St Johnstone take Josh Fowler early penalty beat Aberdeen 1-0 for Pittodrie on Sunday, move up to fifth for Scottish Premiership table.
The only goal come for 14th minute. Referee Ryan Lee award penalty after VAR check say Jack Milne handle ball inside box, ball hit im bicep from close range. Fowler step up, send goalkeeper Marius Muller wrong way, ball enter net. Na im fifth league goal of season, making am current top scorer for Premiership.
After that goal, Aberdeen get plenty ball but no answer. Dem hold 65% possession, fire 22 shots, but only few really trouble St Johnstone goalkeeper Toby Steward. Ayoub Mouloua and Kevin Nisbet both see Steward save well for first half. Mouloua later comot due to injury after earlier collision with Steward. Nisbet also get one-on-one chance but im shot too soft, Steward block am.
St Johnstone no just sit back anyhow. Dem defend deep, clear crosses, block shots, and hold line. Dem lose Zach Mitchell to season-ending injury and Cheick Diabate to suspension, so makeshift backline still stand strong. Bozo Mikulic return after eight months injury to help defense. First clean sheet of season and three points go back to Perth.
For Aberdeen side, na frustration. Dem been four games unbeaten before this match. Coach Stephen Robinson make two changes, bring Brad Lyons and Ayoub Mouloua for Afeez Aremu and Toyosi Olusanya. But dem no fit break St Johnstone down. Robinson talk say: ‘Disappointed in the result, frustrated with our end product. First half, we moved the ball too slowly, backwards and sideways.’ Im add say possession no win football match.
St Johnstone coach Simo Valakari talk say: ‘We still controlled the game without the ball. Defended very well in our own box, mostly kept them out the dangerous zones.’ Im praise im players say dem want attack but dem can defend too.
Former Aberdeen defender Willie Miller no happy at all. For BBC Sportsound, im call the display ‘depressing’ and ‘predictable’, say Aberdeen center-backs just play long balls and no punch holes. But im also note say the Dons get chances, just no quality for final third.
The result mean St Johnstone climb go fifth, two points behind Dundee. Aberdeen drop go eighth, ahead of Motherwell on goal difference. Aberdeen don score only seven goals for first eight league games, four of them come for one 4-0 win over Motherwell. Na fifth blank for dem.
For other side, Celtic win 2-0 over Motherwell, Martin O’Neill side return top of Premiership, two points above Rangers. Highlights of today games dey Sportscene for BBC Scotland channel at 19:15, repeat for BBC One Scotland at 23:35, and for iPlayer.
Live coverage go return on Thursday as Celtic visit Benfica for Europa League and Hearts host Nordsjælland for Conference League. Aberdeen next face St Mirren on Saturday for Pittodrie. St Johnstone coach Valakari talk say: ‘We were low, we were defending our box, but I felt all the time we were controlling the game.’
