Kilmarnock v St JohnstoneImage source, SNS

At a glance

  • St Johnstone keeper Steward sent off for handling outside area after 13 minutes

  • McCarthy immediately heads bottom side Kilmarnock in front and Daniels restores lead after Schmitt levels

  • However Cotterill hits back for 10-man visitors to earn draw

ByKheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland

Ten-man St Johnstone twice came from behind to deny struggling Kilmarnock a precious Scottish Premiership victory.

After St Johnstone goalkeeper Toby Steward was sent off after just 13 minutes for handling outside his area, it seemed like Neil McCann's bottom side had an ideal opportunity to kickstart their campaign.

That sense was heightened when on-loan Hull City defender Cathal McCarthy headed in his first Kilmarnock goal from Greg Kiltie's resultant free-kick.

St Johnstone, who dealt with a barrage of pressure, levelled - albeit briefly - when Danny Schmidt headed in his first goal for the Perth side from Enes Alic's corner.

But Kilmarnock went straight up the other end to fashion a wonderful second. A flowing move ended with Joe Hugill's cross being flicked delightfully into the net by Djenairo Daniels for his first of the season.

Substitute goalkeeper Ross Sinclair kept St Johnstone in the match with a couple of sharp saves, in particular one point-blank effort to foil Aaron Tshibola, before the visitors' stubbornness was rewarded with fine equaliser.

Alic played an inviting ball forward for Joel Cotterill to chase, and after taking it on his chest, he then thumped it past a despairing Nico Mantl in the home goal.

Kilmarnock created several good chances to snatch a winner but couldn't take them, with Tyreece John-Jules denied on more than one occasion by Sinclair.

The point was enough to move them off the bottom of the table, at least, but they remain in 11th place after 11 goals in two matches between these two this season.

Graphic

Kilmarnock analysis: McCann's men easy on the eye

Some of Kilmarnock's football was very pleasing to watch.

Coaches up and down the land might want to cut out and keep their second goal, for example. Free-flowing, stylish football with a marvellously improvised back-heeled finish taking the ball into the net.

Tshibola and Tom Lowery pulled the strings in midfield, while the front three of Hugill, Daniels and Kiltie caused all sorts of bother.

Scoring, of course, hasn't necessarily been Kilmarnock's problem this season. Keeping them out at the other end has.

Having to score three goals to win a game won't really do. Their effort can't be faulted - their defensive work can, as can their chance conversion.

That will irk McCann. What will please him, however - as well as moving away from the foot of the table - is the way his side kept on creating even if they couldn't put away their chances.

St Johnstone analysis: Early red doesn't define day

Managers can prepare for a lot. Their goalkeeper handling the ball needlessly outside his area 13 minutes into the game wouldn't really fall into that category.

It meant an uphill battle for most of this match for Simo Valakari's visitors but it was a challenge they rose to extremely well. To equalise once with 10 men is good. To do it twice is excellent.

You also have to credit Valakari and his side for sticking to their principles. They kept trying to play football even with the numerical disadvantage.

They will look on this as an excellent point gained while their opponents will no doubt curse two dropped.

What they said

Figure caption,

'Sore one' - McCann on St Johnstone draw

Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann: "A man up, 2-1 up, you shouldn't lose two points. The most galling thing is they've scored two goals with 10 men.

"I felt the uneasiness around the stadium, even when we were 2-1 up, and the players looked like they were being affected by it. We rushed things and when it gets to 2-2, with lots of time left, there's no need to panic. We got into good areas but we just lacked that quality.

"We're all hurting that we don't win the games, we haven't lost the game today but it feels like a loss because we dropped two points from a good position. Do I feel the pressure? No. I feel it for the boys because they're getting pressure applied."

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari on Steward's sending off: "That's my tactical choice. I want my keeper to be like a sweeper behind those long balls. And he has been very good, he reads those moments.

"As you know in football, it's a teeny, teeny line you know, where he was and now this time it went this way, a red card, but Ross Sinclair came in and made some great saves."

Figure caption,

'Today it was chaos and I think we all love it'

Player of the match

Number: 20 R. Sinclair
Average rating 8.07
Number: 29 D. Daniëls
Average Rating: 4.88
Number: 10 T. John-Jules
Average Rating: 4.83
Number: 9 J. Hugill
Average Rating: 4.71
Number: 11 G. Kiltie
Average Rating: 4.61
Number: 4 C. McCarthy
Average Rating: 4.57
Number: 18 T. Lowery
Average Rating: 4.48
Number: 14 G. Stanger
Average Rating: 4.35
Number: 58 N. Mantl
Average Rating: 4.25
Number: 20 N. Cleșcenco
Average Rating: 4.18
Number: 36 A. Tshibola
Average Rating: 4.09
Number: 2 J. Brandon
Average Rating: 4.00
Number: 21 M. Schjønning-Larsen
Average Rating: 3.90
Number: 6 R. Deas
Average Rating: 3.83
Number: 8 E. Ring
Average Rating: 3.76

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.