St Johnstone vs Hibernian; Scottish Premiership
St Johnstone vs Hibernian. Scottish Premiership.
McDiarmid Park.
St Johnstone 2-1 Hibs: Josh Fowler scores twice as St Johnstone leapfrog opponents in table
Report as Josh Fowler scored two goals for St Johnstone in a 2-1 victory against Hibernian; Nathan Lowe was on target for the visitors
Sunday 6 September 2026 20:07, UK
Josh Fowler's first-half double secured St Johnstone a 2-1 win over Hibernian and moved them above their opponents in the table.
Fowler netted from close range on 16 minutes then slotted home a penalty after Nathan Lowe had levelled for Hibs to secure Saints' second win of the campaign.
The visitors were the better team in the second period but Simo Valakari's team held on for a 2-1 success to move into seventh spot.
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Fowler, who scored a late equaliser off the bench in midweek at Dundee, fully justified his return to the starting line-up.
The striker scored with the first chance of the contest. Hibs backed off Jason Holt, permitting the Perth captain to reach the 18-yard box and play in Taylor Steven, whose low cross took a nick off the heel of Adam Mayor and landed with Fowler at the back post.
The striker did well to adjust to the deflection and tuck a right-footed finish past Raphael Sallinger.
That good work was undone on 29 minutes by a slack Reece McAlear pass in the centre of the park. Miguel Chaiwa sent Lowe sprinting clear and the on-loan Stoke forward placed a low shot between Toby Steward and his right-hand post.
Saints did well to shrug that mishap off and deservedly retook the lead four minutes from half-time.
Bosnian full-back Enes Alic drove into the penalty box and was nudged over by Martin Boyle. Fowler buried his fourth Premiership goal of the campaign to the bottom right, sending Sallinger the wrong way.
Fowler twice came close to a hat-trick early in the second period, before his 72nd-minute withdrawal.
But it was Hibs who looked most likely to score for large parts of the half.
Kanayo Megwa, who replaced injured Grant Hanley on the hour, met a corner with a powerful back-post header but Steward conjured a brilliant one-handed stop on his line.
Saints brought on Matty Todd and reverted to a back five to see off the threat, although there were some frantic moments of defending.
The hosts were grateful when sub Thibault Klidje struck a good chance off his own man Ante Suto.
Alic forced Sallinger into a fine save as Saints menaced on the break but Valakari's men did enough to see out victory and condemn Hibs to back-to-back defeats.
What the managers said...
St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari:
"It was a good win and an important win. I think there was everything across the 90 minutes.
"In the first half we played some excellent football, progressing our passes and were very solid.
"In the second half we had to show the other side of our game - this grittiness and readiness to put our bodies on the line and block shots. And Toby (Steward) had to make a couple of big saves.
"Josh is showing that he can score goals at this level. I have never doubted that - and Josh himself never doubted that. Of course, strikers live for goals and when you score them you get so much confidence."
Hibs boss David Gray:
"The biggest thing for me is the manner in which the first half went for us - again.
"It was summed up in the way we conceded the two goals. So, a lack of desire to stop somebody advancing past you, gambling in the box, guessing in the box.
"Then a needless penalty that we give away. They were poor goals. But the players went to the end and we created a few chances.
"But I certainly can't sit here and say we deserved to win the game. Back-to-back defeats is tough to take. And, understandably so, criticism will be there."
