St Johnstone 1-0 Livingston: Hosts six clear of bottom
- Published
Callum Hendry scored his seventh goal in 10 games with an early penalty kick
St Johnstone are six points clear of the bottom of the Scottish Premiership after a "shocking" penalty that "could cost Livingston £2m".
The visitors' manager David Martindale was furious after Jack Fitzwater was adjudged to have elbowed Callum Hendry inside three minutes. The striker picked himself up to score his seventh goal in 10 games from the spot and earn St Johnstone victory.
Livingston had a late penalty claim of their own turned down as Dan Cleary's handball in the box went unpunished.
"That point could be worth anything between half a million and £2m," said Martindale, whose side slipped out of the top six.
"I've been inside trying to calm myself down and I need to watch what I say. Sometimes I feel 'why do I need to watch what I say when it was a blatant penalty?'. Every single person in this stadium knew that was a penalty."
With just one game remaining until the league splits, eighth-placed Livingston are a point shy of the top half with a home game with Motherwell to come.
St Johnstone, though, have cleaved open the gap between themselves and bottom-club Dundee, and have narrowed the distance to St Mirren and Aberdeen directly above them to six points.
The hosts had the dream start when a free-kick into the box wasn't dealt with. Fitzwater had his eye on the ball but, with his elbow up, he caught Hendry in the face and referee Kevin Clancy had little hesitation in awarding the spot kick.
Hendry dispatched it down the middle, but after that Livingston responded well.
James Penrice sent a shot over after a neat one-two, Scott Pittman dummied the defender but his effort was weak, while Alan Forrest left-foot shot ended up in the hands of goalkeeper Clark.
Sebastian Soto, on his first start for Livingston, dragged the ball past Cleary all too easily and tested Clark with an angled drive, before Forrest had another effort deflected over.
Yet St Johnstone could have been two ahead before the break when Ali Crawford's shot was tipped past a post, and had early efforts after half-time through Crawford and Nadir Ciftci.
It was becoming a bruising encounter. The hosts had already lost Tony Gallacher in the first half to injury, Cleary and Shaun Rooney both were on the end of hard challenges from Penrice, and the visitors' Joel Nouble was down after Murray Davidson exacted retribution for taking an arm to the face.
The visitors kept pushing for a leveller. Clark stopped efforts from Ayo Obileye and Odin Bailey, but Livingston were denied what they felt was a stonewall penalty when Cleary stumbled and fell on the ball, knocking it away with his arm.
And they had a huge chance to level in time added on when an unmarked Obileye had a clear header, but inexplicably failed to hit the target.
Man of the match - Callum Hendry
He has become a real threat for St Johnstone after a series of loan spells, and his seventh goal in 10 games could be huge for the Perth side
What did we learn?
The St Johnstone side that won both domestic trophies last season appears to be remerging. They didn't play great football and were second best for much of the contest, but now look battle hardened.
With just one goal conceded in their last three games, and an on-form striker in Hendry, they look like they have the tools to keep bottom-of-the-table Dundee at arm's length.
Livingston, for the second game in a row, looked a side capable of creating chances but not able to take them. Three games without a win and just one goal scored, their top six and European hopes are now hanging by a thread.
What did they say?
St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson: "Back to back wins at home for the first time this season and a clean sheet. I'm delighted to get the three points.
"You can see the boys are fighting, they're desperate to do well. That never give up attitude, that was the hallmark of last season and it's now returning to the team, and the confidence is returning too."
Livingston manager David Martindale: "For the St Johnstone penalty I don't think it's a penalty. There's dubiety about that. But when you look at the free-kick, Murray Davidson is offside. Fitzy [Jack Fitzwater] is trying to protect his area and Callum Hendry runs into his elbow.
"Our penalty appeal. I've played all levels of football and I've never seen a penalty like that go against you. It's incredible how that was not given as a penalty."
What's next?
St Johnstone are away to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday 9 April (15:00 BST), while Livingston are at home to Motherwell at the same time.
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