Steven Thompson presents highlights from the afternoon fixture in the SPFL St Johnstone v Kilmarnock.
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00:00Come on and travel to Perth to face St Johnstone whose relegation looks more and more likely
00:05but where there is life, there is hope.
00:30He takes the captain's armband in the absence of Brad Lyons.
00:33Bobby Wales, whose pre-contract switch to Swansea was reported earlier this week, continues to lead the line.
00:41Mackenzie Kirk doing well to get away from his marker.
00:46Kerry starting at right wing back today.
00:50Ships it over to Josh McPake.
00:53Gets away from Danny Armstrong, drills a low shot.
00:57I think it's Lewis Mayo who gets an important block in there.
01:01McPake leaving Armstrong for dead.
01:06Almost an early strike for St Johnstone from the former Rangers youngster.
01:14Achilles away from this season, absolutely dreadful.
01:17Haven't won away since October.
01:21Won away just twice domestically.
01:24They need to address that as Fraser Murray goes for goal.
01:29Andy Fisher well behind it.
01:32They're on loan, Swansea keeper.
01:35Just bounced up awkwardly in front of him.
01:37Did well.
01:46Fraser Murray coming forward enjoying his best season for Kilmarnik so far.
01:51He tries to play the ball to Ndava.
01:55But Odis closing down.
01:57The ball not completely away.
01:59Shout for a hand ball, not given.
02:01Bobby Wales.
02:02Good touch to lay it back to Ndava.
02:05It's David Watson on the edge of the box.
02:07And he picks out the bottom corner.
02:12David Watson gives Kilmarnik the leading pair.
02:14Well, he's only been restored to the starting line-up in the last couple of weeks.
02:23And he repays that faith shown in him.
02:26A fine strike from a fine young midfielder.
02:29Just lacing the ball past Andy Fisher.
02:34A huge goal in Kilmarnik's season.
02:37And a huge goal for St Johnston to give away as well.
02:41They'll have to come from behind.
02:42Nick Piezou getting free of his marker.
02:49Up against Finlay.
02:50A couple of step-overs from the big fella.
02:53A little spin as well.
02:55Oh, he picks out Mackenzie Kirk.
02:57Well, it was going wide anyway.
03:00Graham Kerry wanted it laid off to him.
03:03Mackenzie Kirk scored a good few goals this season.
03:05And that was a big chance to get St Johnston level.
03:11At least he's laughing about it.
03:15Kerry clips in.
03:16Nick Piezou rising at the back post.
03:19And it's Corian Daba putting the ball over the top.
03:23It's a free kick anyway.
03:24A bit harsh on Nick Piezou there.
03:35St Johnston have won five of the last six games between these two sides.
03:40They've got it all to do this afternoon.
03:42It might be about to get a little harder.
03:43Eric Piezou catching Stuart Finlay there.
03:47And it's going to be a yellow card.
03:50Shown by referee Ian Sneddon.
03:54I can't tell if that's harsh or if that's lenient.
03:57Watches on a postcard as Stuart Finlay goes down holding his face.
04:02Back to his feet now.
04:03Piezou up against Dees.
04:08The ball evading both.
04:10Watson flying into that challenge.
04:21An opportunity for St Johnston to get the ball forward.
04:24Trying to find an equaliser before half-time.
04:29Kerry looking for Iq Piezou again.
04:33Drops for Elliott Watt.
04:36Curled back in.
04:38Oh, it's Iq Piezou at the back post.
04:40And Kieran O'Hara with the save.
04:42I don't know how much he knew about it.
04:45There was Mackenzie Kirk with the initial header.
04:48And it just sat perfectly for Iq Piezou.
04:52Just a few yards out.
04:54But he couldn't put it either side of the goalkeeper.
04:57Danny Armstrong.
05:00That's a lovely touch away from the defender.
05:07Could give the ball inside to Mackenzie.
05:10He slips it through now.
05:11Mackenzie goes down under the challenge of Victor Griffith.
05:14Ian Sneddon not interested.
05:18I wonder what Derek McInnes will think of that when he watches it back.
05:23St Johnston, meanwhile, up the other end.
05:26Here's McPake against Mayo.
05:29On to the right foot.
05:31Clipped in towards it.
05:32Piezou!
05:34Inches past the post.
05:35A huge opportunity for St Johnston to find an equaliser.
05:43But Ian Sneddon is going to come across to the screen.
05:46Well, they've missed the chance.
05:48And it might just be a penalty against them.
05:50Does Victor Griffith get any of the ball?
05:53Or does he just trip up Rory Mackenzie, the half-time sub?
05:56I think this one will be a penalty.
06:06Ian Sneddon points to the spot.
06:10Andy Fisher will have to try and stop this.
06:16It's a tight call.
06:17I don't think he gets the ball though.
06:19The Panama International.
06:22Armstrong from the spot.
06:24And it's in!
06:26Well, it only just creeps in under the legs of Andy Fisher.
06:30Danny Armstrong doesn't care.
06:32Look at that celebration.
06:36Talk about passionate.
06:40Well, he maybe gets a little lucky.
06:43Andy Fisher not able to keep the ball out.
06:46Armstrong doubles Killy's lead.
06:56Clark.
06:58Piezo Sidibe.
07:00Trying to spin.
07:01Breaks back for him.
07:02Shout for a handball off Robbie Dees.
07:05Nothing given.
07:07Oh, and that almost goes in.
07:09The clearance.
07:10Cannoning back.
07:12And going just past the post.
07:13Well, here's the handball.
07:15Maybe it does strike the arm of Dees, but that arm is tucked into his torso.
07:24Ian Sneddon waves play on.
07:27No route back for St Johnstone yet.
07:35Sprangler playing it across.
07:37Well, that's a very slack pass from Sprangler.
07:40And Vassell will latch onto it.
07:45He gets it across to Liam Polworth, who skies it over.
07:50The third goal would rub salt into the wound.
07:54Doesn't look like St Johnstone are going to get anything from this one anyway.
07:59They're going down with a bit of a whimper.
08:01Ball comes across.
08:04Headed away.
08:06And then cleared away.
08:08And there goes the full time whistle.
08:11Nothing done mathematically yet, but Killy are all but safe.
08:16St Johnstone all but down.
08:17A huge game for them next weekend.
08:20As they host 11th place, Frost County.
08:23It finishes in Perth, St Johnstone 0, Kilmarnock 2.
08:27No time. Feel sorry for yourself.
08:30Is it easy? No, it's so, so hard to pick yourself up.
08:34But we need to go. We need to do it.
08:36And we need to train well.
08:38We need to try to know it.
08:40Yes, we know the atmosphere on the field, at the stadium.
08:44It was very, very difficult, very, very down.
08:47But it's because of us.
08:48We didn't give the people anything to share about.
08:51So it's our job. We need to go.
08:53I got asked on Thursday at press about if you win at St Johnstone,
08:58and that means you can't be relegated.
09:00And I've never really thought about being relegated.
09:03It's always about trying to catch the teams above us,
09:06just maintain some sort of consistency.
09:08But there's no doubt, there is a lot of anxiety and apprehension
09:13about when you're in the bottom six.
09:15And that is the beauty of being a top six team,
09:17because there might only be a difference between a couple of points.
09:21But you can breathe easy.
09:23And the difference between a top six team and a bottom six team
09:26is loads of applaud, loads of accolades, job well done.
09:29And we never quite made up the ground from the European stuff
09:33and the red cards at the start of the season.
09:34I thought we'd be good enough to make it up.
09:36But we haven't quite been there.
09:37But I've always thought we were good enough to win games,
09:39and particularly against the teams in and around us.
09:42We felt the bottom six fixtures was an opportunity to finish the season strong,
09:47give our supporters something to cheer about.
09:49And they turned up in brilliant numbers a day.
09:51And it was great to see that backing for the team.
09:55And they helped us.
09:57It wasn't pretty, but it was a pretty good result.
10:01And that was what was the most important thing.
10:03Kelly Pyle, the misery on St Johnstone,
10:06who's staying the Premiership.
10:08James, it's hanging by a thread.
10:10Yeah, and it's, you know, getting more perilous week by week.
10:15Kelly, you know, you heard Derek McInnes speaking about,
10:18you always fancy Kelly Cam win games
10:20because of the job that he's done at the club,
10:23because of the squad that he has.
10:25And when the pressure's on, you expect him to get results.
10:27St Johnstone are poor in a form since that brilliant victory against Celtic.
10:30They've really struggled.
10:32And at times they have played well,
10:34but I think that was a disappointing performance for them today.
10:37They're running out of games.
10:39Massive game coming up for them next week.
10:41How big is that game?
10:43It's huge.
10:45Ross County, if they beat Ross County, it goes to three points with a very similar goal difference.
10:48I mean, that is their big chance.
10:50The big word there is if.
10:52You expect, I think that St Johnstone have played well at times this season.
10:55But as I said, since that defeat against Celtic, the results and performance levels haven't quite been there.
11:02And you have two teams next week that don't win games.
11:05So, huge pressure on it.
11:07But the team that's been written off, they have been written off since probably before Christmas.
11:11Not a long time.
11:12So, I think that they'll go in feeling it's their last chance for them next week.
11:19Yeah, they will.
11:20David Watson, lovely finish.
11:22And Danny Armstrong from the penalty spot got the job done for Kelly.
11:26Yeah, they did.
11:27And I think that's the main thing.
11:28Derek McInnes has spoken and said that it wasn't pretty.
11:30I think when it comes to this stage of the season, what's at stake.
11:33It doesn't have to be.
11:34It doesn't have to be pretty.
11:35But I'll tell you what it is.
11:36That goal, it's a brilliant finish.
11:37That's a nice finish.
11:38And that's, you have to do at times the hard graft in games.
11:41You need to do the ugly side of the game.
11:43And when you get your opportunity, then you can't turn it on.
11:47It just shapes it, doesn't it?
11:48It's a brilliant finish.
11:49And they got the job done from the penalty spot.
11:53You said this was soft.
11:54Yeah, I think initially I felt it was soft.
11:56But you see the leg coming across there.
11:58You know, Rowan McKenzie.
11:59There's nowhere else to go.
12:00Danny Armstrong steps up and slots it away.
12:02A wee bit lucky there, mind you.
12:03He did.
12:04He did.
12:05When you go down the middle and the goalkeeper then, you know,
12:08makes a big dive to his left-hand side then.
12:10But you can see what it means.
12:12I know that the aspirations for Kilmarnock will be in the top six.
12:15They've had a good bit of form at the right time though,
12:17having the three wins in the last four games.
12:19They're pretty much safe, although Derek wouldn't want to say that.
12:21No, he'll be saying it to his players that, you know,
12:24he won't be saying job done.
12:26But the challenge would have been win two games,
12:29win three games and you'll be safe.
12:31Where he won't come out and say, right,
12:33that's Kelly safe and let's all celebrate.
12:35He'll be wanting more.
12:36He'll want to finish the season unbeaten from now to the end of the season.
12:39He's certainly getting a response from his players.
12:41But I'm not surprised.
12:42They're a good team.
12:43They're probably below where they should be
12:45in terms of the expectation they've set before.
12:47But I think from this point,
12:49it's finished the season strongly.
12:51And as I said, give the fans something to look forward to for next season.
12:53There's a game tomorrow.
12:54Who's winning it?
12:55Who's playing?
12:56I don't know.
12:57Who's playing?
12:58I have no idea.
13:00I think that Rangers are so inconsistent,
13:02but they've shown they can turn up in the big games
13:04and cause Celtic problems.
13:05I would expect Celtic can get the job done,
13:08but that hasn't been easy for them in the last few games.
13:11But I expect Celtic to get it done.
13:13OK, we shall see.
13:14Let's take a wee look at the table.
13:16Hibs go three clear in third after their win this afternoon.
13:19Aberdeen are in fourth and United in fifth.
13:22St Mirren's win has them just five behind
13:24with the Motherwell on the same points in seventh.
13:26Hearts on 43.
13:27Kelly 41 and Dundee two points ahead of County,
13:30who remain sixth clear.
13:32They'll have the bottom club, St Johnston.
13:35Lots of football coming for you to enjoy this week.
13:38Starting tomorrow,
13:39SportsZone will have coverage of that game.
13:41Rangers against Celtic on radio.
13:43SportsZone highlights with Jonathan tomorrow night.
13:46Scottish Football Roundup is tomorrow at 8.15 on BBC Scotland.
13:50And the Championship final day,
13:52how it was won, is also on tomorrow.
13:54Tomorrow at 8.45 on Monday,
13:56it's the SWPL highlights.
13:59And then Partick against Air United.
14:02The playoff quarter finals are next week,
14:05Tuesday and Friday.
14:07And that is it for another Saturday.
14:09Thank you to James for joining me.
14:11One game to go tomorrow.
14:12Should be eventful.
14:32And to me, it's a game.
14:35And I've been trying, I've been trying.
14:42Everything else makes sense.