St Johnstone 3 St Mirren 0: New signing Nicky Clark on the scoresheet as Saints run out comfortable winners

New signings impressed as St Johnstone picked up three points against St Mirren.

Experienced forward Nicky Clark, making his debut for the club, found the back of the net in the first half with a delightful piece of play before Drey Wright added another on 66 minutes.

Connor McLennan then came off the bench to win a late penalty which was beautifully dispatched by Graham Carey for number three.

Clark, who had arrived earlier in the week, was partnering Stevie May in the forward department.

He’d had little to work off in the opening exchanges but on 26 minutes showed exactly why he was brought to the club.

May had done well to nod back across goal towards the back post where Clark, showing sublime composure, killed the ball on his chest before lifting high into the net beyond Trevor Carson.

It was the kind of finish - and link-up - that has been missing and there was something simplistically pleasing about watching two strikers playing up beside each other.

Earlier St Mirren had seen plenty of the ball and had worked a couple of promising openings without producing the final piece of quality.

The Buddies would later apply pressure early in the second half but, again, goalkeeper Remi Matthews had not been called into serious action.

In a rare home chance after the break, captain Melker Hallberg curled a left-footed strike narrowly over the crossbar before, up the other end, Jonah Ayunga also sent an attempt just too high.

Callum Davidson’s side had soaked up a lot of pressure but the Perth manager was soon jumping for joy again when Saints doubled their advantage.

May and Adam Montgomery were the architects, the latter picking the perfect moment to slide across the box for Wright to slam high into the top corner with 66