Importance Score: 35 / 100 🔵
St Johnstone Stun Celtic in Scottish Premiership Thriller
In a surprising turn of events at McDiarmid Park, St Johnstone delivered a significant blow to Celtic’s title aspirations with a remarkable 1-0 victory in the Scottish Premiership. This unexpected triumph provides a valuable boost in St Johnstone’s fight against relegation.
Early Goal Shocks Parkhead Side
Just four minutes into the match, Daniels Balodis disrupted the expected script, heading home the opening goal. Despite Celtic dominating possession and creating numerous chances throughout the game, St Johnstone, guided by manager Simo Valakari, resolutely defended their lead. Goalkeeper Andy Fisher proved crucial, making a series of important saves to deny the visitors.
Victory Ends Long Wait for Saints
This victory marks St Johnstone’s first win against Celtic since 2016. The Perth team’s hard-fought three points reduces the gap to Dundee, who are second-bottom in the league, to five points with six games remaining. For Celtic, while still holding a substantial 13-point advantage over Rangers, celebrations for the Premiership title will have to be postponed following this setback. This result is undoubtedly a momentous occasion for St Johnstone.
Celtic’s Dominance Meets St Johnstone Resilience
The scale of St Johnstone’s challenge was highlighted by their previous encounters with Celtic, including a 6-0 home defeat in September and a 4-0 loss at Celtic Park in December. A large contingent of Celtic supporters filled three stands at McDiarmid Park for the lunchtime kick-off, creating an expectant atmosphere which was quickly silenced when St Johnstone took the lead. Prior to the goal, Celtic midfielder Arne Engels tested Fisher with a powerful strike.
Balodis Breaks the Deadlock
Earlier in the attack, Balodis had sent a header narrowly over the bar from a Makenzie Kirk cross. However, the Latvian defender made no mistake from Graham Carey’s subsequent free-kick, expertly glancing a header beyond Celtic goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo to give his team the lead.
Fisher Frustrates Celtic’s Attack
In the 13th minute, Fisher reacted swiftly to parry a shot from Daizen Maeda. Moments later, Stephen Duke-McKenna’s timely tackle prevented Nicolas Kühn from converting from close range. Kühn then forced Sinisalo into action with a sharp shot on the turn. Despite sustained pressure from Celtic, St Johnstone maintained their defensive composure.
Goalkeeper Heroics Continue
A loose back pass from Sam Curtis presented Maeda with another opportunity, but Fisher again thwarted the attack with a crucial save. He repeated this feat shortly after, denying Jota with another impressive stop. Towards the end of the first half, VAR reviewed a potential penalty for St Johnstone for a Reo Hatate handball, but play continued. Sinisalo then saved Adama Sidibeh’s header from a Carey corner, ensuring the score remained 1-0 at halftime.
Second Half Substitutions and Sustained Pressure
Celtic manager made two changes at the start of the second half, introducing Yang Hyun-jun and Greg Taylor in place of Kühn and Jeffrey Schlupp, seeking to inject fresh impetus into their attack. However, St Johnstone remained resolute. Sidibeh created space against Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers but his resulting shot went wide of the target.
Celtic’s Search for Equalizer Intensifies
Celtic continued to control possession, and in the 55th minute, Hatate struck the post with a powerful shot following an Engels corner. At the other end, Duke-McKenna’s long-range effort narrowly missed the target. After Hatate fired high over the bar from 12 yards after being set up by Jota, Adam Idah was brought on to replace Maeda as Celtic searched for an equaliser.
St Johnstone Defend Deep Amid Pressure
Under relentless pressure from Celtic, St Johnstone manager Valakari made a quadruple substitution. Taylor Steven, Sven Sprangler, Nicky Clark, and Benjamin Kimpioka entered the game, replacing the injured Drey Wright and Sidibeh, Carey, and Kirk, aiming to solidify their defense and introduce fresh legs.
Late Chances and Final Whistle
Kimpioka created a couple of quick opportunities inside the Celtic penalty area during a rare St Johnstone attack but was unable to get a clear shot away. Back in the St Johnstone half, Luke McCowan – a substitute for Engels – shot wide from 16 yards in the 79th minute. Fellow substitute James Forrest then tested Fisher with shots from close range and distance, but the goalkeeper remained unbeatable.
Fisher’s Final Stand Secures Victory
In the first minute of added time, Fisher denied McCowan with a composed block from a chip, effectively securing St Johnstone’s vital victory and significantly boosting their hopes of Scottish Premiership survival. The final whistle sparked celebrations among the home fans as St Johnstone secured a memorable and crucial win against the league leaders.