St Johnstone 1-0 Livingston: Callum Hendry's early penalty earns Saints valuable win over Livi
Report and highlights as St Johnstone edge past Livingston 1-0 at McDiarmid Park; Callum Hendry's third-minute penalty is the difference between the two teams; the win leaves the hosts only six points adrift of 10th-placed St Mirren; Livi slip to eighth after three consecutive defeats
Saturday 2 April 2022 20:48, UK
Callum Hendry's third-minute penalty helped St Johnstone secure back-to-back wins for the first time in the cinch Premiership this season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Livingston at McDiarmid Park.
The in-form striker fired his spot-kick low down the middle of Max Stryjek's goal after Livingston defender Jack Fitzwater was ruled to have caught him with a stray arm as they challenged for a ball in the air.
Hendry has now scored seven goals in 11 games since being recalled from a loan spell at Kilmarnock in January to kickstart St Johnstone’s campaign, with this victory leaving them only six points adrift of 10th-placed St Mirren.
Livingston, meanwhile, slip to eighth after three consecutive defeats.
St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson stuck with the same team that beat Motherwell 2-1 last time out, while Livingston boss David Martindale opted for just one alteration from their 2-0 loss to Hearts in their last match before the international break, with Sebastian Soto coming into the starting line-up in place of Odin Bailey.
The hosts came flying out the traps and took the lead with their first effort on goal in the third minute of the game.
As Livingston struggled to clear their lines following a free-kick, Fitzwater challenged Hendry for an aerial ball and was adjudged to have caught him with an elbow by referee Kevin Clancy who pointed to the spot without hesitation.
And Hendry duly converted from 12 yards, drilling down the centre of goal as Stryjek dived to his right.
Livingston initially responded well to going behind and Soto provided the first real challenge for St Johnstone goalkeeper Zander Clark with a low shot that was beaten away well.
But they struggled to create anything clear cut despite dominating possession, as St Johnstone, who lost Tony Gallagher to injury, seemed content to sit on their lead and play on the counter attack.
The Perth side very nearly doubled their advantage as the first half drew to a close, with Stryjek getting down low to save a left-footed Ali Crawford strike from 20 yards.
Nadir Ciftci was next to go close for the hosts as the second half began, glancing a header wide of goal when well placed just outside the six-yard box.
The home support then made their feelings known to referee Clancy when James Penrice was only booked for a late lunge on Dan Cleary, who eventually continued after receiving treatment.
Neither side created much else in an uneventful second period before Livingston substitute Bailey had a golden chance to rescue a point for his side with five minutes remaining.
He was well found in the centre of the box by fellow substitute Andrew Shinnie but his shot was too close to Clark who saved it comfortably.
Livingston had one final chance to salvage a draw deep into added time but Obileye headed wide as the hosts saw out the match to secure a priceless win that gives them real hope of avoiding a relegation play-off.
What the managers said...
Livingston boss David Martindale criticised the "horrendous" decisions that went against his side.
Martindale felt there was an offside in the build-up to Jack Fitzwater's early challenge on Hendry which led to the decisive penalty.
He also felt referee Kevin Clancy should have awarded his team a spot-kick of their own for a potential handball by Saints' Dan Cleary.
"For the first penalty, Murray Davidson is offside for the free-kick that comes in the box," said Martindale.
"I think it's harsh on Fitzwater, he's just protecting the ball as it comes down, and I think Hendry goes in and makes the most of it but it's offside for Murray Davidson at the first contact and the linesman's looking straight across the line so there's the first problem.
"The second problem, everyone in the stadium including the seagulls knew it was a penalty and how we are not given a penalty for that I will never know.
"I spoke to the St Johnstone team, I spoke to Zander (Saints goalkeeper Clark) and they're saying 'how did you not get a penalty?'. I also spoke to the St Johnstone management team.
"The significance of that decision could be massive for this football club - I'm fuming."
The Livi boss also made a renewed plea for VAR to be introduced into Scottish football, following the decisions.
He said: "I don't even talk to Kevin Clancy. You don't get anything back. I spoke to Steven McLean at the side, Steven's a very good official and he managed to calm me down but that's a stonewall penalty.
"He gets the first offside wrong, he gets the penalty wrong then we don't get a penalty - it's really difficult trying to sit here and not blame officiating for where we are but when decisions go against you it's really difficult to take to be honest.
"The players are all sitting in there gutted and what do I say to the players?
"They (officials) are only human beings, I get that. I could never do that job - I'd be sacked in a month but the sooner we get VAR in Scottish football the better because for me that was a horrendous decision that went against us, potentially two that changed the scoreline."
St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson is now urging his team to put more pressure on the sides above them.
He said: "I'm really pleased with that. I thought it was a really tough physical game in difficult conditions.
"We worked really hard as a group and we had an array of substitutes who came on as well and this helped us later on so I'm delighted to get three points.
"We want to win as many games as possible and see where it takes us.
"We were in a really difficult position after Christmas but you can see today the fighting spirit is there, the boys were all fighting for each other and the support was there.
"We're trying to look upwards and we're trying to remain positive. We've got a tough game next week (at Celtic) but if we can try to put some pressure on the teams above us then you never know what happens after the split."
What's next?
St Johnstone travel to Celtic, while Livingston host Motherwell, with both Scottish Premiership fixtures kicking off at 3pm on April 9.
