Time is of essence in survival bid

Four games left to save Saints' season

- FRASER MACKIE

On the pitch where St Johnstone players celebrated safety 11 months ago, several of Simo Valakari's men sunk to their knees at the final whistle.

Such deflating scenes and actions are normally associated with a team reaching the end of the road; one resigned to a dismal fate.

It was easy to feel that way after 96 minutes of effort-and plenty of it good - against Motherwell.

However, this group has no option but to pick themselves off the canvas and hope that a similar level of performance spawns a win over Kilmarnock this weekend to keep survival hope alive.

Despite taking the lead with a superbly-worked team goal and several excellent personal displays from fringe players given a chance, a brief period of implosion was fatal at Fir Park.

Where have we heard that before? At multiple, harmful stages of the season.

Here was another, just before half-time, as Motherwell gathered momentum and increased pressure on Andy Fisher's goal after conceding in the sixth minute to Makenzie Kirk.