St Mirren defeat St Johnstone 1-0 in Premiership

St Mirren beat St Johnstone 1-0 at St Mirren Park on Saturday to move six points clear of the bottom three in the Scottish Premiership.

The win keeps St Mirren’s survival push alive after a shaky start to the season. St Johnstone, meanwhile, remain rooted to 11th with just two points from their last six league games. The visitors arrived in Paisley on the back of a 3-0 loss to Hearts and needed a response. They didn’t get it. St Mirren’s defence held firm and their counter-attacking threat proved decisive. The result means St Johnstone are now only two points above Dundee United in the relegation battle, with the table tightening as the season heads toward its final stretch.

The only goal came in the 68th minute when Tony Andre Hansen turned in a Mark O’Hara corner at the near post. It was St Mirren’s first clean sheet in six league matches and their first win in three games. St Johnstone struggled to create chances, mustering just two shots on target all game. Their set-piece threat, usually a reliable source of goals, was neutralised by St Mirren’s organised block. Manager Callum Davidson will be concerned by his side’s recent form, especially after spending much of the summer strengthening his squad.

St Mirren move to 33 points, level on games with Hearts in fifth, but with a far superior goal difference. They now face a trip to champions Celtic next, while St Johnstone host Motherwell in a six-pointer that could define their season. A loss for St Johnstone would leave them just one point above the bottom two with 10 games left. For St Mirren, the win keeps their survival hopes alive and proves they can grind out results against fellow strugglers. The gap between safety and the drop zone is razor thin, and every point counts.