St Johnstone kicked off their Scottish Premiership campaign in dramatic fashion, defeating Kilmarnock 4-3 in a chaotic, end-to-end encounter that swung one way and then the other before Saints held their nerve to claim victory.
Despite lingering doubts among supporters following a League Cup exit and a relatively quiet transfer window featuring eight summer additions, manager Simo Valakari's side began the match with intent, particularly down the left flank where Ruari Paton and Jamie Gullan combined effectively. That partnership produced the opening goal, with Paton and Gullan setting up Josh Fowler to score his first Premiership goal — a remarkable achievement for a player who was turning out for Beith Juniors just four years earlier.
St Johnstone dominated large periods of the contest but were twice pulled back level by Kilmarnock before falling behind 3-2, a scoreline that seemed to threaten an early setback for the newly promoted side. However, Valakari reacted decisively, introducing three attacking substitutes and withdrawing his central midfielders in search of an equalizer. The gamble paid dividends as a Jason Holt own goal leveled the match before Kai Fotheringham struck a powerful winner to seal a 4-3 triumph.
The result continues a pattern from St Johnstone's promotion-winning Championship campaign, where the club scored 14 goals more than any other team in the division and boasted three of the league's top five scorers. Yet Valakari had signaled before the match that changes in approach might be necessary at the higher level. "How we played last year was the best way to win the Championship... we do not want to be a naive, romantic team who plays nice football and loses matches," he told BBC Scotland. "We need to be solid and streetwise."
Despite that intent, Saturday's match hardly represented defensive solidity, with St Johnstone managing only 1.76 expected goals from 15 attempts, meaning several of the goals they scored — including one poor concession from a corner finished by Cheick Diabate — came from fortunate circumstances rather than clinical finishing. Following the match, Valakari struck a cautious tone despite the win. "We are not getting carried away, we know where we are and what we need to improve. There might be some suffering in front of us," he said, acknowledging that expectations remain tempered even after picking up maximum points.
For Kilmarnock, the result extended defensive concerns that plagued them throughout last season, when only Livingston conceded more goals in the division. Under manager Derek McCann and assistant Billy Dodds — credited with steadying a struggling Kilmarnock side last term — scoring goals was rarely their issue, having finished as top scorers in the bottom half of the table. However, defensive fragility resurfaced painfully in Perth, undermining what had looked at times like a battling comeback effort.
McCann offered no excuses after the match, expressing clear frustration with his side's overall performance. "I didn't find it entertaining whatsoever," he said. "We got exactly what we deserved from the game — nothing. We let ourselves down, the club down, the fans down."
For neutral observers, though, the match delivered high drama befitting an opening-weekend spectacle. BBC Scotland's coverage on Sportsound described the contest as "breathtaking," with commentator Preston suggesting that if the season continues in similar fashion, fans could be in for a memorable campaign. Both sides will now look to build on — or bounce back from — this seven-goal curtain-raiser as the Premiership season gets fully underway.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.