St Johnstone

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Simo Valakari's bright start to life back in Scotland has come to an abrupt halt with two consecutive defeats.

However, Saints can count themselves unfortunate on this occasion not have at least taken a point to end Hearts' dominance in their recent meetings.

Former Lech Poznan left-back Barry Douglas was handed his first start since arriving in Perth, but it was the return to the starting line-up of veteran winger Graham Carey that provided much of their attacking threat.

Manager Valakari also changed his goalkeeper, with Ross Sinclair replaced at the break after 45 minutes of nervousness under the high ball, with replacement Josh Rae denying a second goal.

Had Saints' normally dangerous strike pairing of Benjamin Kimpioka and Adama Sidibeh not looked unusually hesitant, it might have been a different scoreline.

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Former Lech Poznan left-back Barry Douglas is handed his first start since joining St Johnstone as Simo Valakari makes two changes, one of them enforced, in his first home game as manager.

Having suffered his first defeat in charge last time out against St Mirren, the Finn also brings veteran winger Graham Carey into the side.

Midfielder Matthew Smith drops to the bench, while on-loan defender Lewis Neilson is ineligible against his parent club.

Beni Baningime returns to Hearts' midfield after missing the past three matches through illness as Neil Critchley makes three changes after suffering his own first defeat as Hearts manager, at home to Kilmarnock, last time out.

Baningime is joined in midfield by Yan Dhanda, with Daniel Oyegoke replacing Adam Forrester in defence.

Forrester, Cammy Devlin and forward Kenneth Vargas drop to the bench.

Jason Holt tells St Johnstone to stick to their identity. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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St Johnstone loanee Lewis Neilson cannot participate against his parent club while Andre Raymond will be assessed after missing the midweek defeat by St Mirren.

Croatian centre-half Bozo Mikulic is still waiting for a work permit. Uche Ikpeazu is back in training following knee surgery while Cammy MacPherson (hip) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) remain out.

Hearts midfielder Beni Baningime is in line to return after missing the last three matches through illness but Yutaro Oda, Gerald Taylor (ACL) and Calem Nieuwenhof (hamstring) remain sidelined.

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Simo Valakari is relishing a "beautiful game" when his St Johnstone side host Hearts on Saturday.

The Perth side are looking to bounce back from a midweek defeat at St Mirren, while Hearts are bottom of the table after a home defeat by Kilmarnock.

Valakari, who took over at the beginning of last month albeit paperwork issues kept him in the stands for two games, is excited to be in the Perth dugout for the first time.

"I see it as a big opportunity for us to play a beautiful game in front of our own fans in our home stadium," he said.

"At the same time we are playing against a very good footballing team, for whatever reason they are there [at the bottom of the table], but they have the quality there.

"We have been concentrating on our thing. They will come here and see this game as [an opportunity] to kickstart their season.

"That's normal, but we need to be ready and it's always about us, we look at this as opportunity to play here, in front of our own fans and be positive, be brave and do all the little details as well as possible against a quality team. If you sleep even for one moment, they will punish you.

"I have already seen our fans, I felt them and they are great. Our job as a team is to give them joy, give them emotions, give them enjoyment, to watch their own team to play at their home stadium that's what we are ready to do."

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Simo Valakari has been speaking to the media before St Johnstone's fixture against Hearts in the Premiership this weekend.

Here are the key lines from his press conference:

• Saints "have recovered very well mentally and physically" from their 3-1 midweek defeat against St Mirren.

• Valakari wants his side to "make those suffering moments" short as he talks about the pressure they were under on Wednesday night.

• He is keen to see more "bravery" from his team but likes the the "work ethic" of the players and staff.

• Hearts' visit will be Valakari's first home match in the dugout and he is looking forward to "playing a beautiful game in front of our own fans".

• On the "great" Saints support, he says: "It's our job as a team to give them joy, give them emotions, give them enjoyment to watch their own team to play at their home stadium."

• Despite Hearts being bottom of the table, Valakari says they're a "very good footballing team", who have "quality" and will be looking to "kickstart their season".

• Andre Raymond is "touch and go", but everyone else "is fit".

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• St Johnstone have lost their last six league meetings with Hearts, the last four of which have seen the Perth men fail to score.

• Hearts have won their last three league visits to St Johnstone. The last side they won four successive top-flight away games against were Dunfermline Athletic, winning five on the bounce from 2006 to 2012.

• St Johnstone won their most recent home match in the Scottish Premiership 3-0 against Ross County last month and could win back-to-back league games at McDiarmid Park for the first time in 2024.

• Hearts are winless in nine away games in the Scottish Premiership (D3 L6) and last went 10 on the road in the top flight without victory in February 2020.

• Hearts' Lawrence Shankland has scored in six of his last seven Scottish Premiership appearances against St Johnstone, including each of the last three – he has never scored in four in a row against the same team in the competition.

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Midfielder Sven Sprangler says Wednesday night's defeat to St Mirren was a "bitter pill to swallow" as Simo Valakari lost for the first time as St Johnstone manager.

The Finn made a winning start to life in the Perth dugout as his side snatched a late victory against Dundee but they could not follow it up in Paisley, losing 3-1 despite taking an early lead through Benjamin Kimpioka.

"It was tough to take, to be honest, because I think we played well," Sprangler told St Johnstone's website. "We managed to score three goals in the first half, albeit two of them were ruled out.

"In the second half they put on some more pressure with high balls and set-pieces. We defended well but they kept the pressure going.

"We had a lot of possession but did not create too many chances in the second half. So it was very disappointing to go back home with no points."

Sprangler was one of the shining lights for St Johnstone on a disappointing evening that leaves the Perth side ninth in the Premiership.

The Austrian is expected to remain in his midfield berth when the Saints host Hearts on Saturday afternoon.

"It was a bitter pill to swallow on Wednesday but the good thing is we have another game at the weekend," he added. "We can show what we can do and go for the three points.

"Hearts are behind us in the table but we know they have quality."

We asked for your views on St Johnstone's 3-1 defeat against St Mirren.

Here's what some of you said:

Robin: Possession football is nice, but pointless if we don't have a direction for using that possession. St Mirren changed it second half and got at Saints, we didn't respond. A disappointing 90 minutes but now onto a six-pointer with Hearts!

Jimmy: Our overall performance is getting better, the forwards and midfield is good, we just need the defence to tighten up. The confidence isn't fully there yet but we will get there.

Sportscene pundits Neil McCann and Michael Stewart examine the St Johnstone goals from Benjamin Kimpioka and Adama Sidibeh that were ruled out in the Perth side's 3-1 defeat at St Mirren.

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• Jonah Ayunga has scored his first goal in the Premiership this season, netting for the first time since 30 December 2023 against Aberdeen.

• St Johnstone have conceded six goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half in matches this season, only Hibernian (eight) and Ross County (seven) have conceded more in the Premiership.

• St Johnstone have conceded five goals to opposition substitutes in the Premiership this season, more than any other team.

• St Mirren scored three goals in a game for the first time since 4 August 2024 against Hibernian (W3-0).

St Johnstone must find a way to relieve pressure on themselves, says manager Simo Valakari following the 3-1 loss at St Mirren. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

Were you at the SMiSA Stadium or following the game from home? Either way we want your views on St Johnstone's defeat to St Mirren.

Let us know your thoughts here, external.

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St Johnstone head coach Simo Valakari: "Tough one, tough result. There were too many moments in the match we could not handle the opponent. Especially at the start of the second half, the pressure was just too much.

"We knew there would be moments where we need to suffer. And we did suffer, but when we got a little bit high up the field, we lose the ball and, boom, it came back quickly.

"I’m proud of my players. We wanted to test ourselves. I think we did some very good things, in the first half, especially. Two goals taken out by VAR takes a little bit of energy out of you. But that’s part of football now.

"Very disappointed players in the changing room. But nothing changes. Tomorrow morning, we practice."

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New manager Simo Valakari said pre-match that his St Johnstone side were still searching to find their own identity.

If this defeat is anything to go by, they may look to dominate possession in the short-term in their first attempt to find their way.

The visitors maintained more tha two-thirds of possession and made 567 passes. Their average passes per game so far this season? 394.6.

It was certainly a positive performance for St Johnstone, as the game was lost in a 15-minute spell following the break.

Otherwise, they showed glimpses of great attacking threat - especially through Benjamin Kimpioka, who, alongside Adama Sidibeh, had a goal ruled out.

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Following Saturday's away win over Dundee, Simo Valakari makes just one change to his St Johnstone starting XI.

On-loan defender Kyle Cameron comes back into the line-up after missing out at the weekend through injury.

Nicky Clark, who grabbed the last-minute winner at Dens Park, skippers the side after being appointed captain over Cameron by new boss Valakari.

Follow our live coverage here.

St Mirren: Balcombe, Dunne, Gogic, Fraser, Tanser, O'Hara, Phillips, Bwomono, Kiltie, Olusanya, Scott.

Substitutes: Urminsky, Penman, Taylor, Boyd-Munce, Smyth, Mooney, McMenamin, Ayunga, Mandron.

St Johnstone: Sinclair, Sanders, Neilson, Cameron, Smith, Sprangler, Holt, Wright, Clark, Kimpioka, Sidibeh.

Substitutes: Rae, Carey, Essel, Kucheriavyi, McPake, Kirk, Douglas, Keltjens, Franczak.

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• St Mirren are unbeaten in nine home league games against St Johnstone (W5 D4), winning both of their last two by an aggregate score of 6-0.

• Each of St Johnstone's last five Scottish Premiership wins over St Mirren have come at home, with the Perth team's last such win at St Mirren Park coming in December 2018 (1-0) under Tommy Wright.

• Since winning three successive home league games from February to March, St Mirren have won just two of their last nine on home soil in the Scottish Premiership (D2 L5).

• St Johnstone have only lost two of their last 11 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (W4 D5), winning their last such away match 2-0 at Aberdeen in February.

• Mikael Mandron has scored four goals in four Scottish Premiership appearances against St Johnstone, including three in three for St Mirren.

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St Mirren striker Kevin van Veen is struggling with a bruised foot but Richard Taylor returns after hernia surgery. Fellow centre-back Alex Iacovitti (tendon) is out long term.

St Johnstone's Andre Raymond drops out with a knock but new signing Barry Douglas could make the squad.

Uche Ikpeazu is back in training following knee surgery but still short of fitness while Cammy MacPherson (hip) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) remain out. Croatian centre-half Bozo Mikulic is still waiting on a work permit.

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Nicky Clark has been named as St Johnstone captain after leading the team to back-to-back wins.

Clark had stepped in for the Kyle Cameron, who was absent through injury, and then retained the armband for new head coach Simo Valakari’s first game in the dugout on Saturday.

The 33-year-old striker grabbed the winner at Dundee in the final moments of the match and will now continue to skipper the side.

Cameron was made captain by previous manager Craig Levein after joining on loan from Notts County in the summer and he was back in the team at Dens Park.

Speaking to club media, external, Valakari said: “We had a meeting.

"I have been talking privately with Cameron and Clark.

"Nicky will continue as captain going forward. There is no drama. I have been so happy with what I have seen so far from Nicky in this role".

Saints moved up to sixth in the Scottish Premiership thanks to their late win over Dundee, and Valakari is looking to continue that trajectory as his side prepare to face St Mirren on Wednesday night away from home.

"It doesn't matter that we have won our last two matches, we need to do it again against St Mirren," he continued.

"I have watched St Mirren twice live in the stadium. Once at home and on Sunday at Ibrox.

"They are a strong team. They are a very hard-working team and they are very well-coached.

"They have power and pace and they can play nice football. They are effective from set-pieces".