St Johnstone have snatched fourth place in the Scottish Premiership from under the noses of Dundee United on the final day of the season with a 1-0 win at Aberdeen.
The visitors staged the first meaningful attack of the afternoon in the 26th minute after a scrappy start, with Michael O'Halloran shooting inches wide from inside the box.
The Dons responded well and almost took the lead at the other end three minutes later as Cameron Smith gained possession inside the box and forced a save out of Saints goalkeeper Alan Mannus.
It was an evenly-matched first half, but the Dons were unlucky not to take a lead into half time as Mannus denied Jonny Hayes twice in quick succession to keep the deadlock intact.
Saints started the second period brightly and almost gained the upper hand when Steven MacLean's header sailed wide in the 49th minute, but they started living dangerously as time wore on.
Mannus was given plenty to do after the hour mark passed, thwarting Lawrence Shankland and Scott Wright in quick succession before the Saints took the lead in smash-and-grab fashion.
Christopher Kane broke the deadlock for the away side, collecting a pass from Tam Scobbie inside the area before rifling home into the centre of goal.
Saints held out for a narrow victory, a result that rendered Dundee United's 3-0 win over Dundee meaningless as the Perth outfit stole fourth place from the Terrors at the death.
A fourth-placed finish will see St Johnstone qualify for the Europa League providing Inverness Caledonian Thistle defeat Falkirk in the Scottish Cup final next Saturday.
Mark Langshaw
