St Johnstone

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "It was not good enough for a long time because the table doesn't lie. It really, really hurts.

"We are crying tonight and tomorrow but always looking forward. This season is history. We need to change things and get this beautiful club back to winning ways.

"It's hard to play in relegation battles but it's even harder to play for promotion. That's what our aim is and that's what we start doing the day after tomorrow. It's a big, big job and will require a lot of effort every day.

"We can't have off days. We already started preparing, but we wanted to fight to stay in the Premiership. No excuses, we were not good enough.

"Numerous things need to change - some big, some small. It's more how you sustain this level and effort every match. Our weaknesses have been too big."

Asked if he expects to stay in charge next season, Valakari replies: "Things need to change and we are starting this change. We can't continue anymore like it has been three or four years flirting with relegation. It needs to go back to being successful and being more stable.

"I don't need to make any decisions. I want to stay. I want to rebuild this club and be successful with this club."

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On a bleak night for St Johnstone, Stephen Duke-McKenna was a beacon of light.

Graham Carey brought control and class from the bench and - briefly - a lifeline with his free-kick.

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Simo Valakari's St Johnstone have waged their war against relegation with laudable intent, but on too many occasions, their flakiness in defence has given them mountains to climb.

Hearts split them open twice for their goals, Douglas spooked by Shankland lurking in his blind spot, and the untracked Forrest skipping beyond tacklers to net.

St Johnstone's ambitious, possession-based blueprint has not been underpinned by accuracy, and while they went after Hearts towards the end, clear-cut chances were scant.

This club has achieved greatness during its Premiership tenure - the European adventures, the domestic giant-slayings and of course, the staggering cup double of 2021 - but alas, traumatic and brutal as the axe falling was, this day has been a long time coming.

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• Hearts have won their past nine league meetings against St Johnstone since a 2-1 defeat in February 2022. The only current Scottish Premiership side on a longer ongoing winning run against a current opponent in the competition is Celtic over Ross County (13).

• St Johnstone have lost nine of their past 10 Scottish Premiership away games at Hearts, including their past five in a row since a 1-0 win in December 2019 under Tommy Wright.

• Hearts have only won their final home game in one of their past 10 top-flight league seasons (D4 L5 – including the curtailed 2019-20 season), a 2-1 victory over rivals Hibernian in 2017-18.

• After failing to win their final away league game in five successive seasons from 2018-19 to 2022-23 (D2 L3 – including curtailed 2019-20 season), St Johnstone won their last on the road in 2023-24, 2-1 at Motherwell.

• Hearts' Lawrence Shankland has been directly involved in eight goals in his past 10 league appearances against St Johnstone (six goals, two assists), assisting both of his side's goals in their 2-1 win in February.

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Hearts will be without goalkeeper Craig Gordon (shoulder), Kenneth Vargas (knee), Gerald Taylor (knee) and Aidan Denholm (hamstring).

Blair Spittal could be back after missing out on Saturday, while Jamie McCart (groin) is pushing for a return.

St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari expects to be selecting from an unchanged squad, with Zach Mitchell (hamstring), Drey Wright (ankle), Bozo Mikulic (knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) still out.

St Johnstone's Daniel Balodis backs team-mate Uche Ikpeazu to show former club Hearts what he's capable of when the sides meet at Tynecastle on Wednesday evening. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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Simo Valakari has told his St Johnstone players to treat Wednesday's trip to Hearts as a must-win match as they bid to keep their Scottish Premiership survival hopes alive.

Last-placed Saints moved within three points of second-bottom Ross County when they beat the Highland side 2-1 on Saturday.

They need another positive result at Tynecastle as they know they will be relegated if they fail to win and County triumph away to Dundee, with a Saints victory in Edinburgh ensuring the fight will go to the last day.

"We cannot know how the other results will go," Valakari said. "So, as always, we go and prepare ourselves to win it.

"We are still in this fight and now it's a different challenge, Wednesday night to go play against Hearts.

"It's their last home match, they want to show how good they are for their own fans, so we really need to be up for it and take the confidence that we are a good team."

Hearts sacked Neil Critchley last month after a run of five games without a win.

But Valakari is wary of the fact the Jambos are now "playing free-flowing football" after winning their last two games under caretaker boss Liam Fox, scoring six goals in the process.

"Hearts are in good form," he said. "Tynecastle is not the easiest place to go, but at the same time it's a beautiful stadium.

"It's a different Hearts. I really like how, especially now, they're attacking because the pressure is kind of off and they can enjoy their football."

Sam Miller
Fan writer

As Lenny Kravitz's hit song It Ain't Over Til It's Over played loudly at the end of St Johnstone's win against Ross County on Saturday, it struck me – for perhaps the first time this year – that maybe there's still a chance of top-flight survival.

It was genuinely encouraging to witness the collective spirit between the players and the fans regarding the team's current situation. It seems like everyone is finally on the same page. Hopefully, this unified effort won't be too late to make a difference.

The match was nerve-wracking, especially with County's disallowed goal. Perhaps that was the bit of luck that teams often feel they are missing.

However, this feels like just the initial step. The team still needs two wins in the remaining two games, along with a couple of County slip-ups.

While the outcome remains uncertain, history suggests that betting against St Johnstone isn't necessarily a wise choice.

Sam Miller can be found at Dogger Saints., external

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Daniel Balodis: A huge win for St Johnstone against Ross County, keeping that flicker of hope they can escape the drop alive. The goal from the Latvian defender could be crucial.

Elliot Watt: An assist and a winner. May have etched his name into St Johnstone folklore if they manage to pull off the great escape.

Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart dissects St Johnstone's abundance of chances in the vital win over Ross County. (Available to UK users only)

Watch highlights as St Johnstone keep their survival hopes alive by inflicting a seventh straight defeat on Ross County. (Available to UK users only)

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Midfielder Elliot Watt believes the "do or die" 2-1 victory over Ross County shows St Johnstone possess the character retain their Premiership status.

Defeat against the Dingwall side would have confirmed automatic relegation to the Championship but Daniels Balodis' first-half header and Watt's second half winner reduced the gap on Don Cowie's side to just three points with two games remaining.

"Our character has been questioned a few times and rightly so," Watt told BBC Scotland.

"I've been in the changing room for three or four months now and I've never once seen the lads heads drop or anybody throw a towel in or give up.

"Everybody's fighting and everybody wants to get the club out of this situation.

"Today was do or die and we've shown an enormous amount of mental strength to get over the line."

St Johnstone's next step is a trip to face managerless Hearts on Wednesday. Watt's winner delivers fresh hope that they can produce an unlikely escape and finish the season off bottom place.

"People are doubting us, but it's all irrelevant," he said.

"It's all outside noise. As long as we know within the the changing room that we can get out of this situation.

"I said it to to a couple of lads during the week that if we can just win, the belief that gives us going into Wednesday, it's enormous.

"It gives us a confidence that we probably haven't had for a while. We can't get too carried away. This means nothing today if we don't go back it up at Hearts with a result."

We asked for your views on St Johnstone's 2-1 win against Ross County.

Here's what some of you said:

Ellie: One of the most stressful matches I have sat through as a Saints fan (especially the VAR check, one of a slim amount to go our way this season) but a well deserved win - Elliot Watt and Josh McPake were outstanding. Let's hope we can take this form through to the end of the season as our job is far from done.

Jimmy: We had numerous chances to score, reason being we didn't. Could be 'match rustiness'? The chance County had, they took well and deserved it. We didn't let our heads down, we knew what we had to do. We did get lucky with the disallowed County goal. Defence frailties are still there, but I still have faith in the players we have. Hopefully, we can get a defender that's fit enough for the run in.

Robin: It's always the hope that gets you! A good performance, but without someone taking these clear chances it is just prolonging the life support. It is not nice wanting Dundee to win a game, as we now need them to on Wednesday, but it's better that than being without hope.

Linsey: Much better, but cant help feeling it's come too late, finally saw a bit of wing work by McPake which we are badly needing as a team. We need to actually start using all of the pitch and open up our game at home. All the players played for the badge for once, they can pull off the great escape and leave everyone else in this league scratching their heads and saying 'how on earth did those jammy farmers from Perth manage that one?'

Dunc: Saints were up for the battle, but they were all mostly playing for their futures in the Championship. Not sure who should be retained, or want to go. We are gone, but if we recruit well we might not be down too long. That could though, be wishful thinking!

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• Ross County have lost their past seven games in the Premiership, their last joint longest losing streak was from 10 August 2014 to 20 September 2014.

• Joshua McPake has assisted three goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), no St Johnstone player has more.

• Zach Ashworth received a red card - Ross County's third sending off in the Premiership this season, and their first since 19 October 2024 against St Johnstone.

• Adama Sidibeh attempted five shots, the first time he has attempted at least five shots in a match in the Premiership since facing Dundee on 1 March 2025 (five shots).

Saints fans, were you at McDiarmid Park on Saturday or following the action from home? Either way we want your views of that dramatic 2-1 victory over Ross County. What did you make of the performance? How are you feeling about your chance of Premiership survival?

Have your say

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari tells BBC Scotland: "We needed to win, we did it and of course you can see some nervy moments in our game.

"I thought we started the game very well but we let the opponent get back into the match. When we are in those moments it affects you but huge credit to the players for how they worked their way back in, got the second goal and then how we defended in the end.

"The boys gave everything, one moment with VAR it went for us, it's been a long season sometimes these things go against you. But today was a solid performance, we needed to win and now the fight continues.

"We play, we perform, we create chances but we are not taking them and the opponent will punish us, that's why we are in the position we are in.

"But the message to the team is that we just need to keep going, not let the heads go down because we can create the chances and the boys did it.

"It would have made everyone's life much easier if we'd taken those chances but that's football and that's why we love it.

"In difficult moments we have been pushing. the work rate has been very good, we know it will be a difficult game on Wednesday but we have no other option than to go there and try to perform. It's a big challenge but at the same time it's a big opportunity."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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The pressure on St Johnstone to win was enormous given the gap to Ross County before kick-off was six points. It really was win or bust.

It seemed that after those incredible missed chances that it might not be their day once again, but they got there and will take huge heart from getting through a massive test.

While they have a long way to go to pull off a great escape, this win keeps them in the fight as other relegation rivals toil.

It took character to see this through and the outcome will throw all sort of doubt County's way.

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St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari expects to be selecting from an unchanged squad, with Zach Mitchell (hamstring), Drey Wright (ankle), Bozo Mikulic (knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) still out.

Ross County midfielder Scott Allardice remains out but does not need surgery on his knee injury.

Jack Grieves and George Robesten are doubts while Ross Laidlaw (illness), Andrew Macleod (groin), Noah Chilvers (knee) and Ryan Leak (Achilles) remain out.

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The pressure of St Johnstone's Premiership survival fight is a "privilege" for striker Uche Ikpeazu after his injury torment.

The striker joined Saints last summer but suffered a knee injury that led to five operations before he finally made his debut for the club last month.

Ikpeazu, 30, now hopes to help Saints to a great escape, starting with victory over Ross County in Saturday's relegation showdown.

"Everything is against us, but unless it's mathematically impossible, I always still believe. That's just my mentality. I wake up every day and I'm just like, I always want to try," he said.

"I want there to be an amazing story. That's just my mentality. I think pressure is a privilege.

"It's a privilege because I look and I just think I was in a situation where no matter what I did, I could have never come back because of an infection in my knee that I knew nothing about.

"But now I'm in the position to help my team solidify themselves.

"I know St Johnstone have legends who have won the cup within the last 10 years. If you were to escape from this, though, these players would become legends because I don't think too many people actually give us a chance of doing so. It is possible, though."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Simo Valakari has been speaking to the media before St Johnstone host fellow strugglers Ross County this weekend.

Here are the key points from the Perth boss:

• Saints will be relegated if they lose to County but Valakari insists they have enough to beat the drop and "miracles do happen".

• He adds: "It has been a lot of talking about this pressure, our situation, things like that. But it's almost like we are going to the cup final. We can't play the occasion. We can't take the pressure of this and this. We need to play football. We need to make sure that we concentrate on one pass at a time, one throw-in at a time, one header, duel, second ball."

• The Finn says jobs are on the line, including his own, if the club are relegated.

• On whether he expects to be in charge next season: "You need to ask the owners. I want to be here."

• On being linked with the vacancy at HJK Helsinki last weekend: "No, that's history. All the time I said, from the first day when I came here, I want to be in this football club."

• Valakari says financially staying in the Premiership is "huge" for St Johnstone.

• He insists this week there "is no hiding" and everyone knows what is at stake.

Colin Moffat
BBC Sport Scotland

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If St Johnstone are beaten at home by Ross County, their 16-year stay in the top flight will be over.

A home victory would pull the Saints three points behind the visitors with two games remaining but they have been in 'must-win' territory for a while and have lost three in a row in the Premiership since a shock success against Celtic.

County are in even worse shape, though, picking up nothing from their previous six matches and failing to score in four of those.

Thanks to the vagaries of the split, this will be a third home game for St Johnstone against County this season and they have won the other two, with Simo Valakari looking on for the first as he waited for paperwork to clear on his appointment.

The Perth side are unbeaten in their past six meetings with the Staggies but have been forced to play with a patched up defence of late and looked extremely vulnerable in the 2-0 defeat to Kilmarnock at McDiarmid Park last time.

A draw is no use to St Johnstone at this stage, so Valakari has to go for it.

Can he rouse a depleted squad for a big push against opponents who are likely to be feeling just as jittery?

Read all the weekend Premiership picks

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• Defeat for St Johnstone in this match will see them relegated from the Scottish Premiership for the first time since 2001-02.

• St Johnstone are unbeaten in six league meetings with Ross County (W4 D2), winning the past two. The Perth side have never previously beaten the Staggies three times in a row in the top flight.

• County have lost three of their past four league trips to St Johnstone (D1), including both of their past two without scoring.

• St Johnstone have lost their last three league games and could lose four in a row for the second time this season, having previously done so in December.

• County have lost their past six league games; only once before have they ever lost seven in a row in the top flight, doing so when losing each of their opening seven matches of 2014-15.