St Johnstone made it five points from their last three games in a brave, short-handed draw with Dundee United.
The Perth side had the better of it in the first half against the Tangerines – and were inches from going ahead when Ali Crawford struck the woodwork.
However, Melker Hallberg’s controversial red card nine minutes into the second 45 changed the game, with Saints forced into a defensive scrap.
They came through with flying colours to lift themselves a point clear of relegation rivals Dundee.
Here are Courier Sport’s talking points from another showing shot through with fighting spirit.
Battles won
Over the last decade or so, St Johnstone sides have tended to be defined more by spirit than finesse.
Whatever they may have lacked in fluidity, they more than made up for in sheer, bloody-minded determination.
Somewhere early on in this season’s club’s record-equalling 10-game losing streak, that trademark toughness seemed to have disappeared completely.
Against Dundee on January 26, there were hints their stomach for battle had returned.
Against Livingston in midweek, they again stepped up when required.
But against United, St Johnstone fought like warriors.
After going down to 10 men, they point blank refused to be rolled over.
Dan Cleary and Liam Gordon set the standard with commanding performances at the back.
But not a single player in blue shirked a tackle.
Gutsy St Johnstone are back.
Middleton stakes claim
Glenn Middleton has had to be patient in recent months.
The on-loan Rangers man’s last six St Johnstone appearances have all been off the bench.
He had 10 minutes to try to impact the game against Livingston – and succeeded by firing in the cross from which Ali Crawford snatched Saints’ winner.
Against United, he got just five minutes, including stoppage time – and again made his mark, firing in a late effort that had Benjamin Siegrist scrambling and, but for a deflection, might just have sneaked inside the post.
With the Tangerines’ centre halves effectively camped on the halfway line for much of the last 15 minutes of the match, throwing Middleton on for a tiring Callum Hendry may have given Saints a new avenue of attack.
With acres of space to exploit in behind the United defence, Middleton’s pace could have proved useful in terms of chasing balls over the top, or at least forcing the Tangerines’ centre halves to hold a deeper line.
To be fair to Callum Davidson, what Saints WERE doing wasn’t showing signs of being broken – so attempting a fix may just as easily have been an act of folly as a display of game-changing tactical bravado.
But Middleton has shown his desire and ability to influence games from the bench over the last week.
His chance to do so from the start will surely come.
MacPherson promise
Like Middleton, Cammy MacPherson had to content himself with a place on the bench against United.
But he got his chance on the hour mark, replacing Ali Crawford in midfield following Hallberg’s sending off.
MacPherson’s early appearances for Saints were nondescript.
But of late – and against United in particular – he showed why Callum Davidson was keen to make his loan deal from St Mirren a permanent one.
He is not the finished article. Far from it.
But his energy and commitment in the middle of the park – and further up when circumstances allowed – were a huge part of Saints’ dogged final half-hour against the Tangerines.
He threw himself around the midfield like a wrecking ball and the discipline of Jacob Butterfield and Murray Davidson gave him licence to carry possession forward when the chance presented itself.
A couple of corners were disappointingly floated straight into Siegrist’s arms, but
MacPherson’s general dead ball use remains of a good standard.
If Saints can get the likes of Theo Bair, Dan Cleary, Liam Gordon, Jamie McCart, John Mahon and Melker Hallberg in the box, those deliveries should become a potent weapon.
