St Mirren came from behind to win the battle of the Saints at The SMiSA Stadium.
Benjamin Kimpioka gave St Johnstone an early lead in Paisley, but the Buddies battled back with Scott Tanser scoring a stunning effort on 30 minutes to draw Saints level. Second-half goals from captain Mark O'Hara and substitute Jonah Ayunga saw the Stephen Robinson's men pick up all three points.
The manager named an unchanged starting 11 form Sunday's narrow defeat to Rangers at Ibrox. And it was bright start from his charges with Elvis Bwomono having the first opportunity of the game with just four minutes played when he got in front of a St Johnstone defender to meet a deep Tanser cross, but his header was straight at goalkeeper Ross Sinclair who managed to block.
Despite a positive start, the visitors would strike first as they took the lead on nine minutes. Jack Sanders was quickest to react to a corner and his header was turned in by Kimpioka. Initially the far side linesman flagged for offside, but a VAR check saw the goal stand.
Kimpioka had the ball in the net again 10 minutes later but this one was disallowed for a handball which VAR confirmed.
Saints would find themselves level on the half-hour mark in stunning fashion. Olusanya went down under a challenge in the box but no penalty was given. The ball remained active and was knocked on to Tanser who, 20 yards from goal, curled high into the far corner of the net to level.
Scott Tanser celebrates goal against St Johnstone (Image: Allan Picken)
Buoyed by the goal, the Buddies grew in confidence after the goal and could have been ahead four minutes later when a terrific Tanser delivery met the head of Marcus Fraser. But the defender couldn't get the connection it needed which meant it was easy for Sinclair to gather.
Olusanya wasn't far away from putting the Buddies ahead with a little over five minutes of the half remaining. He was slipped in by O'Hara but the angle was tight as he made his way into the box and his powerful effort flew wide of the near post.
St Johnstone had the ball in the net again when Adama Sidibeh lobbed the ball over Ellery Balcombe in the final minute of normal time in the first-half. But referee Steven McLean pulled it back for a foul on Charles Dunne. Dunne wouldn't be able to continue much longer with Saints forced into a change before the break. The defender was replaced by Richard Taylor who would make his first appearance since returning from hernia surgery earlier this month.
Robinson's men started the second-half brightly with a Killian Phillips cross coming off the bar after beating Sinclair all ends up. The ball would fall to Olusanya who fashioned some space to get the shot away but his effort was deflected wide.
Saints would be rewarded for that bright start as they would take the lead 12 minutes after the restart. Greg Kiltie was brilliant as he dug in to steal the ball in the middle of the park. That allowed Fraser to take the ball and charge forward before flinging in a terrific cross that found captain O'Hara. His header found the net via a deflection that took it beyond Sinclair.
Mark O'Hara and Killian Phillips celebrate (Image: Allan Picken)
It looked like Saints had added a third on 65 minutes when Phillips finished off a nice move by slotting through the legs of Sinclair. But a VAR check saw the goal disallowed with Phillips being penalised for a foul in the middle of the park at the start of the move.
That decision looked to take a little bit of the sting out of Saints who had been bossing the opening period of the second 45. But St Johnstone never really came close enough to threaten an equaliser and substitute Ayunga wrapped up the three points in added time when he raced on to a Mikael Mandron ball and finished well to score his first goal of the season.
Full-Time: St Mirren 3-1 St Johnstone
St Mirren: Balcombe, Fraser, Gogic, Taylor (Dunne 45), Bwomono, Phillips, O'Hara (c), Tanser, Scott (McMenamin 67), Olusanya (Mandron 67), Kiltie (Ayunga 85)
Subs Not Used: Urminsky, Taylor, Smyth, Boyd-Munce,
St Johnstone: Sinclair, Wright, Cameron (Douglas 67), Sanders, Neilson, Holt, Smith (Carey 67), Sprangler, Clark, Sidibeh, Kimpioka (Kirk 67)
Subs Not Used: Rae, Essel, Kucheriavyi, McPake, Keltjens, Franczak
Referee: Steven McLean
Assistant Referee: Craig Ferguson
Assistant Referee: Colin Drummond
Fourth Official: Gavin Duncan
VAR: Alan Muir
Attendance: 6,042
