St Johnstone beat Kilmarnock 4-3 at McDiarmid Park on 2 August 2026, winning a wild Scottish Premiership opener that saw the lead change hands before a late winner settled it.

Kilmarnock came from behind to lead during the match, only for St Johnstone to hit back and take all three points. Kai Fotheringham scored the decisive fourth goal, finishing from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner (Sky Sports).

What makes the scoreline remarkable is the underlying numbers. St Johnstone generated 1.76 expected goals — a metric that measures the quality of chances a team creates — but scored four times from just 15 efforts on goal. In plain terms, they were ruthlessly efficient where most teams would have drawn or lost.

The Scottish Premiership's official results confirm the 4-3 final score in the William Hill Premiership (SPFL). There is a minor discrepancy across SPFL listings: the fixtures page dates the match to Saturday 1 August, while results pages record it as Sunday 2 August. St Johnstone's own website lists 2 August with a 14:00 kick-off.

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari brought on several forwards from the bench during the match, a decision that paid off handsomely as his side found the goals to turn the game around. The win builds on a pre-season that included a 1-1 draw with East Fife on 24 July, which East Fife won 5-4 on penalties (St Johnstone FC).

For Kilmarnock, it was a familiar story. They were the top scorers in the bottom half of the Scottish Premiership last season but also conceded more goals than any team except Livingston (BBC Sport). Their defensive fragility was on display again at McDiarmid Park. They drew 0-0 away to Peterhead in the Premier Sports Cup on 25 July, and this defeat will raise early questions about whether that leakiness has been addressed.

St Johnstone travel to St Mirren on 8 August, kick-off 15:00, before hosting Celtic on 22 August — though that fixture is to be rescheduled. The win over Kilmarnock gives Valakari's side early momentum heading into that stretch.

Seven goals, a comeback, a late winner, and a manager brave enough to throw on attackers when the match was there to be lost. The new Premiership season has opened with a fixture that will take some beating for drama.