St Johnstone clung on to seventh spot despite only drawing 1-1 with Livingston at McDiarmid Park.
Finishing top of the bottom half has been their goal for the end of the season and it is still in their hands thanks to Motherwell getting pegged back by St Mirren late on at Fir Park.
They took an early lead through Michael O’Halloran but the visitors got one back in the second half thanks a shot from distance from Craig Halkett that shouldn’t have beaten goalkeeper Zander Clark.
Saints have been telling everyone who will listen that they still have loads to play for and they showed that again after just four minutes.
Murray Davidson, making his 300th start for the McDiarmid men, teed up O’Halloran and his superb strike sailed past keeper Ross Stewart and into the far corner.
Five minutes later it took an unusual but brilliant one-handed save from Clark to keep out a 25-yard shot from Livi’s Steven Lawless.
There was no further scoring in the first half but Saints came close to making it 2-0 just after the restart when Chris Kane was denied by Livi keeper Stewart.
On 56 minutes, the visitors threatened when Halkett’s freekick from outside the box was pushed away by Clark.
Up at the other end, Stewart did well to save after a fine move from the home side that was finished off with a Ross Callachan shot. Callachan then shot wide as the home side pressed.
A great block from Murray Davidson thwarted Livi’s Dolly Menga on 73 minutes.
The visitors then pulled themselves level with a goal six minutes from time that stunned the 2,222 crowd inside McDiarmid.
There seemed little danger when Halkett, a full 40 yards from goal, tried a shot and it skipped off the turf and flew past keeper Clark.
