Chris Millar has revealed there’s pounds as well as points at stake for Saints on the SPL run-in, as the Perth players’ bonus is linked to their final league placing.
Midfielder Millar admitted that as much as personal pride inspired them to stage another late comeback to retain their hold on seventh place.
St Johnstone, who had retrieved a 2-0 deficit against St Mirren a week earlier, were trailing to Steven MacLean’s early goal going into the last two minutes but substitute Andy Jackson staked his claim for a new contract by forcing home an equaliser to keep Aberdeen at arm’s length.
Millar hailed that never-beaten attitude.
“We all know we are safe and have reached the point where it might appear we have nothing to play for,” he said. “But for the second week running, we’ve showed good character to come back and get something from the game.
“There’s always that temptation to switch off but the gaffer keeps banging on at us to keep going. And, of course, every place higher up the league we finish carries a bonus for the boys.
“We’ve all got holidays to pay for and families to support and with the wife I’ve got I definitely need the money,” he laughed.
“You go into the summer only remembering the last few games and we wouldn’t want to drop from seventh to ninth.”
That may have explained the warm congratulations Jackson got from team-mates for his late leveller.
Millar said the players were thrilled for the Republic of Ireland under-21 attacker, whose recent career has been blighted by injury and illness, and whose future at the club is in doubt after failing to shine while on a two-month loan stint at Arbroath.
“It’s shocking what Jacko has been through for such a young lad,” he said. “We’re all delighted that he’s come on and got the goal.
Against the run of play, Aberdeen had taken a 15th-minute lead when McLean helped a Mark Kerr header into the net, after Graeme Smith touched Davide Grassi’s effort on to the face of the bar.
The Dons had hardly been up the park at that point, with Saints having forced Stuart Nelson to turn round a Chris Millar shot and Dave Mackay had an attempt kicked off the line by Sone Aluko.
Sadly, the action contained within that opening 15 minutes was just about all the first-half offered by way of entertainment.
We had to wait until shortly before the interval before the game threatened to yield anything by way of further scoring. However, when Danny Grainger completely misjudged David Marshall’s high ball into the box, McLean’s volley crashed off the crossbar and then Grassi wasted a free header.
Saints re-started with a fair degree of purpose and Rutkiewicz had a glancing header blocked on the line by Aluko.
From there on, they remained in the ascendancy but without really threatening an equaliser until the 88th minute, when Jackson bundled in the loose ball after Nelson pulled off a superb save to keep out Liam Craig’s free-kick.
Murray Davidson might have snatched a dramatic winner when he met Danny Grainger’s corner unchallenged but headed over.Goal debateA debate has subsequently ensued over whether Jackson should be credited over the leveller after his finish struck the post and Nelson’s back before going in.
For his part, Saints boss Derek McInnes felt the youngster was deserving of the recognition, although in a jibe about Nelson’s timewasting he admitted he wouldn’t be overly concerned if it went down as an own goal.
Aberdeen who took just 569 fans with them to Perth felt aggrieved at being denied a first away win since January.
Defender Jerel Ifil admitted they ought to have been sharper in their response to Nelson’s initial stop.
“To concede so late was really disappointing,” he said. “We didn’t react quickly enough to Stuart’s save. No excuses we should have done better.”
McInnes said, “We played in fits and starts but credit to the players for keeping going.”
St Johnstone will need to step up a gear for the three remaining games if they are to retain seventh place, as Hamilton’s win over Falkirk means their lead over Accies is down to just one point.