St Johnstone took a huge step towards securing cinch Premiership safety with a hard-fought 1-0 win over 10-man Dundee United at McDiarmid Park.
Saints captain Liam Gordon scored the opener just before the break, while United had Charlie Mulgrew sent off for bringing down Melker Hallberg as he went through on goal.
The Perth side’s first win since February and their first home victory since November sees them move five points clear of danger, while the visitors – who hit the goalframe through Steven Fletcher in stoppage time – remain just a point above Ross County as their three-game winning streak came to an end.
St Johnstone interim boss Steven MacLean had made three changes following his side’s 1-1 draw with Hibernian, with James Brown, Hallberg and Graham Carey all coming in to start.
United manager Jim Goodwin named an unchanged side for a third straight match.
Spurred on by a raucous away support, the visitors started brightly and they had four shots blocked in the first two minutes in a frantic opening to the game.
Fletcher then stung the palms of Remi Matthews in the 12th minute before Ian Harkes headed straight at the home goalkeeper when well placed.
United were dominant and they almost took the lead in the 21st minute when Ilmari Niskanen was released by Harkes but his shot was deflected wide as he opted to chop back inside.
St Johnstone eventually came to life around the half-hour mark and United keeper Mark Birighitti was forced to get down low to keep out Adam Montgomery’s cross that had flicked off Loick Oyina.
Birighitti then produced an even better save moments later to tip over Carey’s rising angled shot from just inside the box.
Despite their slow start Saints were now in the ascendancy, and they took a crucial lead two minutes before the break.
After United failed to clear a long throw-in, Stevie May’s miskick landed kindly at the feet of Gordon, who was able to steer the ball in off a post from eight yards out.
The second half was a fairly even contest before a moment of drama on the hour mark saw the away side reduced to 10 men.
Hallberg latched on to Carey’s neat ball over the top and he got his toe to the ball before Mulgrew, who appeared to catch the midfielder with an outstretched boot.
Despite the tackle occurring out wide, referee Alan Muir wasted no time in issuing the red card, with Mulgrew adjudged to have been the last man.
After an open first half, the game became far cagier after the red card, with United struggling to create and the hosts content to hold onto their lead.
Daniel Phillips and Drey Wright both had sights of goal from just outside the box but neither troubled Birighitti.
Saints could have put the game to bed with five minutes to go as Zak Rudden laid the ball off to fellow substitute Theo Bair, who sidefooted over from just inside the box, while Carey also tested Birighitti with a shot from a tight angle.
There was very nearly a late twist deep into stoppage time as Fletcher met Rory Macleod’s cross with a sweetly timed left-footed volley, but it cannoned off the angle of post and bar as Saints held on to secure three priceless points.
Standard set for Clement as Rangers tee up Old Firm final clash
Phillipe Clement said Rangers' performance against Motherwell must serve as a reference for the rest of their season after they teed up a Scottish League Cup final clash with Celtic.
Rangers fought back for a 2-1 victory on Sunday, with Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami on target one day after Celtic trounced Aberdeen 6-0 in the first semi-final.
Dessers converted Connor Barron's cross to level things up in the 49th minute, then Bajrami saw his strike deflect home nine minutes from time to ease the pressure on Clement.
The Gers have endured a difficult Premiership season to date and trail rivals Celtic, who they will face in the League Cup final on December 15, by nine points in the table.
Clement, however, believes they can achieve big things if they replicate the performance they produced at Hampden Park on a regular basis.
"We can go where we want to be, which is the final," he told Premier Sports.
"We had that amazing feeling together with the fans last season and we can battle for that again.
"This needs to be also a reference game for this squad, for this new squad.
"To do what we've been doing a lot last season, to dig in and in every situation to keep our belief, to keep on going, to keep on fighting and to break the wall if we go behind...
"This can be a massive game at the end of the season to have this one as a reference. I want to see, every three days, this mentality."
Aberdeen deliver statement win over Rangers to keep pace with Celtic
Shayden Morris' winner helped Aberdeen defeat Rangers 2-1 to maintain their unbeaten run and stay level on points with Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
The hosts took the lead through Nicky Devlin after 31 minutes at the Pittodrie Stadium before Nedim Bajrami's individual brilliance saw Rangers back on level terms 18 minutes into the second half.
Celebrations soon resumed in Aberdeen as substitute Morris crashed in the winner 11 minutes later.
Victory sees Jimmy Thelin's side move nine points clear of Rangers, who sit in third, as they remain level on 28 points with Celtic, only behind on goal difference.
Celtic continued to add to that superior goal difference with a 2-0 win over Dundee at Celtic Park.
Two goals inside 10 minutes in the second half from Alistair Johnston and Arne Engels gave them a routine victory to keep them unbeaten at the top of the table.
Celtic return to Premiership summit, Rangers edge past St Mirren
Celtic returned to the top of the Scottish Premiership table with a routine 3-0 victory at Motherwell, putting them back above Aberdeen on goal difference.
Brendan Rodgers' Bhoys had been knocked off the summit by the Dons' 1-0 win over Dundee United on Saturday, but they responded by easing to their eighth victory in nine games at Fir Park.
Luke McCowan steered in the opener on his first Celtic start, after Lennon Miller had twice struck the woodwork in the early stages.
Stand-in captain Alistair Johnston then ghosted in to score their second at the back post shortly before the hour mark, with Adam Idah adding a third before Motherwall's Liam Gordon was sent off in stoppage time.
That result piled the pressure on Rangers, who could have ended the weekend nine points adrift of the top two, but they claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over St Mirren at Ibrox to stay within six.
Mohamed Diomande's powerful close-range finish put the Gers ahead, but Alex Gogic rose to nod in a St Mirren equaliser midway through the first half.
Vaclav Cerny spared their blushes, though, as he scored the winner following good work from Cyriel Dessers in the 69th minute.
Rangers go to second-placed Aberdeen, who are yet to lose this season, for a huge fixture in the title race on Wednesday.
In Sunday's other Premiership game, teenager James Wilson struck three minutes from time to rescue a point for Hearts in a 1-1 Edinburgh Derby draw at Hibernian.
Mykola Kuharevich had put Hibs ahead on the rebound after Marvin Ekpiteta headed against the crossbar just after the hour mark, but Wilson got the final touch to divert James Penrice's long throw home with stoppage time looming.
The result keeps Hibs rooted to the foot of the table with six points, though they are only behind 11th-placed Hearts on goal difference and still have a game in hand to come.
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