St. Johnstone vs Hibernian. Scottish Premiership.
McDiarmid Park.
Match report and free highlights as Liam Craig is sent off after full-time during dramatic ending
Monday 24 August 2020 10:36, UK
Hibernian moved level on points with Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership after Stevie Mallan's stoppage-time penalty secured a 1-0 win over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.
The hosts were controversially denied the opener when Callum Hendry headed in Craig Conway's cross (31), with the goal wrongly ruled out for offside.
The game looked set to end in a stalemate, but then referee John Beaton spotted a foul by Liam Gordon on Ryan Porteous inside the box and Mallan confidently dispatched his penalty beyond Elliot Parish (90+1).
Liam Craig was sent off after the final whistle for dissent as his frustrations with the match official boiled over. The result leaves St Johnstone in eighth place on four points while Hibs move on to 13 points, level with Rangers at the summit.
These two teams had a sneak preview of each other when they played out a goalless friendly last month in Perth, and Callum Davidson would have desperately hoped for a better outcome and performance to the one produced in the 1-0 home defeat to Aberdeen on Thursday.
Last season, Saints drew 12 games in the Scottish Premiership - the joint-highest with Hearts - while Hibs weren't far behind themselves with 10 - and for large parts it seemed this would end without a breakthrough. It was the visitors who made the better start with Parish getting down well to keep out Martin Boyle's snap-shot inside the opening two minutes.
From the resulting corner, Hibs wanted a penalty as Boyle's effort struck the arm of Hendry from close range, but referee Beaton correctly waved away the protests.
St Johnstone, who have remarkably now not won any of their last 13 Scottish Premiership matches played on Sunday, made a subdued start with Hendry blazing over the hosts' first chance from Scott Tanser's corner after 10 minutes.
In another lacklustre opening half at the start of the new season, Hibs marginally looked the more purposeful as midway through the opening period Josh Doig knocked a long ball down to Boyle, whose attempted half-volley floated over the bar.
Parish was very nearly left red-faced when his clearance cannoned into Boyle before the Hibs winger finished from Daryl Horgan's pass but from an offside position.
But the game briefly livened up when St Johnstone were controversially denied the opener. Ofir Marciano was slow to react to Conway's centre as Hendry nipped in to head home but it was incorrectly ruled out for offside.
Daryl Horgan was the last man, with Kris Boyd unimpressed by the decision telling Sky Sports at the break: "That could cost St Johnstone. We keep talking about how we're going to do the right things in Scottish football, but we need to find a way to get the money to get VAR in - that's a goal."
Hibernian were next to feel aggrieved as moments later, it was Christian Doidge who reacted quickest to Parish saving his initial effort from a set-piece but the forward handled on the ground before hooking in the rebound.
But despite the ball being in the net on three occasions, both sides went into the break scoreless - with Saints failing to register a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes for the third time already this campaign.
But Davidson's men made a bright start to the second period as moments after there was nobody on the end of Jason Kerr's fine run and cross, Craig set up Danny McNamara for a rising shot that was tipped over by Marciano.
That spate of goal-mouth activity failed to set the tone as neither side registered a noteworthy chance until the final 20 minutes.
Hibernian hadn't kept three straight clean sheets in the Scottish Premiership for nearly two years and having only conceded from a penalty and set piece so far this term, Craig was optimistic of beating Marciano with his long-range drive from Michael O'Halloran's pass as the ball veered wide.
However, just as the match edged into added time, Hibs midfielder Alex Gogic struck the post with a header and when the home side failed to clear their lines, Beaton pointed to the spot when Porteous collapsed under Gordon and Mallan hammered the spot kick past Parish, with Craig dismissed after the final whistle as he revealed his anger at his side's unlucky defeat.
St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson: "In the first half, we didn't play well enough. I thought Hibs were excellent - they moved the ball really well and really quickly. We weren't at the races but in the second half we got better. We put a lot more pressure on them as I asked for a reaction from the players.
"It's one of those where it's really hard to take. I was bitterly disappointed with certain aspects of the game. Decisions sometimes go for you and sometimes they go against you. I'm not too sure about VAR and it's tough for officials to make decisions. It's a hard one (the penalty) but we should've won the first header. Gogic gets the header in and then we didn't react quick enough."
Hibernian boss Jack Ross: "It's always fantastic coming to difficult venues and win a game, you're always delighted to win away in the Premiership.
"First half we were good and played well - second half not so well. We had to make changes to affect the game and we had as many positive players as possible on the pitch at the end. We ended up winning the game and if your defence is organised, you always have a chance to win.
"We speak about finding a way to win the match, first half we were good and I thought we were at it and that could win us the game. But what won the game was resilience and having a platform from not conceding. We're finding ways to pick up points and long may that continue."
Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd:
"There's got to be ambition about Hibernian - they're a big club in Scotland. They'll see now as a good opportunity to get players in as they've made a great start.
"You look at their fixtures as well with Aberdeen next week and hopefully we'll get a right good game on Sky. If you take the Rangers and Celtic games out and look at the other three fixtures, and Jack will be targeting nine points from those games.
"Anything from the Old Firm games would be a bonus. After the next six fixtures, they could be in a wonderful position. You'd like to think everything is rosy at Easter Road. They're always a threat on the counter-attack and you always feel they can punish teams. It wasn't the best performance today but defensively they look a lot more solid."
St Johnstone host St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership next Saturday at 3pm while Hibernian are at home to Aberdeen on Sunday, live on Sky Sports at 4.30pm.
