Makenzie Kirk rediscovered his scoring contact with a second-half winner to present St Johnstone’s survival bid a large increase with a 1-0 victory over Ross County.
Kirk netted on the rebound after 66 minutes as Saints closed the hole on Dundee on the backside of the William Hill Premiership to only three factors.
The 1-0 margin of victory would have been higher if not for 3 wonderful Jordan Amissah saves.
However Saints might be thrilled to take momentum into an enormous showdown at Dundee on Saturday.
Saints supervisor Simo Valakari had been dealt an enormous pre-match blow with influential centre half Bozo Mikulic dominated out for the season with an ACL damage suffered in coaching.
The Croatian, set for 9 months out, was changed by Zach Mitchell.
Fellow loanee Stephen Duke-McKenna additionally made his first begin after eye-catching substitute outings.
Each deadline day signings have been very good at both finish of the pitch whereas County failed to indicate the shape that had beforehand put them into top-six competition.
County had arrived in Perth with an unchanged staff for the third recreation in a row.
They took too lengthy to settle as Saints dominated the ball and bossed the primary half.
On 11 minutes, Duke-McKenna was first to be denied by the excellence of keeper Amissah.
McKenna’s 25-yard free-kick was crusing into the highest nook of the web earlier than Amissah pawed clear from his line.
The ex-Sheffield United goalkeeper then topped that with a surprising save from present Blades loanee Sam Curtis a minute earlier than half-time.
The teenage defender seemed like rounding off an outstanding Saints transfer with a diving header from Jonathan Svedberg’s supply.
Curtis, denied by Craig Gordon’s genius in defeat to Hearts on Sunday, suffered as soon as once more from six yards out as Amissah hurled himself proper to power away.
In a shiny begin to the second half by the guests, Connor Randall went shut and Elijah Campbell headed straight at Andy Fisher.
Nevertheless, Saints resumed management rapidly and earned a breakthrough with a transfer began by veteran sub Graham Carey.
Kirk took over and tried to play in Duke-McKenna. Akil Wright botched his effort to intercept by tripping and gifting Duke-McKenna a passage to purpose.
The Harrogate loanee noticed his shot saved however Kirk’s reactions have been speedy and he buried his eighth purpose of the season, ending a five-match run with out scoring.
Duke-McKenna and Nicky Clark got here near doubling the lead and County solely posed a critical menace on 89 minutes.
Nohan Kenneh struck a strong low drive from simply contained in the field and there was large reduction for the house followers as Fisher did nicely to make a clear save.
