St Johnstone 1 Queen’s Park 1 – Point in Perth

CAPTAIN Euan Murray’s header helped Queen’s Park to another valuable point from league leaders St Johnstone.

The captain scored the equaliser when the sides met last month at The city Stadium and another goal helped secure a point.

Murray has yet to score a goal that doesn’t bring profit for the Spiders with a crucial header against Partick in December followed by this important double against the Saints.

It gave the Spiders a deserved led at the interval until Josh McPake levelled for the home side shortly after the break.

Sean Crighton’s side rode the waves of attacks that followed and claimed a second point from the title hopefuls.

The Spiders had lined up with three central defenders and Roddy Macgregor at wing-back in a tactical tweak from the coaching staff and it worked to curtail the home side early on.

If anything Queen’s Park were the likelier to score and Seb Drozd tried an acrobatic effort early on.

St Johnstone were forced into an early change when Morgan Boyes – ordered off in the last meeting – was taken off injured after just 18 minutes.

Facing former striker Josh Fowler in attack, the Spiders’ new-look defence were busy but the prolific striker was shackled until the second half when a backpost header was sent wide.

Another former southsider, Josh McPake, faced up to MacGregor with Ruari Paton also in blue.

The gameplan worked and when Mikey Ruth was fouled after half an hour Aidan Connolly’s free-kick was thumped ahead by captain Murray.

Calum Ferrie had been on alert for most of the first half but the Saints couldn’t truly test the keeper until after the break.

Balls over the top from the left flank were seen out by the Spiders back-line but there was renewed vigour from Simo Valakari’s side after the break.

It took three minutes for McPake to find space behind the Spiders defence, released by Stanton, and he drove the equaliser inside the post.

Matty Shiels and Henry Fieldson swept up more of the left-side threat and former team-mates Murray and Fowler tangled shortly afterwards.

Murray would require a second time on the ground and treatment from Jorge Pismante, but it was telling as he immediately handed his armband on to Louis Longridge on the pitch.

The stand-in skipper was even used as a makeshift defender for a spell as the Spiders dugout staff changed the personnel and plan to cope with the latest injury woe.

Ahead of them Scott Martin continued to hassle and harry and earn possession but when Fowler headed wide the Spiders support let out a sigh of relief.

There was another when McPake sneaked between McGregor on the edge of the box but there was nothing forthcoming from Kevin Clancy.

A similar run from the winger saw Longridge concede a free-kick in a similar spot, but the set piece couldnt clear the Spiders wall.

The defence continued to put their bodies on the line with the home side camped out at the north end of the park, but the Spiders saw it out for another point towards safety.