MX23RW : Thursday, March 4 20:48:56| >> :120:10928:10928:
Oct 26, 2019 at 3pm UK at McDiarmid Park (Perth)
Attendance: 2,231
St Johnstone
3-2
HamiltonHamilton Academical
Wotherspoon (36', 60'), Hendry (88')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Miller (25'), Davies (83' pen.)

Result: Callum Hendry rescues last-gasp St Johnstone win

Result: Callum Hendry rescues last-gasp St Johnstone win
© Reuters
Callum Hendry had only been on the field for three minutes.

A last-gasp Callum Hendry strike snatched St Johnstone a 3-2 win at home to Hamilton and ended their long wait for a first Ladbrokes Premiership victory.

Substitute Hendry had been on the field for just three minutes when he pounced to crash home the 89th-minute winner in a topsy-turvy contest.

After nine games without a victory, Saints manager Tommy Wright was rewarded for a dominant display.

Accies substitute Steven Davies converted a spot-kick six minutes from time after Murray Davidson was adjudged to have handled, but Saints dug deep and Hendry was their saviour.

Midfielder David Wotherspoon celebrated his 250th appearance with a brace after Mickel Miller had snatched Hamilton a first-half lead.

Saints remain at the foot of the table, but in a tightly-packed league they closed the gap to a point on nearest rivals Hibernian.

Before beginning their warm-up, referee Alan Muir and his assistants held a minute's silence on the touchline in memory of SFA head of refereeing John Fleming.

The home side began on the front foot and Accies goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams was relieved when a back-post touch from Wotherspoon on Drey Wright's cross fell kindly to him in the fourth minute.

A teasing 15th-minute Wotherspoon cross just needed a touch but Stevie May could not stretch far enough to provide a close-range finish.

Three minutes later Hamilton rode their luck when Davidson's 20-yard shot crashed back off the crossbar.

But yet again Saints found themselves a goal behind in the 25th minute after early domination, falling victim to a slick Hamilton counter-attack.

This time Miller's pace proved too hot for Scott Tanser to handle from Adrian Beck's lay-off and the striker calmly rolled a neat finish past advancing keeper Zander Clark.

But midfielder Wotherspoon marked his milestone appearance for his hometown team by ramming Saints level in the 36th minute after his initial effort from 16 yards had been blocked.

With the interval looming, Wright missed from eight yards with the target at his mercy.

The Englishman had played in Matty Kennedy and the striker's rising shot was diverted by Fon Williams, only for Wright to blaze the gilt-edged chance over the bar.

Saints were denied by the woodwork again 11 minutes after the break, when Wotherspoon's crisply-struck 25-yard strike rebounded from an upright and May curled the loose ball wide from the edge of the box.

The St Johnstone midfielder persevered, though, and on the hour he latched onto a May pass, sold the defenders a dummy and sent a precise 16-yard right-foot shot curling into the far corner.

But after Davies drew Accies level from the spot, Hendry smashed in the winner.

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A general shot of a Premier League football ahead of the Premier League clash between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park on October 30, 2016
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1RangersRangers3127407496585
2Celtic31207465234267
3Hibernian30157841281352
4Aberdeen3113993230248
5Livingston30117123636040
6St Mirren31109122934-539
7Dundee UnitedDundee Utd31811122843-1535
8St Johnstone31810133240-834
9Motherwell3188152846-1832
10Ross County3075182254-3226
11Kilmarnock3174202743-1625
12Hamilton AcademicalHamilton3067172957-2825

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