St Johnstone relegated
Hearts 2 - 1 St Johnstone
St Johnstone’s 16-year tenure in the Scottish Premiership came to a heartbreaking end on Wednesday night, undone by a late Ross County equaliser in Dundee and their own defeat in a breathless encounter at Tynecastle.
Author - Josh T
Stadium - Tynecastle
The Perth club had flirted with relegation for months, and despite a glimmer of hope as events elsewhere briefly swung in their favour, the night ultimately ended in despair. Simo Valakari’s side, who have languished at the foot of the table since just before Christmas, are now four points adrift with one match to play — their fate sealed before the final weekend.
It was a night that veered between agony and faint optimism. Trailing 2-0 in Edinburgh while County and Dundee remained level, St Johnstone seemed destined for the drop. But when Dundee took the lead late on, hope flickered again. That was extinguished in stoppage time as County struck from the spot, leaving the Perth side beyond reach.
At Tynecastle, the tone was set early. Barry Douglas inadvertently turned a Harry Milne cross into his own net in comical fashion, and Alan Forrest soon doubled the lead with a sharp finish following neat play from Lawrence Shankland.
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Graham Carey offered a moment of quality with a fine free-kick to reduce the deficit, but there would be no salvaging the night, or the season. Hearts held on for a third successive win, while St Johnstone’s long Premiership stay slipped quietly into history.
The demise of a club that appeared to be on the up a few years ago
St Johnstone’s struggles appear to be similar to those of Leicester City in the English Premier League. When the Perth side won a cup double in 2021, things appeared to be on the up.
They didn't capitalise on their success though. What could have been the start of a golden era became anything but.
Like Leicester in England, a couple of key players left and they struggled to replace them.
Their numbers this season illustrate why they have dropped out of the top flight. Too often, they have struggled to get going in games and often left themselves with too much to do. An unwanted record is conceding 35 first-half goals in 37 games. This is the worst in the Premiership.
They have also failed to score a first-half goal in 26 of those matches.
Now, those glory days at Hampden Park look a lifetime ago. Can they bounce back next season?
