After St Johnstone’s 0-0 draw with Hibs, the Perth side will have a free weekend before their relegation battle resumes the following Saturday.
Their fans will be right behind them once more as the ‘now or never’ point of the relegation battle arrives.
Courier Sport looks at backing that has gone above and beyond what could have reasonably been expected and the change in mindset that needs to happen.
Huge travelling support shouldn’t be taken for granted
Yes, it only cost five pounds to get into Easter Road on Saturday.
But that shouldn’t diminish the significance of the fact nearly 2,000 Saints supporters were in attendance.
St Johnstone fans at Hibernian today@StJohnstone pic.twitter.com/8TLkB1iAsz
— Scottish Football Away Days (@days_scottish) March 5, 2022
Over 1,900 people haven’t lost faith in their team despite this being the most dispiriting season in a generation with few redeeming features.
There has been improvement since the January break but this is a club still within one Dundee victory on Wednesday night of going back to the bottom of the Premiership table with only eight games left to play.
This level of backing – and it hasn’t just been on the road – shouldn’t be taken for granted.
And, as has often been pointed out, it has come in the weeks following arguably the worst cup result in Saints’ history.
In that time Hearts supporters have turned against their team during a match at McDiarmid Park and then booed them off after it.
That’s third in the league and heading for Europe, Hearts.
Dundee United supporters have reacted similarly in Perth on the final whistle.
That’s the Dundee United many folk, their own fans included, predicted would be in a relegation scrap this year but have a chance of getting into Europe.
And on Saturday, moving into fourth in the table didn’t come across as something most home supporters perceived as a decent return for their £5 match-day investment.
First game at Easter Road for the wee man & he enjoyed the game, more so the noise coming from @StJohnstone fans than @HibernianFC 😂 pic.twitter.com/1G4fqI4msN
— Martin higgins🏴 (@Martin__Higgins) March 6, 2022
For Saints to bring so many supporters to an away game that costs a good deal more than a fiver when you add in all the expenses involved with a trip to the capital city shouldn’t be taken for granted.
This doesn’t normally happen when a team’s drop-off has been as severe as the double winners’.
St Johnstone’s is a fanbase often unfairly mocked for its size and its volume.
Make no mistake, though, if Saints manage to escape relegation, their commitment will be very near the top of the reasons why they’ll be a top flight team in 2022/23.
The time is now
As always with a draw, the ‘good point/bad point’ debate will never be an exact science.
Hibs were an injury and illness-weakened side but, as pointed out above, they are also a side that is now fourth, with many of the players who shared the spoils with Celtic the previous weekend still in it.
For what it’s worth, my own take is it was a decent point.
The injury disruptions and the lack of fluidity from midfield to attack made this a match that was likelier to be lost than won when you looked at possession, territory and half-chances.
📺 🆕 | The manager gave his thoughts to #SaintsTV after our draw against Hibs. #SJFC pic.twitter.com/Bq8Txz5Auj
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) March 5, 2022
Callum Davidson weighed up the balance between caution and taking the hand-brake off and I wouldn’t argue with conclusion he arrived at.
However, there was always likely to come a time when Saints would be forced into taking greater risk for greater reward.
And it has arrived.
Motherwell and then Livingston at home are matches that can be defined by attacking intent and have to be approached as such.
