St Johnstone secured a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Dundee United at McDiarmid Park on Saturday. Josh Fowler’s early goal was cancelled out by a late Lyall Cameron strike, leaving the sides to share the points in the Scottish Premiership.
The result keeps St Johnstone in fifth place in the Premiership standings with 11 points from eight games. They will defend that position next week at Ibrox against second-placed Rangers. Fowler opened the scoring after 21 minutes, converting a cross from Enes Alic for his sixth league goal of the campaign. The striker had been ill overnight and manager Simo Valakari admitted he considered substituting him before the break. Valakari revealed.
Dundee United trailed at half-time but improved markedly after the interval. Their pressure told in the 79th minute when a low delivery from substitute Zac Sapsford found Cameron, who scored his second goal since joining on loan from Rangers. St Johnstone goalkeeper Toby Steward was called into action late on, making a vital stop from Sapsford in the final minute to preserve the point.
Both managers agreed the final score was a fair reflection. "It was a fair result," said Valakari. "Both teams made it difficult for each other and were going for the winner at the end." Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin focused on his team's response after falling behind. "When you're a goal behind at half-time, you're questioning the character," he said. Goodwin felt his side's build-up was too slow initially but praised their dominant second-half display, stating they were "by far the better team" after the break.
The draw extends St Johnstone's recent run to just one defeat in their last five matches. With 10 goals scored and 10 conceded this season, their goal difference remains level. Defender Cheick Diabate returned to the side for the visitors after serving a suspension. St Johnstone's next challenge is a significant one, travelling to face Rangers in their next fixture on Saturday 24 October. The Saints will look to build on a resilient defensive display that earned them a point here.
