Ten years have passed since Dundee United were able to toast a Tannadice triumph over Tayside rivals St Johnstone.
On that occasion – September 27, 2014 – Chris Erskine and Paul Paton put the Saintees to the sword.
Since then, there have been staggering strikes, contentious dismissals and one of the most egregious goalkeeping errors ever committed by a United stopper.
And as the Tangerines seek to consign their winless run against the Perth Saints on home soil to the history books, Courier Sport provides a whistle-stop tour of their not-so-Magnificent 7.
February 21, 2015: Dundee Utd 0-2 St Johnstone
While not comparable with the dumbfounding goalkeeping blunder that will conclude this run-down, former Tangerines’ stopper Michal Szromnik will not look back on this contest with any fondness.
He allowed a Michael O’Halloran shot from 20 yards to squirm through his grasp for the opener.
O’Halloran doubled the Saintees’ advantage later in the first half, clinically converting a Dave Mackay delivery.
With O’Halloran passing up a chance to notch his hat-trick after rounding Szromnik and David Wotherspoon missing another decent chance, boss Tommy Wright noted: “We probably could have scored more goals.
“We were the team creating the clear-cut opportunities.”
November 21, 2015: Dundee United 1-2 St Johnstone
A nightmare beginning to the 2015/16 campaign continued with the visit of the Perth Saints.
Billy Mckay gave the hosts the lead following a bright start at Tannadice but, fresh from a run of five successive away wins, St Johnstone showed the gumption to battle back and level through Chris Kane’s thundering header.
And the turnaround was completed prior to half-time when Murray Davidson squeezed the ball over the line after Joe Shaughnessy had been denied.
The defeat left United six points adrift at the foot of the Premiership.
That is exactly where they would finish.
August 1, 2020: Dundee United 1-1 St Johnstone
Amid the grim, soulless spectacle of the Covid era, home advantage was a moot point.
Nevertheless, Micky Mellon’s newly promoted United opened the scoring at a deserted Tannadice after six minutes, with Nicky Clark – now plying his trade with the Saintees – coolly slotting home a penalty kick.
United seemed destined to get the job done when O’Halloran was dismissed, receiving his second yellow card for a foul on Calum Butcher.
However, United allowed the visitors back into the game and Liam Craig restored parity with a wonderful volley.
Indeed, Danny McNamara and Wotherspoon were unlucky not to grab a winner, with Mellon later stating: “We’ll have to learn those lessons very, very quickly.
January 12, 2021: Dundee United 2-2 St Johnstone
The Tayside rivals played out a breathless four-goal thriller, but the contest will be remembered for Shankland’s moment of audacious magic.
Standing 53 yards from the Saintees goal (as later measured by Opta), the Scotland international received a pass from Louis Appere and unleashed a sumptuous arcing drive that caught Zander Clark off his line and nestled in the back of the net.
“If there’s many better goals than that this season then I’ll be delighted to see them,” said Mellon.
It was a strike good enough to win any game.
But it only secured a point for the Terrors, with efforts from Guy Melamed and Kane cancelling out Appere’s opener.
October 30, 2021: Dundee United 0-1 St Johnstone
Zander Clark, who would later be linked with a move to United before joining Hearts, produced a goalkeeping clinic.
The Perth Saints took the lead through Ali Crawford and, against a barrage of second-half pressure, held firm for three points, largely due to their inspired custodian.
Ryan Edwards (twice), Jeando Fuchs, Ian Harkes, Nicky Clark (twice) and Peter Pawlett were among those denied as Tam Courts’ United – seeking to extend their unbeaten run to eight games – succumbed to defeat.
“Hopefully Steve Clarke was watching today,” noted former St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson after Clark’s masterclass.
October 1, 2022: Dundee Utd 1-2 St Johnstone
Liam Fox’s first match as permanent head coach of United proved a harbinger of things to come.
Any burgeoning optimism was pictured within 15 minutes when Stevie May was sent haring through on goal by a simple long ball over the top. Rolling back the years, his finish was cool and unerring.
Melker Hallberg doubled the visitors’ advantage before half-time as beleaguered Arabs felt that familiar sinking feeling.
Tony Watt’s 82nd-minute goal was scant consolation as the Tangerines remained rooted to the foot of the table with five points after nine matches.
February 18, 2023: Dundee Utd 1-2 St Johnstone
A game that has gained infamy.
It was hoped this match would kick-start United’s survival bid.
The heroes of the Tangerines’ 1983 Premier Division-winning side were paraded to the fans at half-time. What followed was a stark reminder of how far they had fallen.
A rare moment of quality from the Terrors saw Dylan Levitt cancel out May’s opener with 10 minutes left to play.
But within minutes of the restart, Mark Birighitti exchanged passes with Charlie Mulgrew (an ill-advised one-two, but no excuse for the paralysis that followed), before the Aussie goalkeeper stood still on his line, allowing May to tackle home the winner.
A mistake so dire that the BBC match report described it as “grotesque”.
Birighitti was immediately substituted.
And was jeered off.
If any game characterised United’s miserable descent to relegation in 2022/23, it was arguably this one – a lamentable mix of under-performance and farce.
Mercifully, Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United are a very different animal. But will they get a different outcome?
Conversation