St Johnstone

Image source, SNS

Former Scotland midfielder Kevin Thomson thinks St Johnstone can do enough to avoid the drop after their superb 1-0 win over Celtic on Sunday.

Daniels Balodis' early goal secured a vital three points for Simo Valakari's side, who trail Dundee in 11th by five points.

There are six league matches remaining and Saints will face the teams around them after the league splits this weekend.

"Naturally you're playing against the teams over the course of season that have not managed to squeeze into the top six," Thomson said on the BBC's Scottish Football podcast.

"You could argue that the fixtures are slightly easier, albeit you're down there yourself. They are obviously going to be really competitive, but looking at the table, I think they can all beat each other. I genuinely do.

"That result, everybody was probably looking at St Johnstone thinking they're down and out. You're not expecting them to get anything off Celtic, they're not going to get three points.

"St Johnstone are more than capable of picking up seven, eight, nine points out of 15, the other three or four are more than capable as well. If you're in that mix, you've got a wee bit of squeaky bum time."

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

St Johnstone gave their Premiership survival hopes an enormous boost with a shock win over league-leaders Celtic at McDiarmid Park on Sunday.

They have three players in my team of the week as a result.

Goalkeeper Andy Fisher exuded confidence and capability at the heart of a resolute performance. A number of vital interventions to keep Celtic out.

Daniels Balodis gets the nod over Zach Mitchell - who was also superb - due to his match-winning goal.

Mr Versatility Drey Wright also makes it. He played as part of an impressive back three against Celtic and was superb. Sticking him in as a wing-back here.

We asked for your views on St Johnstone's 1-0 win against Celtic.

Here's what some of you said:

Robin: Safe to say many didn't see that one coming! The team showed that they can be direct and effective when they need to be. The main thing is we now have the chance to be within two points at the split and the rest of the bottom six will be very concerned if that happens.

Paul: What a performance! I feel the manager deserved that, he's stayed true to his principles and tried getting the team to play good football. It's not always worked but that was the complete performance and a thoroughly deserved victory.

Gordon: Incredible. It shows we have a team in there. Delighted for everyone at the club. Now though we have to replicate this effort six more times and maybe, just maybe we can conjure up a great escape. Cue the music.

Les: What a result, there wasn't a failure. Praying Drey Wright isn't serious with his knee, what a game set up at Tannadice now.

Sam: The great escape is well and truly on. I see another 11th place finish and relegation play-off in our near-future. Regardless of if we stay up or go down, I really hope Simo Valakari gets the opportunity to build the squad up over the summer. He's the most optimistic I've felt about a Saints coach in a long while.

Image source, SNS

• Graham Carey has assisted three goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other St Johnstone player.

• Adam Idah has attempted five shots, the first time he has attempted at least five shots in a match in the Premiership since facing Dundee United on 15 February 2025 (seven shots).

• St Johnstone have beaten Celtic for the first time in the Premiership since 11 May 2016, a run of 27 games without a win.

• Reo Hatate has attempted five shots, the first time he has attempted at least five shots in a match in the Premiership since facing Kilmarnock on 4 August 2024 (eight shots).

Watch the highlights from St Johnstone's 1-0 win over league leaders Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.

Available to UK users only

Did you take in St Johnstone's 1-0 win over Celtic or were you following from home?

Have your say on the match

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "Big win. My players wanted to show that they are good players, we are a good team and there's no better place to show that than against Celtic at your home stadium. Very proud of the performance.

"There were a lot of good performances, starting from the striker all the way, of course, to our goalkeeper. You need in these matches to make saves and Andy Fisher made those saves.

"Our players, mentally, they were switched on all the time. Early goal helps because then you have even more to hang on to. Our players, they can defend.

"We give ourselves the fighting, fighting chance. Where it takes us? We don't know but we need to stay there until the end. We keep going."

Image source, SNS

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland at McDiarmid Park

St Johnstone's set-up was bold and their bravery was rewarded.

Not only did they take the lead against a team who had previously put them to the sword this season with an aggregate of 10-0, they defended the predictable Celtic response brilliantly.

Celtic piled on the pressure in the second half, but St Johnstone held firm, while Andy Fisher made some vital saves.

The points could be vital too as they try and stave off the threat of relegation after 16 years in the top flight. It was a brilliant display and one that psychologically could be huge for the league run-in.

Although, it must be a tad frustrating for manager Simo Valakari that performances like this have been so rare this term. Still, he will be focusing on the positives and hoping the result will spark something.

Andy Fisher was outstanding in goal as St Johnstone recorded an unlikely but potentially huge win against Celtic.

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

Barry Douglas has recovered from a knock while long-term injury victims Uche Ikpeazu, Bozo Mikulic (both knee) and Sam McClelland (achilles) are still missing for St Johnstone.

Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel faces five to six weeks out with a shoulder injury but Liam Scales returns from a facial injury.

Barry Douglas, 35, says St Johnstone are adopting a "nothing to lose" attitude in their fight against relegation. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

Image source, SNS

Simo Valakari knows how Celtic will play against St Johnstone on Sunday, but admits it doesn't make his side's task any easier.

The Perth men are bottom of the Premiership, five points adrift of Dundee and six behind Kilmarnock and safety, while runaway leaders Celtic are closing in on the title.

"Sometimes – and understand me right – it's easier to play against the top teams because it's so clear what they are doing," Valakari said.

"I can say when the ball goes there, what's happening there. It's so clear but then how do you stop that because they do it and do it and they have the quality.

"But for the players, it's very clear. This will happen, so how can we manage to stop that? But that's our job.

"I'm a football fan, I'm a football romantic and when I see a team playing like Celtic do, to be that far ahead and still executing the principal of their game identity, this makes me feel 'Wow, this is a top, top team' and it's a big credit to the manager.

"But as I said, it's our job. It's still football. It's 11 versus 11. We have good players out there.

"Yes, we need some moments, maybe that the ball will bounce our way, but we know what we're going to do. We need to execute it, and it's not enough that we execute it the first 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes. It needs to be spot on all game."

Given six months to live six months ago, St Johnstone fan Stewart Falconer is living on borrowed time but it has not stopped him continuing his usual Saturday routine with his daughters Louise and Gillian.

The family shares the importance of spending time and creating memories with one another in the face of the inevitable.

This segment is taken from the Friday, 4 April episode of A View From The Terrace. Watch on iPlayer or BBC Scotland at 22:30 BST.

Image source, SNS

• St Johnstone are winless in 31 meetings with Celtic in all competitions (D4 L27) since a 2-1 league win in May 2016 under Tommy Wright.

• Celtic have won each of their past 15 away games at St Johnstone in all competitions by an aggregate score of 48-9. Only at Partick Thistle (18 – Nov 1995 to Jan 2020) and Queen's Park (19 – Oct 1904 to Sep 1923) have they ever enjoyed a longer away winning run against a particular opponent.

• St Johnstone have won just one of their past six league games (D2 L3), failing to score in their past two. The Perth side last went three successive league matches without scoring in August 2023.

• Celtic's 3-0 win over Hearts last time out was their 20th Scottish Premiership clean sheet of the season in 31 games. Only in 1913-14 have they ever reached 20 clean sheets sooner from the start of a league campaign (27th match).

• Thirty one per cent of Daizen Maeda's Scottish Premiership goals have come in 2025 (11/35). The Japanese forward is looking to become the first player to score in six successive league appearances for Celtic since Odsonne Edouard in February 2021.

Former midfielder Murray Davidson believes poor recruitment and "panic buying" in recent years is a key factor in St Johnstone's current plight at the bottom of the Premiership.

Read more: Why is 16-year top-flight stay at risk?

North Texas SC, MLS club FC Dallas' development team, have an option to make St Johnstone midfielder Aaron Essel's loan permanent at the end of their season in December, but the Scottish Premiership club have the right to recall the 19-year-old. (The Courier), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Image source, SNS

St Johnstone owner Adam Webb says an expanded Scottish Premiership is the best way forward.

The SPFL's working group will consider options for increasing or decreasing the number of clubs in the four leagues, but Webb believes returning to a 10-team top flight would be a "huge mistake" as he looked to move from 12 to 14 teams and growing to 16 in the future.

Webb, whose side are five points adrift at the bottom of the table, told Sky Sports: "I think the bar for good or bad when it comes to football, UK football and world football, is the English Premier League.

"They've got 20 clubs and while we're not the same size as England, obviously, and we're not going to have 20 clubs in our Premiership - what you want to do is edge closer to that.

"It is a more familiar system that is more geared towards success on the world stage and on the UK stage.

"From looking at the quality in the Championship this season, I can tell you we have two, three, four clubs for sure that would do just fine in the Premiership, and that's where we should be headed. We should be growing the Premiership.

"We should be going to a 14-team league very soon, and then five years later - as long as the quality in the Championship is sufficient - projecting to go to a 16-team league, and if you keep growing it on a gradual, very deliberate way, we can make sure that the quality is there.

"We absolutely need to have quality with every team in the Premiership, but that's the direction we should be going because it's better for Scotland, it's better for Scottish football."

Any change would require the backing of 11 of the 12 Premiership clubs, eight out of 10 Championship teams and 15 of the 20 teams in Leagues One and Two.

Image source, SNS

Simo Valakari has called on his St Johnstone side to believe they can stun Celtic and push towards Scottish Premiership survival.

The match at McDiarmid Park will be a top-versus-bottom encounter as Brendan Rodgers' runway leaders close in on the title.

Saints, meanwhile, are five points behind second-bottom Dundee and 52 behind Celtic.

"Crazy things happen in football," Valakari told Sky Sports. "Games are getting fewer and fewer and every game is more and more important.

"But we have put ourselves in this position and we need to get our ourselves out of this position.

"Basically, for us now, we need to get something out of these next two games before the split, to hang in there, to give us chance for those remaining five games.

"Crazy things happen in football and we need to keep believing in ourselves."

Meanwhile, midfielder Aaron Essel has left St Johnstone to join North Texas SC on loan until the end of the MLS Next Pro season.

The versatile 19-year-old has played 18 games for Saints this term but has struggled for game time in recent weeks.

Image source, SNS

Is the Scottish Premiership in need of a shake-up? If so, how do you go about it?

News emerged on Tuesday that the SPFL is considering changing Scotland's top flight to a 10, 14 or 16-team division in an attempt to help reduce fixture congestion.

In its current 12-team form, the clubs split into a top and bottom six after 33 rounds of matches, with 38 rounds played altogether.

That format has been in place since 2000-01 and retaining that model is also an option, but reports have also suggested the split could be scrapped.

For any fresh structure to pass, it needs the backing of 11 of the 12 Premiership clubs, and eight out of 10 from the Championship plus 75% of League One and League Two combined.

And judging by the fan reaction to the mere thought of reducing the league to a 10-team division, you would have to assume that idea is already unlikely.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, former Premiership players Cammy Bell and Cillian Sheridan provided their views on a potential restructure.

Expansion is the only option for former Rangers and Kilmarnock goalkeeper Bell, while ex-Celtic striker Sheridan would like to see the split retained.

"I think we need a little bit of freshness about our game," Bell said. "So, if we can expand that league, then absolutely do it. We've got big enough clubs now that can generate good crowds.

"We're at a time just now where we've got the potential of trying to change it and certainly for me it's got to be expansion."

"The split works now," Sheridan added. "When I first came over and saw the whole split thing, I just never really got it. But in the past few years it has been quite interesting.

"If the league is wrapped up, if relegation is wrapped up, it does add a little bit of excitement to things in terms of teams getting into the top six and having to get European football."

Dare Olufunwa is set for a move to Finland after St Johnstone agreed to release the 23-year-old defender. (The Courier), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Image source, SNS

Dare Olufunwa has left St Johnstone with immediate effect after his contract was "mutually terminated" by the club.

The 23-year-old defender arrived at McDiarmid Park in summer 2023 but struggled for game time under managers Steven MacLean, Craig Levein and now Simo Valakari and hasn't played for the club in over a year.

Olufunwa, who spent the first half of this season on loan at Hamilton, departs Perth having made 11 Saints appearances.