St Johnstone 0-1 Aberdeen: Late Teddy Jenks goal sends Saints bottom
- Published
Aberdeen's Teddy Jenks made it 1-0 late on
St Johnstone dropped to the bottom of the Scottish Premiership as Teddy Jenks' controversial winner made it three victories in a row for Aberdeen.
The home players were livid after the ball appeared to strike the arm of Jenks before the on-loan Brighton midfielder lashed home a late winner.
Earlier, Saints' Chris Kane and the visitors' Lewis Ferguson both headed efforts off a post in a tight contest.
St Johnstone fall below Ross County, who beat Dundee 3-2, on goals scored.
Callum Davidson's men have now suffered three straight defeats in a run of four league games without victory, while sixth-place Aberdeen's win closes the gap on fourth to just a point.
Davidson cut a frustrated figure before the match. He was forced into four changes due to injuries, while clearance did not arrive in time to allow him to name newly-signed midfielder Jacob Butterfield in the line-up.
St Johnstone against Aberdeen is not a fixture renowned for high scoring. September's clash at Pittodrie had been settled by a single Stevie May goal. In three visits to Perth last season, the Dons recorded two 1-0 wins and a goalless draw.
So, it was little surprise half-time was reached without anyone on the scoresheet.
Zander Clark did have to tip away a downward header from Aberdeen's Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, while Ferguson knocked a corner off the near post.
At the other end, Kane headed on target but found Ferguson in the way, after earlier being denied by the intervention of Ross McCrorie at the near post.
Shaun Rooney's rasping drive forced Joe Lewis into his first save of note, the Dons goalkeeper having to push it wide at full stretch.
That warmed the game up. Aberdeen frontman Marley Watkins found himself in a good position but harmlessly poked the ball at Clark, while Ryan Hedges' shot on target had more power but was from further away.
St Johnstone's best chance arrived when Kane got to Ali Crawford's cross and headed off the near post. But that was as close as they would come as Aberdeen, much like the Perth side did at Pittodrie in September, found a late breakthrough.
Jenks controlled the ball with his arm, only for it to drop kindly into his path. He picked his spot inside the near post to score his second goal for the club and continue Aberdeen's mini-revival.
Man of the match - Jonny Hayes
Jonny Hayes' tireless running down the left wing constantly got Aberdeen up the park
What did we learn?
Both managers mentioned pre-match that despite St Johnstone's struggles, they are still a side who are difficult to score against.
But at the other end it is just one goal scored in five games and the fixtures do not come much easier with Rangers at Ibrox up next in midweek.
Aberdeen thought they had turned a corner in October only to then suffer three defeats in a row.
McDiarmid Park has often been an unhappy hunting ground for them, but it is four games in a row now without conceding in Perth, with three wins.
What did they say?
St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson: "In the second half I thought the boys were magnificent. They took the game to Aberdeen and albeit for first of all a soft free-kick - I don't think it was a free-kick - and then looking back on it a blatant handball that has basically cost us the game.
"That's three or four times blatantly it's happened this season and that's basically costing points, and big points. For the performance levels we had today to get nothing from it is hard to take. I thought we were pushing, we limited Aberdeen in the second half and I thought we were the better team."
Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass: "The way that they [St Johnstone] have reacted there's always a possibility [of a handball], but the bit I saw was the finish from Teddy Jenks which was fantastic. He did similar at Livingston away when we were needing something and looking for a bit of quality from somewhere, and Teddy produced it.
"Any time you win three games in a row in this division it's been well fought, it's a tough thing to get done."
What's next?
St Johnstone are away to Rangers on Wednesday (19:45 GMT). Aberdeen, though, have a 10-day break with their next game not until 22 December when they travel to face Hibernian (19:45).
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