation makes McInnes more wary of the opposition, as he says they have the ability to get the results they need and are full of hunger and desire. “St Johnstone are possibly in the last chance saloon in terms of winning games, but we’re well aware of their threats,” he said. “St Johnstone can beat us on any given day, they’ve shown that this season and they can beat other teams. “They are a team that puts bodies forward. You’ve got to praise Simo for that “I think he’s got a really big squad to choose from, and sometimes you’re never really sure who’s playing. “They have a couple of defensive injuries but they’ve got good players and I think that a lot of their best players are probably attacking players. “So with that in mind I think, you normally see an attacking approach from St Johnstone and I firmly believe that will be the case. “They will come right after us, they will see this as a big chance for them, they are at home and we have got to be ready to fight fire with fire, as we will do.” St Johnstone are six points adrift of Ross County in 11th place but with four games left to play, and those two still to face each other, McInnes doesn’t think there’ll be any shortage of belief and confidence in the opposition ranks, and he needs his side to match that. “If I was the St Johnstone manager, I’d still feel we had a real chance,” he said. “I feel that when you hear Simo speak, he’s full of belief and full of encouragement for his players to believe that they can get a result. “And they’ll be thinking that if they can go and win the next couple of games, then they’re right back in it. “I think Motherwell are now the only team in the bottom six who can breathe a bit easier after their win last weekend and there’s still work for us all to do and we are well aware of that.” STV News is now on WhatsAppGet all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Follow STV News on WhatsAppScan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country '+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text+' "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title+" "+scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text+" Simo Valakari has admitted that his St Johnstone team are letting Ross County off the hook in the Premiership basement battle The Dingwall men have now been beaten six times in a row including their latest match against Hearts Saints could have set-up an opportunity to leapfrog County next weekend but lost themselves Valakari knows the Perth side haven’t earned their “lifeline” And time is running out for them to take it “The fight continues because the other results mean we still have a lifeline,” said the Finn “It’s getting more and more difficult and it’s more likely that next week is our last chance “We’ll be playing against our direct opponents and there’s no other option than to keep pushing “It sounds crazy – and people outside will not believe it “Our problem has been that we haven’t been able to capitalise on other results going our way “The teams above us have been able to lose because we haven’t put pressure on them “They can come here to not lose but we need to win.” conceding early by not getting the ball out of their penalty box “To be able to win next week we need to be better in some football moments,” said Valakari “That’s how we conceded the first goal today “It was silly decisions not to clear the ball out of the stadium “At this moment we were a little bit asleep and it was a great shot from their player to score “We had our chances but we need to fight so hard to score a goal.” they had a chance to clear the ball into the stand but Daniels Balodis failed to take it and a few passes later David Watson had curled a shot from the edge of the box beyond the reach of Andy Fisher Uche Ikpeazu made his first start for St Johnstone and did well to set-up a chance for Makenzie Kirk, who wasn’t as clinical as he had been at Fir Park the week before. The roles were reversed later in the first half when Kirk headed an Elliot Watt cross into the path of his fellow striker did his job by not committing himself too early but Ikpeazu should have scored from close range The former Hearts man had an even better chance with a six-yard header early in the second half but even if he had found the net it wouldn’t have counted as referee Iain Snedden was sent to check his pitchside monitor A Victor Griffith foul on Rory McKenzie was spotted by VAR official a penalty was awarded and Danny Armstrong scored from the spot to make it 2-0 Killie Valakari said: “I haven’t seen it back but when you make these runs from midfield you always ask questions of defenders and it’s a possibility that you get a penalty Saints huffed and puffed to get back into the game but didn’t seriously threaten a fightback Valakai added: “I understand the players put their heart and soul into it – the pressure is on them “You can start making not the best decisions and you get punished “But it’s very clear now that we cannot feel sorry for ourselves It should not be this way because we have been so down already Tickets for our final pre-split clash are now on sale CLICK HERE to get yours! The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response A road was closed in Johnstone overnight following a an alleged disturbance at a flat Emergency services were called to a flat in Graham Street, Quarrelton, around 12.30am on Saturday (May 3). The road was closed for around four hours Police said the road was closed "as a precaution", describing the incident as a "disturbance". A 24-year-old man was arrested He was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley A spokesperson for Police Scotland said: "A 24-year-old man has been arrested following a disturbance at a flat in Graham Street "Emergency services were called to the property around 12.30am on Saturday, May 3, 2025. The road was closed as a precaution and reopened around 4.30am. The man was taken to Royal Alexandra Hospital "Enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal." Sign up to our daily Glasgow Live newsletter here to receive news and features direct to your inbox Join Glasgow Live's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right We can now confirm our William Hill Scottish Premiership split fixtures Saints will kick-off away to Motherwell on Saturday We then have back to back home matches against Kilmarnock and Ross County Killie will firstly visit McDiarmid Park on May 3 (3pm kick-off) then Ross County will head to Perth on May 10 (3pm kick-off) Simo Valakari's side then head to Tynecastle to face Hearts on Wednesday We will conclude our split fixtures against Dundee at McDiarmid Park on Sunday Full ticketing details will be announced in due course As we edge closer to a Scottish Cup semi-final this weekend 2014 cup-winning hero Frazer Wright has highlighted the key role the St Johnstone support can play Sunday was the 11-year anniversary of us booking our place in the Scottish Cup final for the first time when two Stevie May goals were enough to defeat Aberdeen at Ibrox Fan favourite Frazer produced a stellar performance that day and he would go on to play a key role once again as we lifted the trophy against Dundee United at Celtic Park that we couldn’t get beat from Aberdeen again “It felt like an all or nothing game for us Everyone had us written off going into the game I still speak to the fans now and a lot of them tell me the semi-final meant more than the final itself “To give all the fans the memories that we did that year it meant the world to us as players.” GET YOUR SEMI-FINAL TICKETS HERE As has always been the case at McDiarmid Park there is a special connection between the fans and players on the pitch Frazer believes again the Saints support can play a huge part as we take on Celtic this weekend He explained: “The fans always gave us backing “They gave us everything and we gave them everything They helped us over the line on so many occasions “Their turn out for the semi-final and the final was just unbelievable The following day with the bus parade was just incredible “The guys should be going in with no fear on Sunday They need to take confidence from the last performance against Celtic He continued: “Like we said before we took on Aberdeen You don’t want to be coming in after the game having any regrets “I always remember Macca’s famous speech at half-time of the Aberdeen game He said ‘you don’t want to be lying on a beach in the summer when someone else is lifting the Scottish Cup’ Leave everything out there and hopefully you get the result.” Reflecting back on that famous day in May 2014 Frazer added: “I pretty much knew that would be my last chance to win the Scottish Cup as a player “I tried to make as many memories as I could and thankfully that is what we managed to do “I have a picture of myself standing in the middle of the pitch at the end of the game up in the house “I am standing on my own just looking at all of the fans trying to take it all in I love looking back and thinking of all the memories “When you look back at all the photos and videos and what it meant to so many people It is such a huge moment in my life.” St Johnstone Women were looking to bounce back from a 6-2 defeat to Kilmarnock when they welcomed Boroughmuir Thistle to Riverside on Sunday The opening exchanges of the first half saw two matched sides The home side had some half chances early on with the best coming after 22 minutes when Steffi Simson was played through by Elvie McLean and her effort forced a save from Natalie Angelini in the Thistle goal The resulting corner saw some pinball played in the box as the ball was pinged back and forth between strikers and defenders before eventually being cleared up the park It was from a corner that Boroughmuir took the lead in a 12-minute spell in the run up to half-time where they scored four goals A corner from the left curled all the way to the back post where Becky Galbraith rose above the Saints defence to head the ball back across goal past Bobby Cochran Just three minutes later Galbraith's second was a near carbon copy A corner met by her at the back post and she was able to once again place the ball beyond Cochran.  The first saw neat play from the third-place side in the league with Cara Borthwick keeping onside and making her way through the Saints defence to slot home beyond Cochran with Cochran under pressure and unable to catch the ball There at the back post with an easy finish was Holly Aitchison.  but would fail to test Angelini over the next 45 minutes passed up a number of chances to extend their lead Lauren Hall was through on goal but lifted her shot above the onrushing Cochran and wide of goal Cochran would also be called into action to deny Emily Arthur in a similar fashion and did just enough to put off Galbraith a short time later when one-on-one as she dragged her effort wide of goal.  Saints couldn't get the ball cleared on the right and when the ball was played in low substitute Emily Reid was there in the middle of the penalty area to hold off a defender and slot the ball home.  There is now a free week before Saints return to action on May 4th when they travel to New Douglas Park to face league leaders Hamilton Accies St Johnstone’s defensive injury crisis is well documented The back four which kept Celtic at bay and put together a run of six clean-sheets in 10 games has been ripped apart by injury with key men Drey Wright and Zach Mitchell joining Bozo Mikulic on the sidelines Makenzie Kirk’s primary role in the Saints team is scoring goals which will give the Perth side a chance of a great escape at the bottom of the Premiership But he also believes the attackers need to be the first line of defence and take as much pressure as possible off their makeshift backline “We’ve had quite a few injuries in the last few weeks at the back,” said Kirk who will lead the line against Kilmarnock on Saturday “It started with Bozo’s injury in training which was a tough one for him and the boys “It’s been a blow losing him because he gives you that experience in the backline and can play higher up the pitch or off the side “Then we lost Zach after he’d been doing so well. “It’s obviously been pretty hard to cope with “There are boys capable of playing out of position back there “And it’s important we defend from the front Saints haven’t been able to apply pressure on a team above them in the relegation battle with second bottom Ross County visiting McDiarmid Park next weekend “It’s important thing is to keep that gap at a minimum,” said Kirk we just need to keep believing and doing the right things and get the results “But we are taking it a game at a time. The most important thing right now is to focus on Killie and make sure we do the right things “The boys want three points and to then be looking on to next week and hopefully getting another result “It’s about focusing throughout the 90 minutes on doing the right things to get the three points.” to lean on during high stakes spells of the season such as this post-split run-in “My dad being around as a coach has helped me a lot in terms of getting the most out of me,” said the Northern Ireland under-21 international “He might be a wee bit hard on me at times “I know that he’s always going to get the best out of me “He’s making sure that I’m doing the right things – on and off the pitch I am training at the highest standard I can “He’s constantly on at me and I’m very grateful for that because it’s something a lot of people within the game don’t have so he’ll always know if I’m even a little bit below it “He knows what he’s talking about. You’ve got to listen – because St Johnstone WFC return to SWPL2 action this coming Sunday when they welcome Boroughmuir Thistle to the Riverside Kick-off in Perth will be 1pm and season tickets are valid It will be £5 for adults and £1 for concessions (cash only) Saints are looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 6-2 defeat on the road against Kilmarnock Manager Josh Henderson said: “It was a poor first half against Kilmarnock We didn’t start well enough and let them have too much of the ball we need to be better and that is something we have worked on this week.” He continued: “We have had good results recently so we won’t be dwelling on the Kilmarnock match We’re looking forward to getting back out there “It’s our fourth time playing Boroughmuir this season and they are off the back of a good result against Hamilton and will be full of confidence We just need to make sure we’re up for it right from the start.” he added: “We have a few wee niggles in the squad but nothing to be overly concerned about Hopefully the players can go and show what they can do across the next four games.” We will face Celtic in the semi-final of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup on Sunday The last four tie will take place at Hampden Park in Glasgow and will kick-off at 3pm It has been selected for live coverage on Premier Sports We booked our ticket to the national stadium thanks to a 1-0 victory against Livingston in the quarter-final Graham Carey was on target with a spectacular strike from distance Full ticketing details for the semi-final will be communicated in due course Elliot Watt hasn’t hidden his St Johnstone frustrations from head coach Conversations instigated by the on-loan midfielder about his prospects of a return to the Perth team and what he needs to do to make that happen And the former Scotland under-21 international backed up the words with actions last weekend when he impressed and scored as a second half substitute at Motherwell Watt was starved of game-time for two months following his previous appearance against Hearts in February a mistake on the edge of Saints’ box at Kilmarnock set the ball rolling for a convincing defeat in Ayrshire With a reverse fixture against Derek McInnes’ men up next for the McDiarmid Park side Watt will be highly motivated to showcase his adaptation to Scottish football if given the opportunity “Elliot has been coming to see me a lot,” said Valakari “As I said straight after the (Motherwell) game, that’s the best way to change the manager’s mind – play the way he did. “I’ve always said that I’m very happy to change my opinion of a player “They can only change my opinion through their actions Valakari believes there will be a sharp opposition style contrast Watt and his Saints team-mates will have to deal with on Saturday when Elliot came on there was a lot of space to play “Their press will be more man to man orientated “We will need to be really good with the ball we need to learn from the last time we played Kilmarnock “It wasn’t just about Elliot what happened there. “Everybody needs to be aware that the pressure will come Valakari added: “Kilmarnock are a balanced team “If we play an up and down game against them it will be difficult because they are very strong in this type of game “Ross County actually played a good first half (before losing 2-0 last weekend). “And when you come up against a man-orientated press “That means positioning yourself well for it and then fighting for second balls “Win those and it gets you up the pitch and makes it more difficult for them going man v man “Against Celtic we went man v man – and showed that if you do it well even for the top teams it is hard to break it “We need to be very good with the football ABCs.” St Johnstone face a bigger test of mind than body in their do or die clash with Kilmarnock on Saturday The Perth side need a win to keep their hopes of staying in the Premiership alive with 11th-placed Ross County visiting next weekend in the second part of a McDiarmid Park double-header Valakari is limited in what he can do to patch-up a defence decimated by injuries But one thing firmly in Saints’ control is making sure they aren’t inhibited by the high stakes “The players and coaches feel the obligation that we need to win this game “But everyone on the outside – even more than before – thinks we are down “I want the boys to show how good they can be “Yes, it’s our last chance but there’s no point making it heavier for us than it has to be “Now it is all about the mental state of my players and the character.” got 15 minutes off the bench against Celtic a fortnight ago and over half-an-hour of game-time in the 3-2 defeat to Motherwell last weekend The former Hearts forward is now a contender to start “When you come back after such a long time your body feels aches and pains,” said Valakari “Uche will push through those aches and pains and it’s just a case of judging how many minutes he can give us “One option is you start him and see how long he lasts “I would have no doubts about starting him because he would give everything.” Dundee United goalkeeper Jack Walton spoke to the broadcast media to preview our William Hill Premiership clash with St Johnstone on Matchday 33 Our number one discussed getting back on track making the step up to the top flight and remaining focused at the business end of the season Last week was a massive result - to extend that gap between us and the teams below was huge but now we've just got to back that performance up and result with another positive performance on Saturday.  this season we've defended really well and the stats show that We've had 11 clean sheets in the league despite the fact there have been changes Sam came in 15 minutes before kick-off for his debut and he was excellent but we all know our role and know what we've got to do so like I said collectively we've been really good.  they went to St Johnson and they lost the game so if that doesn't show you that it’ll be difficult on Saturday I don’t know what will On the other hand,  we've just come off a great result so we're positive and confident that we can replicate that and get another good result so it's on us to be a bit more adventurous and have a bit more of the ball we can absorb a bit of pressure and sit off and we know on Sunday we could have been better on the ball so we've worked on that in training this week to try and create good opportunities.  We all know he's a massive part of the team and when he's fit we're a better team for it but he's been very unfortunate over the last two seasons really with injuries but now he's shown in the last couple of games how good he is and what a key part of the team he is I feel like I've had another really good season myself I did well last year and people can say ‘It's the level’ so when I came back up here I had to prove myself again and on the whole I've been happy with what I've done I've kept quite a few clean sheets and my performances have been really good There's a big difference - last year we were the biggest club in the league comparable to what Celtic and Rangers are in this league in terms of having to go out there and win every game and if we didn't it was deemed a failure even sometimes a draw wasn't good enough - those are the expectations of being a massive club in the Championship This season we’ve come up against bigger clubs and better opposition but we've held our own and had some really good results.  There's nothing worse as a player when you get to the end of the season and there's nothing to play for - but we've got so much to play for Just because now obviously we've guaranteed top six we're only three points behind third and we’re all focused on the six games that are left to see what we can do We had the goal of trying to get in the top six and we've got that completed but we've now great a chance to achieve something amazing We'll put all the energy and effort in to try and finish as high as we possibly can.  I just want to put all my energy into this season,  it's not over so I like to just concentrate on my football and make sure I have a good finish to the season and the rest will take care of itself after that