Dundee United 1 St Johnstone 2

To arrest the slide, manager Mixu Paatelainen opted for a change of tactics, fielding three centre-halves, which also afforded wing-backs Paul Dixon and Ryan McGowan the licence to attack. The liberated McGowan cracked a shot just wide of Alan Mannus’s goal after 12 minutes while Gavin Gunning, on his hundredth appearance in tangerine, thundered a left-footed free-kick from all of 35 yards just a couple of yards wide on 17 minutes. Five minutes later, John Rankin’s redux effort came even closer, with Mannus scrambling to save the midfielder’s long-range drive.

Having threatened from long-range howitzers, it was a delicately worked move that eventually gave United a deserved lead on 32 minutes. McGowan’s neat pass into Blair Spittal’s feet invited the youngster to return the favour. He did so and McGowan’s fizzed centre was expertly glanced home from eight yards by Billy Mckay. It was a classic striker’s goal, deft and predatory. If Mckay can stay fit, he has the goals in his boots to haul United up the table.

United remain fragile, however, and almost surrendered their lead within 90 seconds. A needlessly conceded free-kick on the edge of the box resulting in St Johnstone skipper Dave Mackay curling a free-kick off the inside of home keeper Michal Szromnik’s right-hand upright.

All United’s fine first-half work was undone in four crazy minutes at the end of the opening period. Firstly, Chris Kane’s run and leap was perfectly timed to meet David Wotherspoon’s corner and send a header high into the home net with two minutes of the half remaining. Then, following penalty-box pinball that featured Saints’ Joe Shaughnessy missing an open net, Steve Maclean cracking the rebound off the post and Murray Davidson somehow bundling the ball home at the second attempt from no more than three yards, the visitors had an unlikely lead.

Perhaps United’s frustration was a mitigating factor behind McGowan’s act of simulation - ’diving’ in old money - that saw the Australian handed a booking by referee Craig Thomson early in the second period.

The game looked to be up for United on 64 minutes, when Rankin got caught on the wrong side of Saints striker Kane and bundled him over just inside the United box. The usually reliable Maclean, however, sent the resulting spot-kick soaring high and not-so-handsome into the gleeful home support.

The hosts attempted to make the most of the reprieve, with Dixon’s deflected effort from 15 yards looping just over the crossbar with 12 minutes remaining. But although United earned a series of corners at the death, and Spittal forced a fine tip-over save from Mannus, they failed to find a late leveller.

“It was an all-round team performance,” reflected a satisfied St Johnstone boss, Tommy Wright, after the match. “We scored at the right time, defended well at the end when they came at us and our keeper has made important saves at key moments.

“It was important we equalised before half-time and to get the second goal was a big bonus.

“They tell me that is a club record for away wins in a row, so that is pleasing, and sitting with 26 points from 15 games speaks well of our players and their character.

“Chris Kane has had to wait for his chance but he scored a good goal and his all-round game improved after that.

“Steve Maclean missed the penalty today but he will keep taking them.”

United boss Paatelainen was left to rue on an afternoon that left him frustrated and encouraged in equal measure. “There was better passing and movement from us and we didn’t deserve to lose,” the Finn insisted. “But we made two bad defensive errors for their goals and that has cost us. Those kind of mistakes are the reason we are where we are.

“If we had scored a second goal when we were so much on top in the first half then it would have been very hard for St Johnstone.”