St Johnstone maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 2-0 friendly win against Stuart McCall’s Bradford City.
Graham Cummins and Brad McKay were the goalscorers on a night several fringe players caught the eye.
McKay was one of them and, after a virtual write-off of a first season at Perth, the former Hearts man impressed.
Saints made several changes to the team which beat Elgin City at the weekend, with youngsters Liam Gordon and Aaron Comrie among the starters.
There was a St Johnstone old boy in the Bradford line-up, Filipe Morais. And the winger had the first shot on goal on 14 minutes after a quiet opening to the match.
Alan Mannus was making his first start since returning from Euro 2016 duty with Northern Ireland and he was equal to the low 18-yarder from Morais.
Saints came close to opening the scoring a few minutes later when a Tam Scobbie header from a Liam Craig corner narrowly missed the target.
In surely a McDiarmid Park first there was a water-break midway through the first half. Just before it Cummins struck a shot well from 20 yards out but it was straight at keeper Colin Doyle.
The Irishman didn’t have long to wait for a goal, though. It came on 33 minutes when he sent a looping header over Doyle, who didn’t know whether to stick or twist when a Scobbie cross came in from the left.
The Saints second swiftly followed, and again it was the result of a ball delivered in from the left – a Blair Alston free-kick. McKay was the man who converted from close range.
McKay had been frozen out of the team last season and was loaned to Dunfermline but he looks determined to seize his chance at the start of this term, and he was in the right place to clear a shot off the line just before half-time.
Saints made two changes for the start of the second half, with young wide-men Craig Thomson and Connor McLaren coming on for Brian Easton and Cummins.
Bradford raised their game after the break and Mannus was helpless as a free header from Nathanial Knight-Percival grazed his right hand post.
On 66 minutes another two of the McDiarmid Park under-20s were given a taste of first team action – George Hunter and Eoghan McCawl. They replaced Craig and Alston.
Saints boss Tommy Wright said: “It was a good work-out and a good result.
“We played three at the back in the first half and then two at the back in the second half. Brad McKay, Liam Gordon and Aaron Comrie all did well.”
St Johnstone – Mannus, Scobbie, Alston (Hunter 66), McKay, Paton, Gordon, Easton (McLaren 45), Kane, Craig (McCawl), Cummins (Thomson 45), Comrie. Subs not used – Clark, Anderson, Millar, Swanson, Shaughnessy.
Attendance – 1,177
