St Johnstone fans packed out the Shed end of Tannadice on Saturday but left the home of their local rivals in the unfamiliar position of needing to absorb an away defeat to Dundee United.
It hadn’t happened for a decade.
Given Saints were authors of their own downfall, the unbeaten run should really have been extended for a few months longer.
Courier Sport picks out four talking points from the 2-0 loss.
Even game, even teams
Saints and United have strengths in different areas of the pitch and, on this occasion, played different formations.
But one obvious conclusion to draw from this match is that there probably won’t be much to separate the two sides once the 2024/25 Premiership season has run its course.
By Jim Goodwin’s admission, the visitors edged the first half.
And, if anything, they started the second half looking even more in control.
But that control was lost after United took the lead in the 53rd minute. And it was never regained.
Errors, and the punishment of those errors, decided this match.
Luca Stephenson’s slack back-pass, intercepted by Benji Kimpioka, was a big mistake.
However, Andre Raymond’s skied effort after his team-mate had hit the post was an even bigger one.
Combine that with Josh Rae not pushing a shot to safety for the United opener and the messy way in which he dealt with a Ross Graham long throw and that’s three match-defining, shoot themselves in the foot moments.
But, particularly with a league win already banked early, it’s still a stage of the season when bigger picture signs are almost as important as points gained.
Teams are putting down foundations.
In St Johnstone’s case, in the main, they are pretty solid ones.
Sidibeh hindsight
He was unlucky to pick up a second booking but should have made the long walk to the Tannadice tunnel straight away.
Sidibeh, facing a multi-game suspension, will have plenty of time to dwell on the foolishness of whatever he did to Kevin Holt – punch, push or something in between.
But it’s being wise after the event to say Craig Levein should have substituted him before the incident for fear of him being sent off.
Smashing into a goalkeeper (and being cleared by VAR) isn’t a red flag – it’s what all-action number nines do.
It’s what Sidibeh has done on previous occasions, without subsequently getting himself in trouble.
The Gambia international didn’t play well and you could argue that he should have been withdrawn on that basis alone.
But he, above anybody else in the Saints squad, can score a goal out of nothing.
Hindsight, as ever, is king.
Goalkeeper
Those of us who have watched St Johnstone week in, week out over the last decade-and-a-half probably aren’t in the best position to judge what is par for a Premiership goalkeeper.
The standard at McDiarmid Park has been higher than the norm for a generation and it has been taken for granted.
Saints have had one very good goalie after another.
They all made mistakes, of course (even Dimitar Mitov), but the general narrative is a long, continuous run of assured performances.
Josh Rae has had some good displays in his eight first team appearances so far and has made some excellent saves.
He has been particularly impressive smothering a striker in a one v one situation.
You can fairly hold him chiefly culpable for three of the goals Saints have conceded – Alloa, East Fife and the second on Saturday – while there have been shades of grey in amongst the black and white on other occasions.
Rae has the tools to become a Premiership regular but the situation remains the same as it did after his first high profile error at Alloa a month ago.
A season-long, Remi Matthews-type loan brought in, which would allow Rae to develop alongside an experience number one and Ross Sinclair to catch up on lost time would appear to be the best solution.
Last week of the window
It’s maybe not the worst thing that there was a reminder in the final game before the transfer window shuts of the areas in need of strengthening.
Nothing new was thrown up at Tannadice, merely reinforced.
Goalkeeper has been discussed.
Centre-back and centre-midfield reinforcements are non-negotiables – preferably not of the ‘project’ variety.
A player to develop rather than a Premiership ready one is more palatable at left-back where, barring injury, Andre Raymond is likely to take some shifting.
And it was interesting that Levein mentioned a winger for the first time in a while, post-match.
There’s scope for a gamble there.
Depending on players being moved out – and how much of the Rangers cup-tie cash goes to the manager – you can state a sensible case for this being a five-player final week.
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