Killian Phillips Leads St Mirren Past St Johnstone

Killian Phillips is making a habit of deciding Saturday nights in Paisley.

Seven days after announcing himself with a debut double at Falkirk, the midfielder again delivered the key moment, this time from 12 yards, as St Mirren squeezed past St Johnstone to stay top of the William Hill Premiership with two wins from two.

It was not glamorous. It was not straightforward. It was exactly the kind of win that tells you something about a team.

Chapman stands tall, Gullan falters

For a long spell, the game felt like it was waiting for someone to grab it. Both sides had opened their campaigns with victories, and the first half reflected that shared confidence: tidy, competitive, but short on clear chances.

The best opening before the break fell to Samuel Ramos. Timing his run well, he met Chris Mochrie’s cross cleanly but directed his header straight at Toby Steward. The St Johnstone goalkeeper could only push the ball up into the air, and a frantic scramble followed before the visitors finally hacked clear.

St Johnstone then had their big chance early in the second half, and it arrived with a dose of VAR drama. Referee Ross Hardie was sent to the monitor after Alex Gogic was judged to have handled while competing for a throw-in launched into the box. Penalty given. Momentum there for the taking.

Jamie Gullan stepped up. Jacob Chapman guessed right.

The St Mirren goalkeeper dived low to his left and turned the spot-kick away, a decisive, confident save that ignited the home support and shifted the tone of the night. From that moment, Chapman became as central to the story as Phillips.

St Mirren’s evening took a knock when Marcus Fraser limped off, with Liam Donnelly drafted in at centre-back, but the home side held their shape and their nerve.

Phillips punishes Steward’s error

Gullan tried to repair the damage he had done from the spot. He slipped a clever ball into the path of Matty Foulds, who arrived from left-back at pace and drilled a shot just wide on the run. It was a warning that St Johnstone were not simply going to retreat after the missed penalty.

Craig McLeish responded from the touchline. A double substitution, fresh legs and fresh ideas. Almost instantly, it nearly paid off.

Luke Thomas broke down the left and slid a pass into Jake Young, who drove into the box from the flank. As he shaped to shoot across goal, Cheick Diabate appeared to tug at him. Young still got his shot away but dragged it wide of the far post. Appeals went up, but nothing doing. St Mirren’s frustration simmered.

The pressure finally told on the other goalkeeper.

With 17 minutes left, Declan John clipped a forward pass that should have been routine for Steward. The St Johnstone keeper moved to gather, seemingly unaware of Ramos bursting into his path. Ramos got there first, contact came, and Hardie pointed to the spot.

No argument this time. Just the hush that always falls before a decisive penalty.

Phillips barely bothered with a run-up. Short, sharp, straight to the point. He sent Steward the wrong way and rolled the ball into the corner, a composed finish from a player already carrying the look of St Mirren’s go-to man in the big moments.

Woodwork, blocks and a frantic finish

The goal lit a fire under the game. St Mirren, buoyed by the breakthrough, went hunting for a second down the left, where they had found joy all evening. They almost paid for their ambition.

From a St Johnstone corner, Diabate rose highest and powered a header off the post, Chapman beaten for once. The ball bounced out, the home crowd exhaled, and the warning was clear: this was not done.

St Mirren responded with a spell of sustained pressure, pinning the visitors back and peppering the box. Shots were blocked, bodies thrown in the way as McLeish’s side tried to put the contest beyond reach. They could not find the killer touch, and that kept the door open.

St Johnstone nearly barged through it. A swift break saw Ruari Paton slide Gullan in, the former Hibernian striker with a clear sight of redemption and goal. His finish, though, lacked conviction. Steward and Ryan Carr converged, combining to smother the chance and preserve the lead.

Into stoppage time, the Perth side pushed hard, loading the box and forcing St Mirren deeper. Yet every time they committed, they left space. Young almost punished them, bursting clear on the counter and forcing a save at the other end, a reminder that the home side still carried threat even as they defended their advantage.

St Mirren saw it out in the right area of the pitch, pinning St Johnstone back in their own half as the final whistle approached. No late twist, no dramatic collapse. Just a hard-earned, narrow win that keeps McLeish’s men looking down on the rest of the Premiership.

Two games, two victories, and a midfielder in Phillips who already looks comfortable with the weight of expectation. How long can St Mirren ride this early-season surge?