St Johnstone

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• Motherwell have failed to win in their last three games in the Premiership, their last longer winless streak was from 20 December 2024 to 2 January 2025, a run of four games.

• St Johnstone have won after conceding the opening goal in the Premiership for the first time since 26 October 2024 against Dundee (eight games without a win).

• Motherwell have lost after scoring the opening goal in the Premiership for the first time since 25 February 2024 against Celtic (13 games without defeat).

• St Johnstone have won after trailing at half time in the Premiership for the first time since 26 October 2024 against Dundee (seven games without a win after trailing at half time).

• St Johnstone have won after trailing at half time at home in the Premiership for the first time since 23 September 2017 against Hamilton Academical (44 games without a win after trailing at half time).

• St Johnstone have scored in their last four games in the Premiership, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of four games from 7 December 2024 to 26 December 2024.

• Motherwell have lost after leading at half time in the Premiership for the first time since 25 February 2024 against Celtic (11 games without defeat after leading at half time).

• Motherwell have lost an away game after leading at half time in the Premiership for the first time since 27 August 2022 against Kilmarnock (10 games without defeat).

Goals on 86 and 88 minutes ensured a dramatic and potentially priceless victory for bottom-side St Johnstone as they ended a nine-game winless run in the Scottish Premiership against Motherwell.

Bozo Mikulic brilliantly smashed in the winner two minutes after youngster Taylor Steven slotted in a well-deserved equaliser for Simo Valakari's side who have narrowed the gap on eleventh-placed Kilmarnock to seven points.

After defeating the Steelmen in the Scottish Cup last week, it appeared as though their Premiership pain was going to continue after conceding a penalty inside the opening 30 seconds.

It was minute four by the time Andy Halliday tucked away the spot-kick after Kevin Clancy went to the monitor to spot home captain Sven Sprangler's handball at a bouncing ball in the box.

However, Stuart Kettlewell's side couldn't kick on as the manager watched on from the stands as he served the first of a two-match suspension due to an accumulation of bookings.

As time ticked on in a freezing Perth, it was Valakari's side who searched for much-needed and much-deserved points and goals and both came in remarkable fashion.

Saints fans, were you at McDiarmid Park or following the action from home? Either way we want to know what you made of St Johnstone's performance.

Have your say, external

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Throughout this testing spell, Simo Valakari has never questioned his side's desire and determination to get out of this hole.

Despite getting off to the worst possible start, never once did they look down and out.

Even after conceding their 23rd first-half goal in 24 league games, they entered the break with belief.

In the second, they were the only side seriously in the hunt. It would have been a tough pill to swallow if they didn't get a point.

Ellery Balcombe twice denied Saints superbly, while Nicky Clark squandered a one-vs-one and Mackenzie Kirk crashed a header off the woodwork.

The roar at both goals, and the full-time whistle, was deafening and delightful for a support who have been through the ringer of late.

They're far from out the mire, but, they have back-to-back wins to build on.

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "We needed this. We needed these three points to try and climb the table.

"The game started as bad as it could, we tried to build some momentum and in the first 10 seconds boom penalty, gone. I felt we were in a match and we just needed the one goal. In the end, I am very happy for the players, the club, and the fans. It was three points, we needed it and the work continues.

"Let's say we would have lost this match 1-0, I would stand there and say we played an ok game. We needed the goals to show for it. I never doubted the desire of the players or the club and we showed it today.

"I have been talking a lot about the small margins and we saw those small margins today. We managed to turn it around, nothing has changed we need to concentrate on the football, keep believing and playing football.

"All the players today wanted to play and make a difference."

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Simo Valakari is hoping the paperwork for Jonathan Svedberg's move to St Johnstone squad is completed in time for the Swedish midfielder to play.

Defender Daniels Balodis - having left Latvian side FK RFS - will have to wait for his move to be sealed. Cammy MacPherson (hip) is working his way back but Uche Ikpeazu (knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) remain sidelined.

Motherwell could hand debuts to Ellery Balcombe and Luke Armstrong, while Liam Gordon and Harry Paton will be assessed.

Jack Vale begins a two-match ban while Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (calf), Lennon Miller, Steve Seddon (both ankle), Ross Callachan (hamstring), Paul McGinn (thigh), Aston Oxborough (thumb) and Zach Robinson (Achilles) remain out along with Jair Tavares.

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Jason Holt hopes the lessons he learned from Livingston's doomed relegation fight last season can help St Johnstone's survival bid.

With 15 games remaining the Perth side have a nine-point deficit on second-bottom Hearts and haven't won in nine league games.

As he looked ahead to Saturday's visit of Motherwell, midfielder Holt said: "We need to try and nip it in the bud because the longer it goes on, like I found last year, the more difficult it becomes to get out of the situation you're in.

"It can definitely start to weigh you down the longer it goes on.

"We need to make sure it doesn't go on as long as I experienced last year because ultimately it won't end well.

"We're in control of that, we've still got time on our side but we need to make sure we act quick."

Holt, 31, wants Saints to use last weekend's Scottish Cup fourth-round win over Motherwell as the catalyst for a positive run.

"The cup game gives us a platform," he added. "It's one win in the cup, we're not getting carried away, but if we can take the positives from that and take it to this weekend, hopefully we can start building a bit of momentum which will help us climb up the league."

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Swedish midfielder Jonathan Svedberg is looking forward to the higher "intensity" of Scottish football after signing for St Johnstone following his departure from Halmstads.

The 25-year-old, who has agreed a contract until summer 2026, spent nine years with the Swedish top-flight club but was out of contract at the end of the 2024 season.

Svedberg made 35 appearances, all but two of them starts, as Halmstads finished 12th of 16 teams in the Allsvenskan.

"It has been a good journey for me, but I felt like I needed something else and an adventure," he told Saints' website. "I think Scotland is perfect for that.

"It is different moving here all by myself, but this will help me grow more as a person."

In addition to helping Halmstads avoid relegation last year, former youth international Svedberg twice helped them win promotion to the top flight and will now hope he can help Saints move off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership.

He described McDiarmid Park as a "very nice" stadium and added: "It is a good league, the intensity is higher and I think it will suit me. I feel I can bring a lot of experience. I have been playing high-level football for a long time now.

"I am physical, go into duels and will be strong, but I like to be in control of positions too. The head coach wants to have control of games and I like this football philosophy."

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• While St Johnstone knocked Motherwell out of the Scottish Cup last week, they have lost both of their league meetings with the Steelmen this season (both 2-1), last losing three in a row against them in the top flight in April 2012.

• Motherwell are unbeaten in five league visits to St Johnstone (W2 D3), and could win successive such trips for the first time since November 2012 under Stuart McCall.

• St Johnstone are winless in nine league games (D2 L7), last going 10 without victory in January 2022 under Callum Davidson.

• Motherwell have won just one of their past seven away league outings (D1 L5), a 1-0 victory at St Mirren in December. The Steelmen have scored just four goals (and never more than once in a game) in this spell.

• St Johnstone's Benjamin Kimpioka has attempted more dribbles (85) than any other player in the Scottish Premiership, with 42 of his take-ons coming following a ball carry, also a league high.

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari has no doubts that bids will come in for Benjamin Kimpioka before the transfer window closes, with interest in the 24-year-old forward, who is out of contract in the summer, from at least two clubs in Europe, as well as in Israel. (The Courier), external

St Johnstone signing target Daniels Balodis will not need to go before the Scottish FA eligibility panel because the 26-year-old centre-back, currently with RFS, is an established Latvian international and joins Swedish midfielder Jonathan Svedberg in awaiting a work permit. (The Courier), external

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari has left the door open for a second bid to sign Roman Eremenko this summer after the SFA eligibility panel rejected the transfer because of the league the 37-year-old was playing in and his low salary with Gnistan in Finland. (The Courier), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari admits the pressure of a relegation battle is weighing heavily on his players.

Valakari's side are nine points adrift of second-bottom Hearts having only won four of their 23 matches this season.

The Perth side's 1-0 Scottish Cup fourth-round win over Motherwell last week was their first victory in 10 games and they host the Steelmen again this Saturday on league business.

"I've said it all the time, but we have put ourselves in that position," Valakari said.

"So it's our choice now, either we give up, this is too difficult, this is too heavy, too much pressure, or we take it as a challenge.

"We are here, and we need to get out of this. I want to see, we want to see, as a team, a club, the positives.

"I would not stay up for the challenge if I did not feel I have my players up for the challenge. I would not stay up for the challenge if I feel the club was not up for the challenge.

"So everyone is up for the challenge. And as I said, it's a very difficult situation. It weighs heavily on our shoulders, but that's part of football.

"I would like to use it the other way around. When you play to win the trophy, that weighs heavily on you. You need to handle that pressure as well. There's always pressure.

"Unfortunately for us, it's a negativity pressure, but we need to handle that as well."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Simo Valakari has been speaking to the media before St Johnstone face Motherwell in the Premiership this weekend.

Here are the key lines from the Perth boss:

• Saints are close to signing Swedish midfielder Jonathan Svedberg, who could join before the weekend, and Latvian defender Daniels Balodis.

• Valakari confirms the club have received bids for a "few" players.

• He admits recent league results - nine games without a win - are "catastrophic" and "it hits you hard".

• With Saints nine points adrift at the bottom there is "no hiding" and Valakari says: "Either we give up, this is too difficult, this is too heavy, too much pressure, or we take it as a challenge".

• Last week's Scottish Cup win over Motherwell provided belief that things can turn and "everyone is up" for the fight.

• On playing the Steelmen in successive games, Valakari says: "They will come with this attitude that it was just an accident what happened last weekend. So we need to be ready for that."

St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari is confident Sam Curtis will turn out to be the perfect example of how a loan deal from an English club should work. (The Courier)

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.

St Johnstone's bid to sign Roman Eremenko, who has 73 Finland caps, has collapsed after the Scottish FA refused to endorse a work permit application, with the 37-year-old midfielder's age possibly having gone against him. (Herald - subscription), external

Leeds United's 21-year-old Kris Moore, who can play at centre-half or right-back, has arrived at St Johnstone for a trial. (Courier - subscription), external

Midfielders Matt Smith and Cammy MacPherson have intimated they want to leave St Johnstone before the transfer window closes now that opportunities to play are likely to diminish. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Sam Miller
Fan writer

Is the win over Motherwell going to be the turning point of our season?

The Scottish Cup, which has twice called Perth home in the last 11 years, seems to have kickstarted the players as we advanced to a fifth-round tie at home to Hamilton.

New additions Andy Fisher, Sam Curtis and Victor Griffith, who already look like an upgrade on what we have, have hit the ground running.

Unbelievably, Makenzie Kirk's winning strike was our first goal in the Scottish Cup since Shaun Rooney decided to produce the goods at Hampden (again) in the 2021 final.

However, in the league the teams above us need roughly 15 points from 15 games to survive.

Premiership survival could be a stretch too far for us but the weekend result, performance, player attitude and confidence may not make relegation the forgone conclusion many think it is.

Sam Miller can be found at Dogger Saints Podcast, external

We asked for your thoughts after St Johnstone beat Motherwell 1-0 in the Scottish Cup fourth round.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Dunc: One swallow doth not a summer make, but it is a start. This has to be maintained against the same opposition next week. We still need a couple more in before the window closes, and I would not be sad to see the back of Benjamin Kimpioka, Adama Sidibeh and Nicky Clark. We need another striker to compliment Makenzie Kirk.

Duncan: It's fair to say that the team will have been unburdened by league issues, but there was also a freshness about the team brought, a better balance and some reward for the work they've put into the last few games. It'll be interesting to see how they go against the same opposition next week, hopefully with one or two more additions.

Jimmy: A good win, can't pick out any negatives, the defence is still an issue but much better, a clean sheet. We're looking like more of an attacking threat, just needed that comfort of another goal, things are improving, one game at a time.

Paul: Fantastic first half where we should have been two or three up. Looked far more solid at the back and a commanding performance from Andy Fisher! It's not over, if we can play like that in the league we will win games.

Makenzie Kirk's early strike helped St Johnstone banish their Premiership blues as they earned a first home win over Motherwell in three years to claim a place in the Scottish Cup last 16.

A whirlwind start brought Kirk's goal inside the first 10 minutes, scrambled in from a Graham Carey corner.

The legs of Motherwell keeper Archie Mair then prevented debutant Victor Griffith from doubling the advantage shortly afterwards when he was sent clear on goal.

Had Simo Valakari's side been tidier with their finishing, their win could have been a whole lot more comfortable.

They were unrecognisable from the side who had lost seven of their previous nine and are adrift at the bottom of the league.

St Johnstone fans, were you at McDiarmid Park or following the action from home? Either way we want your views on the performance.

Have your say, external

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "It's a big win for the players, for the club and for the fans as well.

"The most important thing today was to win the match and get to the next round but the first half performance was very good and in the second half we showed the character to defend.

"It has not been easy, there's no hiding but you cannot control the results. You can control the performances and I thought the players put in a good performance today.

"When we have lost matches we have been down but we've known what we needed to do. We can't stop doing the things we're good at. This gives us something to be happy about. We can't think we've turned a corner, that's the worst thing was can think.

"When we can play this way, we defend better as well. From that point on our game looks more complete. It's still very fragile. Overall I was very pleased."

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In a game that lacked much excitement, Makenzie Kirk's goal put a shine on what has been a rather underwhelming season for St Johnstone so far. Could this be a turning point for Simo Valakari's side?

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St Johnstone have signed Sheffield United defender Sam Curtis on loan until the end of the 2024/25 season.

The full-back was on the books of Shamrock Rovers before moving to St Patrick's Athletic in August 2021 where he became their youngest ever player at 15 years and 255 days old.

From there he went to Sheffield United and made his debut in a Premier League game against Everton.

The Republic of Ireland youth international will be available for St Johnstone's Scottish Cup clash against Motherwell on Saturday.

"I am delighted to be here and I am so excited to get to work," Curtis told club media., external

"After speaking with the manager, seeing the great stadium and meeting with the lads, I am just excited to get out there on the pitch now.

"It is an exciting challenge for me and the team. We want to get ourselves back into a good position in the league. I am hoping to come in and play a big part in that."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Teenage midfielder Fran Franczak has thanked St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari for showing faith in him.

Franczak, 17, became Saints' youngest ever player - aged 16 yrs and 38 days old - when he made his debut against Hibs last season.

This term, Franczak is beginning to establish himself under Valakari - starting three of the last four games - and hopes to feature in Saturday's Scottish Cup tie at home to Motherwell.

He said: "It is obviously really good the manager has put his trust in me, we have a very good relationship.

"There is a lot of positivity, everyone has a good mentality in the team, and we are ready for the game on Saturday to win."

Franczak was born in Poland but moved to Scotland over a decade ago, growing up as a St Johnstone fan.

And having been at Hampden to watch the club's Scottish Cup triumph in 2014, he admits playing for his boyhood heroes in the competition is special.

"It means a lot, I went to the 2014 final with one of my friends, but I watched the one in 2021 on the TV," he said.

"I was seven [in 2014], I remember the parade in the town afterwards, my mum still shows me pictures of that sometimes."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari wants his side "to be a little bit crazy" as they look to turn their wretched season around.

The Perth side are nine points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership and winless in nine games as they begin their Scottish Cup campaign with a fourth-round home tie against Motherwell on Saturday.

"I am not stupid, I am not overly positive, it is a very difficult situation we all know," Valakari said of his side's league plight.

"We need to be brave, we need to be a little bit crazy and go all in and let's see where it takes us. No one inside the club is hiding, no one even one millimetre has given up.

"We put ourselves in this situation, we need to now get ourselves out of this situation."

Valakari was asked if a cup win this weekend could be a catalyst for an upturn of fortunes in the league.

He said: "I wish I could say we win one match and everything will be rosey. No, it is not like that.

"There is no magic in football that things can happen but I said after the league match last weekend, it has been difficult for many reasons but I feel the team is coming back now and that is a good thing.

"We are talking that it is a welcome break from the pressure of the league but if we keep doing these things that we have been doing lately, it doesn't matter that it is the cup or league or friendly match, we are not going to be successful."