St Johnstone’s relegation from the Scottish Premiership has been confirmed, ending their 16-year keep within the prime flight.
A 2-1 loss to Hearts ended their slim hopes of survival as they fell to their fourth straight league defeat, their twenty first of the season.
The Perth facet have been a relentless within the prime flight since former boss Derek McInnes led them to promotion in season 2008/09.
Simo Valakari took cost at Saints final October, changing Craig Levein who was sacked with the membership sitting tenth within the desk.
How was St Johnstone’s relegation confirmed?
Valakari’s facet have been backside ever since shedding at Tynecastle the weekend earlier than Christmas and, regardless of a valiant effort to enhance their predicament in latest months, they have been unable to take their combat to the ultimate day.
An early personal objective from Saints defender Barry Douglas adopted by Alan Forrest’s strike left the Perth males up in opposition to it on the break. Regardless of pulling one again by way of substitute Graham Carey, their destiny was confirmed when Ross County – the workforce immediately above them – secured some extent away to Dundee with an equaliser a number of minutes after the match at Tynecastle had completed.
Hearts, who’re set to seal the appointment of Kilmarnock supervisor Derek McInnes as their new boss within the coming days, have been capable of take pleasure in a 3rd win in a row since caretaker Liam Fox took the reins following the sacking of Neil Critchley final month.
Saints had an opportunity to tug one again simply earlier than the break when McPake dispossessed Frankie Kent and burst clear however goalkeeper Fulton unfold himself to make a powerful save.
The guests have been booed off by their supporters on the break and Valakari responded with a double substitution for the beginning of the second half as Griffith and Sam Curtis have been changed by Graham Carey and Sprangler.
Hearts captain Shankland – out of contract this summer time and probably taking part in his final sport at Tynecastle – went agonisingly near discovering the online with an audacious try from the midway line on the hour mark.
Alan Forrest scores to make it 2-0 to Hearts
Saints gave themselves a glimmer of hope within the 74th minute when Carey curled house a free-kick from 20 yards out. Regardless of a slender defeat, it seemed like they may at the very least get to take their combat to the ultimate day till County’s stoppage-time objective at Dens Park consigned them to the Championship for the primary time since 2009 after the Saints gamers had already gone up the tunnel.
What the managers mentioned
St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari: “I see it this way – we could not get the result in our game so it was out of our hands what happened elsewhere.
“We cry tonight, we cry tomorrow after which on Friday we flip our heads to altering this membership again to successful methods. That begins on Sunday.
“We respect the table. We weren’t good enough or clinical enough in key moments. We put ourselves in a difficult place. When you need a favour you’re relying on luck but it wasn’t to be.
“Once you have a look at the historical past of this membership it has been tough for just a few years. We have been combating relegation for some time. Now it has occurred and it hurts.
“I’ve already told my players it was hard to play in this relegation battle, but if this was pressure, it will be even more pressure next year,” he mentioned.
“Pushing for promotion you need to be at your best every day and even when you are not at your best you still need to get results.”
Hearts caretaker supervisor Liam Fox on his workforce successful three successive video games for the primary time since February 2024: “I think that stat probably backs it up, I get people will pour cold water on it and say you’re in the bottom six. Yes, you’re right, but it’s still difficult to win three games back to back in the Scottish Premiership. It’s tough.
“As you may see tonight, we needed to work actually, actually exhausting for it. So I am delighted. Let’s examine if we will make it 4 on Sunday.”
