Simo Valakari last night hailed his side’s ruthless streak as St Johnstone secured their return to the Premiership at the first time of asking.
Second-half goals from Reece McAlear and Ruari Paton earned a 2-0 win at Scottish Cup finalists Dunfermline and moved Saints seven points ahead of Partick Thistle with just two games left in the Championship season.
The Perth men have led the table from the opening day, when they beat Thistle 5-1, although the Maryhill side were level on points at one stage and both teams are on 12-match unbeaten runs in the league.
But Valakari took delight in how his Saints crossed the line at the first time of asking, and praised the club’s fans for sticking by his team following the heartbreak of last season’s relegation.
‘It’s difficult to put it into words, but the first time our players had the chance to win the league, no mercy, they went and took it,’ said the Finn. ‘Unbelievable. It tells me a lot about them.
‘The Championship is a marathon. We never ever changed who we were, we played our style, our football. We went difficult and stuck by our style and that made us champions. I’m so proud of it.
St Johnstone stars get the party started after securing the Championship title at East End Park
Saints goalscorer Reece McAlear shows what it means as the club’s achievement sinks in
‘We do this for our fans, they’re the most important part of the football club. After relegation, it’s difficult to get the connection back but my players and staff have done that, so big, big credit to them.’
Summing up the impact of Valakari on his team, St Johnstone captain Jason Holt said: ‘We go on the pitch feeling free, it’s the biggest compliment I can give him.’
St Johnstone were taking on a side who played 120 minutes at Hampden on Saturday before their penalty shootout triumph over Falkirk in the Scottish Cup semi-finals and who were playing their third consecutive midweek game.
Dunfermline manager Neil Lennon made five changes to his starting line-up as he sought the point that would all but confirm his side’s place in the end-of-season play-offs.
Saints had the better of the first half and Josh McPake was yet again the danger man for the visitors. The winger — who will join Hearts in the summer when his Perth contract expires — hit the underside of the bar from 15 yards and delivered several teasing balls which Paton could not take advantage of.
Finnish boss Valakari has retained Saints’ attacking playing style for their second-tier success
Sam Stanton also came close from long range and inadvertently blocked a goal-bound effort from team-mate Morgan Boyes.
The breakthrough came in the 56th minute after the hosts failed to clear their lines. Paton teed up McAlear 22 yards out and the former Livingston midfielder’s first-time shot took a major deflection off the boot of Charlie Gilmour and deceived goalkeeper Aston Oxborough.
The Perth side doubled their lead in the 72nd minute when Paton drifted in between the Dunfermline centre-backs and guided a header into the bottom corner from 12 yards following Liam Smith’s cross.
Dunfermline have a five-point lead over fifth-placed Raith Rovers in the chase for the final play-off place, with their Fife rivals travelling to McDiarmid Park to take on the newly-crowned champions on Friday.
