Allan Preston
Former St Johnstone defender on BBC Sportsound

Simo Valakari will be delighted with the way they've started this game.

It's been all St Johnstone.

Another Saints corner. Jamie Gullan's deliveries are getting better and better and Liam Smith is not far away from making contact at the back stick.

Neil McCann is starting to look rather agitated on the touchline. His Kilmarnock side really haven't got going.

Jamie Gullan is miles offside as his header is touched round the post by Killie keeper Max Stryjek.

St Johnstone continue to hog the ball, popping passes this way and that.

Two more corners for the hosts, but nothing comes of them.

Saints come again and win the game's first corner.

The delivery is nodded away without much fuss.

The home side are on the front foot straight away, with Killie pinned back.

And away we go at McDiarmid Park.

The sun is out as the players emerge. A lovely day for St Johnstone to unfurl their Championship winners' flag.

Kilmarnock boss Neil McCann tells BBC Scotland: "I'm really looking forward to it. It'll be a long old season, but we've had a brilliant pre-season. We came through the [League Cup] group stage. We've got a plum tie in the next round [a home derby with Ayr United].

"But we want to earn our stripes in the league. Last year was a difficult one for everyone concerned with Kilmarnock. Billy [Dodds] and I came in in January in a tough circumstance.

"But the players showed a lot of bravery, and I've put the same responsibility on them this season to play with a fearlessness.

"We've not found our goal-scoring form yet but we've not conceded yet in a competitive match, which is always nice."

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari tells BBC Scotland: "It's a very proud moment to be here, we deserve it. But at the same time, we feel nervous. We don't know where we are with the team, but we are excited.

"We went through so much last year, the players grew together. It's nice to have this continuity. We've added a few players, and it's a different level. We need to test ourselves to see where we are, but we need to be ready for this first minute.

"I've reflected a lot, I believe we are a better team and club than we were [when relegated]. How we played last year was the best way to win the Championship, we have our identities and values.

"We do not want to be a naive, romantic team who plays nice football and loses matches. We need to be solid and streetwise."

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No newly-promoted team has lost at home in the top flight since Hamilton Academical in 2014-15.

Indeed, since 2015-16, there has only been one defeat (home or away) for newly promoted sides - five wins, eight draws - when Livingston started away to Celtic in 2018-19.

These two last met in Perth on 3 May 2025 when David Watson and Danny Armstrong were on target in a 2-0 away win.

Kilmarnock made progress in the Premier Sports Cup despite a meagre tally of two goals.

Neil McCann's side kept clean sheets in all four contests, edging out Hamilton and Elgin City and drawing against Peterhead and Raith Rovers.

The manager will be hoping striker Tyreece John-Jules can rediscover the scoring form he was in when struck down by injury in February, while Joe Hugill finished last term strongly as Killie battled away from relegation trouble.

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St Johnstone bounced straight back to the top flight with ease after one season in the Championship, finishing 11 points clear.

The squad hasn't changed too much, with top scorer Josh McPake departing for Hearts and new arrivals including Macaulay Tait and Logan Chalmers, who are on the bench today.

The Perth side were early casualties in the Premier Sports Cup after a loss to Inverness Caley Thistle and a home draw against East Fife.

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Ten of the Saints' XI were at the club in the Championship last season, while Zach Mitchell was on loan during the campaign before that.

Sticking with the theme of familiarity, Aaron Tshibola is in what is his fifth spell at Killie, with Erik Ring the only new boy in the visitors' line-up.

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St Johnstone: Steward, Smith, Mitchell, Diabate, Foulds, Holt, Stanton, McAlear, Gullan, Paton, Fowler.

Substitutes: Sinclair, Boyes, Steven, Baird, Lloyd, Fotheringham, Finlayson, Chalmers, Tait.

Kilmarnock: Stryjek, Ring, Stanger, Schilte-Brown, Schjonning-Larsen, Lowery, Tshibola, Clesenco, Kiltie, John-Jules, Hugill.

Substitutes: Ferrie, Brandon, O'Hara, McKenzie, Yfeko, Mathurin, Owen, Bowie, Rice.

Three down, three to go on a protracted Friday to Monday opening for the Scottish Premiership...

St Johnstone v Kilmarnock (14:00 BST) is first up in today's installment, followed by Hibernian v Motherwell (16:30).

St Mirren and Aberdeen are the teams to catch after their wins yesterday.

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