After the mini revival has come the reality check.
St Johnstone are a better team than the one whose form and confidence was shattered in those dispiriting last couple of months of 2021.
Their recent two draws and a win are proof of that.
But this 2-1 defeat to St Mirren – and Dundee’s victory by the same scoreline at Tynecastle – was a reminder that they remain in deep, deep Premiership trouble.
Put any talk of catching teams above them into the long grass.
Finishing ahead of their Tayside neighbours is the name of the game and will more than likely continue to be for the rest of the season.
This defeat was also another reminder that good luck remains an enemy.
The Perth side had earned themselves a one-goal lead through a Callum Hendry penalty but were victims of an extremely harsh refereeing call to give their opponents the opportunity to level from the spot, which they took.
The winning goal came a few minutes into the second half and Saints, who couldn’t rediscover their rhythm of the opening 45, are back at the bottom of the pile, two points adrift.
After fielding the same starting 11 twice in a row, Callum Davidson made five changes for this one.
In came Tony Gallacher, Glenn Middleton, Murray Davidson and Cammy MacPherson and there was a debut for wing-back Tom Sang.
It was an encouraging sign to see the on-loan Cardiff City man get in behind the St Mirren defence in the first minute and send a cross into the box.
He couldn’t pick out a Saints team-mate, though.
On the whole, the hosts carried the greater threat in the opening stages and Zander Clark – making his 200th appearance for Saints – tipped a Jordon Jones 18-yard effort round his left-hand post.
And on 14 minutes Jim Goodwin’s side should have taken the lead.
Jones found Greg Kiltie with a floated diagonal ball into the box and Clark could only watch on as the subsequent looping header drifted just over the bar.
There was an immediate response from Saints, as seconds later Jak Alnwick was called into action to keep out a well-struck Ali Crawford shot from just outside the box.
The Perth side were starting to grow into the game and Alnwick made an even better save to deny MacPherson from a similar distance.
And they got their reward with the opening goal on 28 minutes.
Middleton earned a penalty when he drove past Marcus Fraser and was pulled back after Hendry picked him out with a perfectly-weighted pass.
What followed next was a story all of its own.
In the middle of a snow storm and a gale, Hendry smashed home the spot-kick but referee David Dickinson had seen the ball move before it was struck and ordered a re-take.
Hendry now had the dilemma of whether to go to the same corner (Alnwick’s right).
He didn’t but was just as clinical in the other direction and it was 1-0.
Really impressive from Hendry. Went the other way with his second pen – both were perfect spot-kicks
— Eric Nicolson (@C_ENicolson) February 9, 2022
Saints were totally dominant at this point and MacPherson almost found the bottom corner to double their lead.
There was a twist in the first half plot, however.
And it came in the form of another penalty, this time for St Mirren with four minutes left.
It looked to be a shocking decision by Dickinson.
Jamie McCart was penalised for bundling over Alex Greive but, if not a full-on dive, it was certainly a theatrical collapse.
Connor Ronan converted from the spot.
Saints’ assistant manager Steven MacLean was booked a couple of minutes later and Davidson waited for Dickinson before heading up the tunnel but the damage was done.
Things got even worse a few minutes after restart when Greive dispatched a close-range finish off a low Kiltie cross from the right to put St Mirren 2-1 in front.
Three changes and a back four
Just before the hour mark Davidson made a triple substitution in an attempt to change the flow of the match, with Theo Bair, James Brown and Jacob Butterfield coming on for Davidson, Sang and McCart.
It meant Saints were now playing with a back four.
A few minutes later MacPherson had to be replaced by Charlie Gilmour, with what looked to be a worrying arm injury.
It had been a while since there was a Saints chance to report.
One was created on the counter-attack for Hendry but he skied his effort from just inside the box over the bar.
They struggled to get decent service to new boy, Bair, and the Canadian international’s only half-chance was a glancing header that missed the target.
Nothing better was created in the closing minutes and St Mirren saw the game out pretty comfortably.
