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St Johnstone 4 Kilmarnock 3: Opening-day defeat despite scoring three on the road There were encouraging signs going forward but serious questions will rightly be asked of a defence that conceded four goals and looked vulnerable throughout the afternoon Kilmarnock kicked off their William Hill Premiership campaign with a disappointing 4-3 defeat to newly-promoted St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park. Goals from Greg Kiltie, Joe Hugill and a Jason Holt own goal looked to have put Neil McCann’s side on course for an opening-day victory, but a series of defensive lapses ultimately proved costly as Killie left Perth empty-handed. There were encouraging signs going forward, particularly in the second half, but serious questions will rightly be asked of a defence that conceded four goals and looked vulnerable throughout the afternoon. Here are the main talking points from an eventful afternoon in Perth… Northern Carpets & Beds are a locally run bed & carpet showroom offering very competitive prices and exceptional service to the whole of Ayrshire & beyond. We are proud to back the Chronicle and look forward to seeing fellow Killie fans soon in store or on our website! Makeshift back four With the suspension of Robbie Deas, there was always going to be changes to the back four for the league opener in Perth. After showing his versatility throughout the Premier Sports Cup group stage, Erik Ring was trusted to start at right-back, while last season’s Young Player of the Year Ethan Schilte-Brown came in alongside George Stanger. Michael Schjønning-Larsen completed the reshuffled defence at left-back. Despite all the talk surrounding Kilmarnock’s four consecutive clean sheets in the League Cup, it took St Johnstone just 15 minutes to end that run. Aaron Tshibola’s slip inside his own half allowed the hosts to break forward and create an overload. The ball was eventually cut back to Josh Fowler, once on trial at Rugby Park, who calmly placed his finish beyond Max Stryjek to give Saints a deserved lead. The back line continued to look vulnerable as the hosts created further openings, although the introduction of Jamie Brandon for the injured Tyreece John-Jules just before half-time offered hope of greater defensive stability. Instead, just two minutes after the restart, Cheick Diabaté escaped Schilte-Brown from a corner and powered a header beyond the helpless Stryjek to double St Johnstone’s advantage. The reshuffled back line never truly recovered from that opening setback and looked all over the shop throughout the afternoon, with St Johnstone exploiting those frailties time and time again. Sloppy start It was a slow start from the visitors, with St Johnstone by far the better side in the opening stages. Too many simply weren’t at the races throughout the first half. Straight from kick-off, Aaron Tshibola bizarrely gave the ball away with an attempted drilled diagonal pass. The midfield controller then struggled to stamp his authority on the game, and it was his slip that allowed Saints to break away and open the scoring. Despite looking sharper against Peterhead last weekend, Tyreece John-Jules still appeared a yard off the pace. He picked up a booking for a late challenge on Toby Steward before taking a sore one himself after Steward wiped him out as Joe Hugill attempted to play him through. The striker never looked comfortable after that challenge and was eventually replaced by Jamie Brandon, allowing Erik Ring to move further forward. However, Ring, Greg Kiltie and Tom Lowery all showed flashes of quality during the first half. The trio combined well for the equaliser before the break, with Ring’s direct running and cross finding Lowery, whose cushioned header fell for Kiltie to calmly dispatch beyond Steward. Frantic second half You’d be forgiven for thinking you had swapped McDiarmid Park for Madison Square Garden in the second half. Supporters were treated to five goals after the interval as both sides went toe-to-toe in an entertaining contest. It took the hosts just two minutes after the restart to restore their lead as Cheick Diabaté rose highest to nod home from a corner after losing Schilte-Brown. However, Killie responded almost immediately through Hugill, who got his league campaign up and running with a poacher’s finish at the near post after Jamie Brandon’s deflected cross found the striker inside the six-yard box. The visitors then edged in front thanks to some excellent play from Nicky Clescenco, who drove into the penalty area before seeing his effort saved by Toby Steward. Jason Holt could do little as the rebound cannoned back off him and into the net, sparking wild celebrations among the healthy travelling support. Killie had chances to extend their advantage but were made to pay. Substitute Louis Lloyd made an immediate impact, getting on the end of a Jamie Gullan free-kick to level the match once again, with Neil McCann’s side continuing to look vulnerable from set pieces. Fellow substitute Kai Fotheringham also caused problems with his pace after coming on and, with 10 minutes remaining, produced a fine solo effort to restore St Johnstone’s lead. Unfortunately for Kilmarnock, they were unable to find another response as the hosts claimed all three points on the opening weekend. Erik Ring He may have only played just over an hour, but the Swede certainly showed there is plenty to work with as the season progresses. Starting at right-back, he once again demonstrated his versatility. He may not have looked entirely comfortable defensively – but it would be harsh to single him out given the struggles across the back line. Going forward, however, he more than showcased his qualities. Direct, athletic and always looking to drive at his man, you can already see exactly why Neil McCann was so keen to bring him to Rugby Park. His role in Killie’s first-half equaliser was a perfect example, with his positive run and dangerous delivery creating the opportunity for Kiltie to score. While he can clearly fill the void at right-back when required, there is little doubt his biggest strengths lie in the final third. He was eventually replaced by the experience of Mark O’Hara, but not before giving the travelling support plenty to get excited about. If this afternoon was anything to go by, Ring looks capable of becoming a real fans’ favourite this season. Here’s what the manager had to say after this afternoon’s defeat… Reaction “We didn’t deserve anything from it. St Johnstone deserved to win because they were better than us today. “We were really poor today. We’re much better than that. “We somehow got ourselves 3-2 up and we did not play enough good football to even merit that. But when you get yourselves in front 3-2 away from home, you shouldn’t lose the game. “I completely disagreed with the decision to award the free-kick. I’ve asked John {Beaton} why he gave it. I thought Jamie Brandon completely won the ball. I think he got a wee toe poke on it and then there was a coming together. That’s going to happen when two players jump in to get the ball. “John’s given a free-kick, but afterwards we don’t deal with it and we’re punished 3-3. Then they get the fourth, which again was a ridiculous goal to lose. “We’re much better than that. We let ourselves down today, we let the club down and we let the fans down.” Performance levels “We just weren’t at it today. I’ve probably got a few things wrong as well, so I’ll need to look at my own performance. I’ll go back and pore over what I did with the team, in terms of tactically. It was a really poor afternoon.” Tyreece John-Jules “He’s got a bit of a sore eye, to be honest. We have to follow all the medical protocols, whether we think it’s concussion or not. “He took a bang around the eye area and was struggling with his vision. Whether that’s just because of the bang around it, or whether it is concussion, we don’t know. We need to follow the guidelines and test him. “We had to take him off. It was a completely accidental collision. I thought the first one he got yellow-carded for as well, he didn’t see the keeper coming. It was very similar. Unfortunately, Tyreece has come off with a sore one and we had to remove him.” Looking ahead “Of course it’s disappointing. You shouldn’t go away from home, score three goals and lose the game. “But that’s football. St Johnstone have come up from the Championship playing good football under Simo and they deserved to win the game. “Without question, it’s full steam ahead to next weekend. My job is to look over where we went wrong today. There’s a lot of looking over in terms of where we need to improve. That’s my job, to look at that and try to put those things right for Celtic next Sunday.”