St. Mirren vs St. Johnstone

Right, let's talk about this one. St. Mirren versus St. Johnstone. A Scottish Premiership opener that had a bit of everything. Cards, a VAR check, a penalty, some scrappy moments... and at the end of it all, the home side sitting top of the league with a perfect six points from six. Mate, it was messy at times, but football is not always pretty and three points is three points.

How Did It Play Out?

St. Mirren set the tone early and not always in the way they would have wanted. A yellow card in the sixth minute for a foul, then another one in the 29th. Bit niggly. Bit scrappy. St. Johnstone were clearly up for a fight and were not rolling over for anyone.

Look at the stats from the first half and honestly it tells a story of two sides cancelling each other out. The possession was almost even, 52 to 48 in St. Mirren's favour. Both teams were getting into dangerous areas. St. Johnstone actually had more dangerous attacks on the day, 48 to 42, which is one of those numbers that makes you go hmm. They were competitive. Very competitive.

Then right at the start of the second half, VAR got involved. A check on a St. Johnstone incident in the 47th minute. We do not know exactly what was being reviewed but whatever it was, nothing came of it for the away side. Scenes at the time I'm sure, as VAR always is.

St. Mirren made a change on 51 minutes, bringing someone on for the player who had picked up that early yellow card. Smart management. Protect the man, protect the team. Then on 63 minutes, St. Johnstone had a player booked for unsportsmanlike conduct. The game was getting a bit feisty by this point.

The Moment That Won It

Seventy-three minutes. Penalty to St. Mirren. Right foot shot. Goal. That is how you win a tight game of football.

It is worth noting that the stats show both teams were awarded a penalty in the match. One for each side according to the data. St. Mirren converted theirs. St. Johnstone, it appears, did not score from theirs, with the final score ending 1-0 to the home side. So either their penalty was saved or disallowed or came to nothing. Either way, St. Mirren held firm. That is what a top-of-the-table side does.

Both teams also hit the woodwork. One each. On another day this could have been a completely different scoreline. St. Johnstone will feel the universe was not exactly on their side on Saturday afternoon.

The Numbers Tell a Proper Story

Honestly, look at the stats here and St. Mirren were the better team overall even if it was close. Thirteen shots to nine. Four on target to two. Five corners to two. Their dribble success rate was 63 percent compared to St. Johnstone's 38 percent. They were more direct in dangerous areas and created three big chances to St. Johnstone's two.

Now I know what Marcus would say at this point. He would start talking about that thing, you know, the metric that sounds like a goalkeeper's football magazine. Starts with x, ends in G. I actually looked at the numbers for once and St. Mirren had a 1.6 to 0.8 edge in that department at the season level. See, I can do the stats chat when I need to. Don't @ me.

What I will say though is that St. Johnstone's 48 dangerous attacks compared to St. Mirren's 42 is a stat that deserves respect. They were in the game. They were a proper threat. St. Mirren's keeper made two saves and the defence did what it needed to do in the moments that mattered.

St. Johnstone also had more successful headers on the day, 17 to 11, and attempted more crosses, 18 to 8. Their game plan was clear. Get it wide, get it in the box, use that aerial ability. St. Mirren dealt with it well enough.

Where St. Mirren Are Right Now

Look at the fixtures and look at the form and you can see why St. Mirren are sitting top of the Scottish Premiership right now. Two games, two wins, three goals scored, none conceded. A momentum slope that is trending upward. Their last five games overall show three wins, a draw and a loss, with a clean sheet percentage of 60 percent. That backline is dialled in.

Their away form over the last five is also very tidy. Three wins from five on the road. These are not flukey numbers. There is something building here. You heard it here first, St. Mirren could be a real force in this league this season if they keep this up.

They do have one fitness concern to keep an eye on, with a long-term injury absence in the squad that is not expected to be resolved until around 19 August. No names in the data but that is worth monitoring as the season builds.

St. Johnstone: Not Disgraced, But Winless Away

For St. Johnstone, the momentum slope is concerning. A reading of minus three on their recent form is not a great number. They came into this with a win and a loss from their first two games. On the evidence here they can compete with anybody in this division but they are struggling to find that winning feeling, especially on the road. Their only away record in the data shows one loss, no goals scored, one goal conceded. That needs to improve.

The unsportsmanlike conduct booking in the second half tells you something about the frustration levels in that St. Johnstone squad as the game wore on. When you are chasing a game and things are not falling for you, that can happen. Credit to them for keeping going though. They had 48 dangerous attacks. They hit the woodwork. They kept pressing right to the end.

The Verdict

St. Mirren 1-0 St. Johnstone. Tight, competitive, a bit tasty in the middle... and decided by a penalty in the final quarter of the game. Exactly the kind of result that separates good sides from average ones. St. Mirren found a way. Top of the table with a 100 percent record. The Buddies are looking tasty this season and if the injured player can return by the end of August, they will have even more to work with. Watch this space.