St Mirren gained supremacy in the first Battle of the Saints of the season as they cruised to a 4-0 win over St Johnstone in Paisley.
Neither side had played a competitive game for three weeks due to the international break and the weather and it showed in a disappointing first half. However, it was brightened up as the interval approached when Keanu Baccus sent a tremendous shot sailing past Dimitar Mitov into the top corner.
It didn't take the Buddies long to double their lead after the break, Mikael Mandron finishing clinically after a horrendous error in the visiting backline, the striker then slamming home the third 20 minutes from the end after tremendous work from Toyosi Olusanya. Olusanya went close to getting on the scoresheet himself in the final minute only for his shot to hit the post, Greg Kiltie on hand to tuck away the loose ball.
Mandron had got the nod from the start instead of Olusanya, Ryan Flynn replacing Ryan Strain following his red card against Rangers three weeks ago. Nicky Clark led the attack for the visitors, with former Buddie Cammy MacPherson on the bench and Graham Carey missing entirely.
The opening exchanges could best be described as turgid and it took nearly half an hour for either side to muster anything amounting to an attempt on goal, Clark's effort being deflected well wide before Dara Costelloe and Liam Gordon both sent shots well over.
St Mirren had done nothing of note in attack but that all changed 10 minutes before the break. The Buddies broke on the counter attack and good play between Greg Kiltie and Mandron allowed the former to lay the ball off for Keanu Baccus, who curled a tremendous shot beyond the grasp of Dimitar Mitov into the top corner from 25 yards. It was a goal completely out of keeping with the 35 minutes that had preceded it but no one in the home support cared.
Keanu Baccus celebrates after putting us ahead with a brilliant strike (Image: Allan Picken)
The Paisley Saints looked a different team and went hunting a second, Baccus firing over from the edge of the box as he looked to double his tally. It was then St Johnstone's turn to counter but it ended with a tame header from Diallang Jaiyesimi that was no trouble for Zach Hemming as the half came to a close.
Mandron's header was similarly straightforward for Mitov as hostilities resumed but the striker made no mistake just seconds later, gleefully intercepting a horrendous attempt by James Brown to chest the ball back to his keeper before slotting home to double the Buddies' lead.
Matt Smith shot over as the visitors tried to respond, Costelloe's header at the back post going wide. Hemming was equal to a shot from sub Jay Turner-Cooke before the Buddies put the game to bed with 20 minutes left. Mandron sent sub Olusanya away down the left before charging into the box for the return pass, slamming it past Mitov for his second and the hosts' third.
Unsurprisingly, the game petered out after that, efforts from Jaiyesimi and Kane causing Hemming few problems while Olusanya dragged a shot well wide as he tried to put the icing on the cake. Instead it was Kiltie who had that honour, Olusanya seeing his shot from Alex Greive's pass hit the post, the midfielder pouncing to pop the ball into the net and complete a remarkable afternoon.
Full-Time: St Mirren 4-0 St Johnstone
St Mirren: Hemming, Fraser, Gogic, Taylor (Dunne 87), Flynn (Bolton 87), Baccus (Boyd-Munce 77), O'Hara (c), Tanser, Kiltie, Mandron (Greive 87), McMenamin (Olusanya 61)
Subs Not Used: Urminsky, Small, Jamieson, Nahmani
St Johnstone: Mitov, Jaiyesmi (Gallacher 73), Brown (Kane 55), Gordon (c), Considine, Robinson, Sprangler, Smith (MacPherson 55), Kucheriavyi (Turner-Cooke 65), Costelloe, Clark (May 65)
Subs Not Used: Richards, McGowan, Olufunwa, Jephcott
Referee: David Dickinson
Assistant Referee: Sean Carr
Assistant Referee: Graham McNeillie
Fourth Official: Alastair Grieve
VAR: Andrew Dallas
Attendance: 5,552
