St Johnstone

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St Johnstone manager Craig Levein: "I'm delighted and extremely stressed out. At the end when the Motherwell fans celebrated after the game finished just to wind us up, I had to take an extra couple of heart tablets.

"It was a good performance by the boys today we deserved to win. We've been good the last week or so in the last three games.

"We've managed to get ourselves in the position we'll be in the Scottish Premiership next year.

"We had a lot of good performances today. There were a couple of minutes we had to defend manfully to stop Motherwell getting their first goal.

"The boys were throwing themselves in front of shots with blocks and tackles. That's the kind of team spirit that gets you a result like this.

"I've never really been in a relegation battle as a manager and I didn't want to start now. It was a bit stressful and there was a lot of cajoling, some pats on the back and stern words at times to get the players into the position where they're surviving.

"All credit to them, I thought they were fantastic today."

Thomas Duncan, BBC Sport Scotland

St Johnstone were heading straight for the play-off with Raith Rovers up until the 90th minute on Wednesday night, and come Sunday evening they were celebrating a 16th straight season in the top flight.

A side that has toiled for goals and produced a largely insipid end to the season with one win in their last nine before the final game, burst to life at Fir Park.

All their big players stepped up. From Mitov in goals saving Bair's penalty, to captain Liam Gordon producing the block of the season on the line, and Carey and Clark getting things going with a terrific first goal.

Sidibeh has proved a massive signing having come up with goals in the crucial final two games. Credit to Levein, who was brought in with Saints bottom of the table in the autumn and tasked with keeping them up.

It wasn't pretty, but he did it. Even the switch to a back five in the second half stemmed Motherwell's fight back. They'll hope for better next season amid a change of ownership and three difficult seasons battling the drop.

But for now they can enjoy their achievement, and their holidays.

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St Johnstone make just one change from their draw at home to Ross County which ensured they are still fighting on this final day.

Stevie May drops to the bench and Matt Smith comes into what looks like a 4-4-2 or variation thereof against Motherwell at Fir Park.

• Follow the action

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Motherwell striker Jon Obika is back to fitness while Barry Maguire (chest), Callum Slattery (knee) and Adam Montgomery (hamstring) remain out.

Tony Gallacher will be assessed with regards a return for St Johnstone as he works his way back from a calf problem. Sven Sprangler (knee) remains on the sidelines.

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• All three league meetings between Motherwell and St Johnstone this season have been drawn; the last fixture to be drawn four times in a Scottish top-flight campaign was Dunfermline Athletic v Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2011-12 (Dundee v Kilmarnock could also be drawn four times this season).

• St Johnstone have only lost one of their last eight league meetings with Motherwell (W3 D4), and are unbeaten in their last three such away visits (W2 D1).

• After their 4-1 win over Livingston, Motherwell are looking to win back-to-back home league games for just a second time this season, after doing so in their first two such matches.

• St Johnstone must win this match and hope Ross County fail to beat Aberdeen to avoid a place in the play-offs. The Saints have, however, lost 19 league games this season, last losing 20+ in a top-flight campaign in 2001-02 (27), when they were last relegated.

• St Johnstone’s Craig Levein has lost each of his last four MD38 games in the Scottish top-flight, twice with Dundee United (2007-08, 2008-08) and twice with Hearts (2017-18, 2018-19). He last avoided defeat on the final matchday in a season in the top tier in 2006-07, when his Dundee United side drew 0-0 with Motherwell, while his last such win was also over Motherwell with Hearts in 2003-04 (3-2).

St Johnstone go to Fir Park on Sunday, knowing they must win as they bid to avoid the relegation play-off.

Who would you pick to start if you were in Craig Levein's position?

Put yourself in the manager's shoes and choose your Saints XI here.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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St Johnstone winger Graham Carey says they have nothing to lose as they battle to secure their Premiership status this weekend.

After drawing with Ross County in midweek, 11th-placed Saints travel to Motherwell in their final fixture knowing they have to win.

But that will not be enough to see them avoid the relegation play-off if County - who are two points above them - beat Aberdeen in Dingwall.

"The mood is quite positive," Carey said "It could have easily been finished the other night, but we battled back and showed a bit of character to keep ourselves in the fight.

"We go into the game with nothing to lose really. We have to win to get anything, it is not like we are looking over our shoulders or something, sometimes it is quite difficult going into games knowing that maybe a draw is enough; you can’t play football like that.

"Even if we do win and they win then we are going into next week with a bit of a positive outlook and a bit of form going into the play-offs, but we just need to take care of our own business."

St Johnstone manager Craig Levein and Ross County interim boss Don Cowie look ahead to the final-day battle to avoid the relegation play-off spot.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Craig Levein is preaching positivity and has pledged St Johnstone will adopt an attacking mindset in their must-win game at Motherwell on Sunday.

St Johnstone head into the final day needing favours to avoid the relegation play-off.

Levein's side have to win in Lanarkshire while hoping Ross County - currently two points above - don’t beat Aberdeen in Dingwall.

"We probably will do [have an eye on events in Dingwall] just to keep a sense of perspective, but we need to win and we will find out what the consequences are after the game," said the Perth boss.

"We couldn’t really have gone much more attacking than we did the other night so it will be along similar lines I am sure. We need to rely on our creative players creating chances for the guys up front.

"And it is quite simple, there are not many permutations here, it is a win or we are in the play-offs.

"It [the late equaliser against County in midweek] gave the players a real boost, it gave the fans a real boost as well and they kept going right to the end.

"So we are on a fairly positive outlook and looking forward to Sunday."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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St Johnstone manager Craig Levein has been speaking to the media before Sunday's crucial final-day Premiership trip to Motherwell.

Here are the key lines:

• Levein says: "There is one aim in this game, it's pretty simple - try and win."

• Asked if he will have an eye on relegation rivals Ross County's game with Aberdeen, he says he probably will "just to keep a sense of perspective".

• Saints' dramatic late equaliser against against County gave the players and fans "a real boost".

• He has been "quite pleased" with recent performances and wants more of the same, adding "we are on a fairly positive outlook just now".

• Motherwell will pose a "tough" challenge but he trusts his players to do everything they can to try and win.

• Levein praised the impact of striker Adama Sidiebeh who signed in the January window, saying: "He is still settling in remember. It is a fairly big leap from the level he was playing previously and to do what he is doing just now is pretty impressive.’

• Team news – no fresh injuries.

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Drey Wright believes St Johnstone inflicted a "psychological blow" on Ross County that could turn the tide in the battle to avoid the relegation play-off.

Adama Sidibeh's 90th-minute header denied the Dingwall side guaranteed Premiership survival, taking the tussle to finish 10th to the final day.

And Wright hopes Ross County will struggle to recover from that late disappointment, causing them to slip up and give St Johnstone a window to pull themselves to safety.

“The table won’t say that but I think mentally, if I was to be on the receiving end of that – and seeing the look on some of their faces coming off the park – it is a massive blow," the winger said.

"In the last minute of the game, safety is snatched from them, so hopefully that plays on their minds going into Sunday.

“I can’t speak for characters in their dressing room but that is a big psychological blow, definitely, because from looking pretty comfortable because we weren’t creating many chances, now they have to go and do it all again on Sunday.

"I think it does play in our favour, definitely. We are very confident we can beat Motherwell.

“Obviously it is out of our hands but it happens in football all the time. There is no reason we can’t win and they drop points.”

St Johnstone's Drey Wright draws inspiration from surviving relegation with Colchester United in 2015 as he aims to help the Perth side avoid the drop from the Scottish Premiership. (Record), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip

Sportscene pundits Neil McCann and Charlie Mulgrew dissect Ross County's "well-structured" defensive performance against St Johnstone that had them on course for survival until Adama Sidibeh's last-gasp equaliser. (Available to UK users only)

• St Johnstone have failed to win in their last five games in the Scottish Premiership, their last joint longest winless streak was from 20 December 2023 to 27 January 2024.

• Graham Carey has assisted eight goals this season (one in this game), more than any other St Johnstone player in the Scottish Premiership.

• Ross County have scored in their last 3 games in the Scottish Premiership, their joint longest scoring streak this season.

St Johnstone boss Craig Levein is confident the Perth side can get the win they need at Motherwell to climb out of the Premiership relegation play-off spot, though Saints also need Ross County to drop points. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip