Disappointing afternoon as Saints beaten by Dundee United

The visitors were two goals up inside a quarter of an hour, Jesse Randall rounding Jacob Chapman before Lyall Cameron stroked home the second. A penalty for a pull on Killian Phillips could have been the start of a comeback before VAR intervened and decreed there had been an offside in the build-up.

VAR also overturned Daniel Bennie's red card for a foul on Ryan Carr and United took full advantage of their good fortune by increasing their lead when Kevin Ciubotaru slotted home after a well worked free-kick – ironically given for a foul by Carr on Bennie.

Things weren't much better for Saints after the break, only the offside flag stopping Lachlan Rose from claiming a fourth for the visitors on a wet and windy day in Paisley.

Phillips made his return from injury as he came straight into the Saints side, with Paul Nsio and Eseosa Sule the other changes to the team which started against Rangers 10 days ago. Louis Jackson and Chris Mochrie dropped to the bench, with Nikolas Agrafiotis missing out entirely after picking up knock in training. Former Saints captain and manager Jim Goodwin made a welcome return to the away dugout following illness and he made three changes to his United side - Zidane Iqbal, Idjessi Metsoko and Jesse Randall coming into the team at the expense of Zac Sapsford, Panutche Camara and Mehdi Merghem.

It didn't take long for Randall to repay his manager's faith as he latched onto a pass from Bennie and took the ball past onrushing goalie Chapman before passing it into the empty net with barely six minutes gone. It was a huge blow to Saints, who had made a bright start, and things soon got a whole lot worse when Metsoko found Cameron at the edge of the box and he held off his man to slot home and double United's lead. 

A shell-shocked Saints were handed hope when Phillips was pulled in the box by Bert Esselink, ref David Dickinson pointing to the spot only for VAR to overrule the decision due to an offside in the build-up. The Buddies had plenty of the ball but were unable to carve out any real opportunities and could have fallen further behind when a kick-out from United goalie Jack Walton was caught by the wind and allowed Bennie in behind the Saints defence, however his tame shot was straight at Chapman. Ismeal Kabia was then unlucky not to open his Buddies account when he cut in from the left and unleashed a thunderbolt that cracked the crossbar before bouncing to safety. 

It looked as if the visitors had been reduced to 10 men when Ryan Car got the better of Bennie only for the United man to then cynically bring him down. Mr Dickinson was convinced there was enough in the challenge for the Australian to be shown a red card, however VAR suggested he have another look and it was downgraded to a yellow. To rub salt into the wound, United then scored their third from a well worked free-kick awarded for a Carr foul on Bennie, Ciubotaru finishing off the move by scoring from close range – VAR confirming there had been no offside.

Jake Young replaced Fraser Taylor at the break as Saints looked for a way back into the game but it was the visitors who continued to look the more likely to score, Chapman saving Metsoko's header before doing well to palm away Dylan Tait's drive. It seemed a matter of time until United got a fourth, a rare Saints attacking ending with Carr firing over – claims Young had been fouled in the box earlier in the move falling on deaf ears.

Chapman was back in action when he saved from Iqbal before great work from Kabia saw him set up Phillips but his shot was deflected behind, with the Irishman replaced by Chris Mochrie soon after. United thought they'd got their fourth when Randall played the ball across goal for sub Lachlan Ross to score, however the offside flag was up almost immediately and this time VAR confirmed it was the correct call.

Youth academy Josh Farquhar was handed his Saints debut late on and almost created a consolation, but the close attentions of the United defence meant Young was unable to convert the youngster's cross.