Arbroath suffered their first defeat of the season on a difficult afternoon against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.
Jack Baird’s header set Saints, who are many people’s title favourites, on their way in the first half, with goals from Jason Holt and Stevie Mallan completing a comfortable 3-0 victory.
The Lichties returned to action following a free weekend, showing two changes to the side that defeated Queen’s Park, with Ross Callachan and Luke Kenny replacing Ryan Flynn and Craig Watson.
A couple of half chances came to nothing before the Saints had the first clear opportunity midway through the half. Kenny lost possession in the middle of his own half, with the ball slipped through to Adama Sidibeh who saw his low effort kept out by Aidan McAdams.
Just beyond the hour mark though, the hosts did move in front through Baird. Reghan Tumilty’s cross from the right looked to be harmless, but the centre back made the ball his, wrongfooting McAdams with a pinpoint header into the corner.
It should have been two just five minutes later with Arbroath again slow in possession, Callachan was this time dispossessed by Sidibeh who picked out substitute Jonathan Svedberg, but the Swede could only roll the ball past the post.
Despite St Johnstone’s control, Arbroath always looked dangerous on the counter and saw Ryan Dow force Toby Steward into a save with a strike from distance shortly before half-time.
The Lichties started the second half brightly too and looked as if they would have a golden chance to equalise, but Harry Cochrane’s inviting cross just managed to evade Gavin Reilly and drop agonisingly wide.
On the hour mark though, it was St Johnstone who found the net as Holt linked up well with Sidibeh whose clever backheel allowed the midfielder to slot the ball home.
Arbroath nearly had a quick response though, with Reilly seeing his effort blocked by Steward, before Scott Stewart’s drilled ball across the face managed to skim along the toes of Ryan Dow and away from danger.
The game was put beyond any doubt with just under 20 minutes remaining when the home side were awarded a penalty. Jack Wilkie took too long to clear the ball and was dispossessed before bringing down Reghan Tumilty and Mallan stepped up to confidently send the ball beyond McAdams.
Despite the scoreline, the Lichties will take some hope from the performance when they welcome Airdrieonians to Gayfield next Saturday.
St Johnstone: Steward; Tumilty, Baird, Diabate, Foulds (Boyes, 46); Holt, McAlear; Mallan (Stanton, 74), Gullan (Svedberg, 11), McPake (Bright, 88); Sidibeh (Ikpeazu, 74)
Arbroath: McAdams; Kenny (Watson, 46), Muirhead, O’Brien, Wilkie; Cochrane (Flynn, 72), Callachan (Pettifer, 72); Stewart, Marshall, Dow (Todorov, 72); Reilly (Gold, 81)
Attendance: 4,013
