It was an opportunity to scale back the hole to St Mirren to simply two factors.
However sorry St Johnstone didn't register a single shot heading in the right direction on this McDiarmid Park defeat.
Greg Kiltie's opener early within the second half was sufficient for the Buddies to depart Perth with a really priceless three factors.
They now sit eight factors away from Eleventh-placed Saints, who merely failed to point out up for such a giant event.
The one change from the Dens Park draw noticed Dan Cleary dropping out, changed by Tom Sang.
Sang, who produced an brisk efficiency off the bench final week, was working at proper wing-back position and that meant Shaun Rooney - just like the second half in Dundee - nudged right into a extra central defensive position.
Saints had began poorly final outing and once more, early doorways, had been the workforce on the again foot.
And if not for Zander Clark, St Mirren would’ve been forward with only one minute on the clock.
The Perth goalkeeper stretched out a left arm to fantastically deny Alex Grieve from shut vary. Later within the opening phases Alex Gogic fired inches broad of the submit.
There was one thing for residence followers to get enthusiastic about within the twenty second minute when Callum Hendry confirmed off his neat toes to carve out house simply contained in the field.
He then appeared for the far nook however his right-footed try was marginally off course.
The work to create the opening was a uncommon piece of ability in a primary half devoid of a lot high quality. Visiting goalkeeper Jak Alnwick had not been referred to as into motion as soon as.
That worrying theme continued into the second half and it was no actual shock when the Buddies opened the scoring by Kiltie’s end from a Grieve cutback.
Cammy MacPherson and Glenn Middleton quickly entered the motion, changing Sang and Ali Crawford.
Because the clock reached 70 minutes, Saints nonetheless hadn’t pressured Alnwick right into a save.
Theo Bair and Stevie Might then entered the motion however, nonetheless, the Perth aspect simply didn't appear like scoring.
Goalkeeper Clark even ventured ahead for a late nook. He couldn’t discover the identical magic as final season.
Elsewhere, backside of the desk Dundee misplaced to Aberdeen and stay 5 factors adrift.