Simo Valakari's St Johnstone beat Kilmarnock 4-3 in an opening-weekend Premiership thriller.

Sportscene highlights: St Johnstone 4-3 Kilmarnock

"I cannot see this St Johnstone team doing much." That was the statement made by Sky Sports pundit Kris Boyd before kick-off in Sunday's season opener for the Perth club and Kilmarnock. In fairness to the former Killie striker, no one expected what was to come. Ninety breathless minutes of football later, seven goals had been scored, the lead had changed hands twice and crucially, Simo Valakari's side had all three points.

Was it a surprise? They were Scottish Championship winners at a canter, while Kilmarnock only scored twice in the League Cup group stage. However, Neil McCann's men also kept four clean sheets while the Saints had crashed out after a loss to Inverness and a draw with East Fife.

So just how did these two sides produce what BBC Sportsound pundit Allan Preston hailed as "an early contender for game of the season"? St Johnstone edge out Kilmarnock in seven-goal epic.

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Memories are short in football. Last season Valakari led his side to an immediate top-flight return, scoring 14 goals more than any other Championship team. Of the five top scorers in the league, three belonged to St Johnstone.

But there was an indication pre-match the Finn would modify his style. "How we played last year was the best way to win the Championship... we do not want to be a naive, romantic team who plays nice football and loses matches," he told BBC Scotland. "We need to be solid and streetwise."

And after their League Cup exit, St Johnstone fans had concerns heading into the league campaign. There's been eight summer signings, three of whom were previous loans turned permanent, and some frustration that Valakari hasn't been busier.

Yet from the off against Kilmarnock, St Johnstone hunted in packs and poured forward - mainly down the left where Ruari Paton and Jamie Gullan combined. It was that pair who linked up to cut back for Josh Fowler, the striker opening the scoring with a Premiership goal just four years after playing for Beith Juniors.

Saints were on top for much of the game, but were twice pegged back and then somehow found themselves 3-2 down. Their response was helped by a manager who chucked on three attacking subs and hooked his central midfielders as soon as they went behind. Such boldness was rewarded with a Jason Holt own goal and Kai Fotheringham's fiercely-struck winner.

All that speaks to a side used to fighting tooth and nail for all three points and getting their own way. Perhaps that's why Valakari has trusted in those who got them back to the Premiership promised land.

"I know there has a been a lot of talk, outside noise, where we are with [the squad]," said Valakari. "We are not getting carried away, we know where we are and what we need to improve. There might be some suffering in front of us."

This video can not be played. Valakari reacts to Kilmarnock thriller.

McCann and his assistant Billy Dodds were praised last season for turning around a sinking Kilmarnock ship and keeping them afloat. If this showing is anything to go by, they're facing a similarly difficult task.

Scoring was never an issue last season. They were the top scorers in the bottom half. It was at the back they were shaky - only Livingston conceded more - and that haunted them again in Perth. Yes, they did well to come from behind to lead. But St Johnstone only created 1.76 xG and still managed to score four goals. They were not particularly clinical either, having 15 efforts on goal.

The reality is the goals were soft, in particular the second that Cheick Diabate scored from a corner. All this combines to a fantastic game for the neutral.

"It was breathtaking, to be honest," said Preston on Sportsound. "If we can better this in the next 37 weeks, we're going to have some season. It was brilliant.

Kilmarnock were never in it in the first half, and lucky to be level at the break. Then they go ahead, incredibly. All credit to Simo Valakari, he chucks on as many forwards as he's got on the bench. They just ground it out and it was a brilliant result. 4-3 flatters Kilmarnock to be honest, they didn't play well at all.

Sometimes managers can save face after such results, dancing around the truth to make it sound closer than it really was. McCann was in no such mood.

"I didn't find it entertaining whatsoever," he said after the game, straight-faced. "We got exactly what we deserved from the game - nothing. We let ourselves down, the club down, the fans down."

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