Saints kids on High as pre-season kicks off
CRAIG LEVEIN’S young Perth prospects stepped up to score as St Johnstone coasted to victory.
Jackson Mylchreest, 17, and Liam Parker netted in the first half before Levein made nine half-time subs.
One of those, 19-year-old Taylor Steven, restored the two-goal cushion after Andrew Greig pulled one back for the Highlanders.
Sam McClelland, David Keltjens and Stevie May then added three late goals.
Levein will continue to use his full squad depth when rounding off the first weekend of build-up action at Huntly today.
Goalkeeper Josh Rae, centre-back Jack Sanders and forward Josh McPake all impressed on their 45-minute debuts.
Graham Carey took over the captain’s armband, joining Matt Smith in central-midfield.
Levein has wasted no time putting his squad through pre-season paces as they’re nearly two weeks into training.
Saints were lively and Adama Sidibeh, who featured for Gambia at the end of last season, looked sharp.
He shrugged off a sore one in six minutes from Fraser Dingwall to spark for the opener on 24 minutes.
His great run and cross from the right found Mylchreest to thump in.
Saints doubled the lead when McPake’s trickery won a free-kick, taken short by Carey before Smith’s fine delivery into the box saw defender Parker glance in.
Sven Sprangler, who missed the last two months of the season, made his return from a knee injury.
Greig, also on comeback after a year out, lashed in another for Saints before Steven tapped in a third and McClelland, Keltjens and May wrapped it up.
(3pm, unless stated) Euro 2024 Rnd of 16 – Switzerland v Italy (5.0), Germany v Denmark (8.0)
Friendly – Arbroath v Dundee, CSS v Stenhousemuir (2.0), Emley v Huddersfield, Formartine v Peterhead, Morton v Queen of South.