Ten-Man Saints Twice Come From Behind at Kilmarnock; Perth Five-a-Side Goalkeepers Now Refuse to Stay in the Box ‘on Tactical Grounds’
Kilmarnock 2-2 St Johnstone. Keeper sent off for handling outside the area, sub keeper heroics, and a manager who calls it 'chaos' and means it kindly.
A goalkeeper's gloves: officially for use inside the penalty area only. Photo: nick macneill, “McDiarmid Park, home of St. Johnstone Football Club - geograph.org.uk - 2693706”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
St Johnstone came from behind twice to draw 2-2 at Kilmarnock on Saturday, despite playing most of the game with ten men, and Perth has been talking about nothing else.
Goalkeeper Toby Steward was sent off for handling outside his box, and substitute keeper Ross Sinclair came on to make a string of fine saves. For the last 20 minutes, Saints were effectively two men short, but still held on for a point on the plastic pitch at Rugby Park.
Manager Simo Valakari stood by his approach afterwards. “I want my keeper to be like a sweeper,” he said, adding: “Today it was chaos and I think we all love it.”
The comments have already had an effect on Perth’s five-a-side pitches. “Our goalie came out to the halfway line on Sunday morning,” said a player from a Letham team. “We asked him what he was doing. He said, ‘Sweeping.’ We lost 11-3, but he says it was a tactical success.”
Saints fans who travelled to Ayrshire said they had never been so tired from watching a game. “I was standing for 90 minutes,” said a supporter from Scone. “My heart was doing more running than our left back.”
St Johnstone are back at McDiarmid Park on Saturday 7 November at 3pm against Dundee. Fans have asked if they can bring their own goalkeepers, just in case.
The real story: Kilmarnock 2-2 St Johnstone (BBC Sport)
Letters to the Editor
The views expressed are those of the reader, and frankly that's on them.
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Down to ten, behind twice, and still come home with a point. That’s the Saints I know. Good for the heart, bad for the blood pressure.
— Davie R., Letham, 1 November 2026 -
Kilmarnock’s plastic pitch. Every bounce is a surprise. Like a Perth bus timetable.
— Lesley K., Scone, 1 November 2026 -
Never in doubt. I was hiding behind my scarf for most of it, but never in doubt.
— Gary M., North Muirton, 1 November 2026 -
Two-two away with ten men. If we’d had eleven we’d have won 5-2. That’s just maths.
— Alison W., Craigie, 1 November 2026
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