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Devlin with glancing header from a corner, sweet finish from Mc Grath Late own goal from Molloy gave St Johnstone hope St Johnstone rename main stand after Geoff Brown, with new owner Adam Webb in attendance Jimmy Thelin's first Scottish Premiership match as Aberdeen manager Amy Canavan St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) St Johnstone manager Craig Levein talks to BBC Scotland about Geoff Brown: "I've been at football clubs for 25 years and I'm fed up, so I don't know how he's done it! St Johnstone have a lot to be grateful for. "He's been very supportive, even the way he's handled moving the club has been diligent. He's making sure they're the right people for St Johnstone and I'm sure he'll still come along to the games. He's got an opinion for sure. "I'm hopeful we've got it right. At the end of pre-season you look at who's performed well and I've been reasonably happy. Some of the new players have settled in quickly. "Aberdeen are in good form. We're going with two up top tonight, they're doing the same. Hopefully it's an attacking match with plenty of chances. " St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Reckon it's about time we hear from the managers, eh? St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Jimmy Thelin makes just one change from the side who started against Dumbarton last weekend in the League Cup. As mentioned, Bojan Miovski is back leading the line for Aberdeen tonight. It's his first start under the Swede. Dimitar Mitov returns to Mc Diarmid Park, too. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Craig Levein has made two changes to the side who swatted aside East Fife in their final Premier Sports Cup group-stage game last week. Defender Lewis Neilson is in for his first start since joining the club on-loan from Hearts this season. Aaron Essel, 18, comes back into the side after missing the East Fife game through suspension following his red card against Alloa Athletic. The pair are among five league debutants. Daniel Keltjens and Graham Carey are the pair to drop out. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) If you're after goals tonight, here's maybe not the place to be. Only once in the last 21 meetings has this head-to-head produced more than two goals. Frightening, eh? Here's hoping the glitz and glamour of it being a curtain-raiser will help the cause. .. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Kyle Cameron will lead St Johnstone out tonight on his Premiership debut. The centre-half was handed the captaincy on his arrival at the club from Notts County on-loan in the summer. The former Scotland youth international is hoping to bring "a fresh outlook" to the Perthshire side as well as a "positive mindset". St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) One man who definitely won't be in action tonight is Leighton Clarkson. It was confirmed last week the 22-year-old will be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a shoulder injury he sustained in a League Cup match with Dumbarton. Manager Jimmy Thelin said he "felt sorry" for Clarkson after starting the season "really well". St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Last week, my colleague Clive Lindsay picked Premiership 'ones to watch' from each side. For the Dons, he opted for Sivert Heltne Nilsen. Here's why. .. Among Jimmy Thelin's first acts as new Aberdeen manager was to recruit Sivert Heltne Nilsen, with whom he worked at Elfsborg, from last year's Norwegian championship runners-up Brann while talking up the defensive midfielder's leadership qualities. Nilsen's last act for Brann was to be sent off after 10 minutes of a 5-1 thrashing by leaders Bodo/Glimt and early observations from Dons observers was that he is not the most mobile of operators. However, his mere presence has given fellow 32-year-old Graeme Shinnie the freedom to transform himself into a goalscoring and goal-creating midfield dynamo. Read Clive's full piece here. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) On paper Aberdeen's League Cup group-stage appeared a walk in the park. But football isn't played on paper. Against East Kilbride, Airdrieonians and Dumbarton, the Dons were slow out the blocks. In the latter two, the players were booed of the park at the break, but they promptly turned to cheers at Pittodrie. We'll probably never know what Jimmy Thelin said in his team-talk at the interval, but so far, it's working. Maybe a few Aberdeen fans would like it pre-match, though. Better for the ticker. .. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) After signing in January, Benji Kimpioka netted three goals for St Johnstone last season. The 24-year-old has scored five goals in his last three games in the League Cup. A scintillating start to the season. Benji Kimpioka bagged braces against East Fife and Morton, sandwiched by a goal against Alloa St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Cut the start of the season chat, this pair are well into the groove after their respective League Cup campaigns. Despite suffering a surprise defeat to League 1 Alloa Athletic - a performance Craig Levein labelled "terrible"- St Johnstone still topped their group after a 5-1 win against East Fife, to set up a last 16 tie away to Rangers. Aberdeen also finished top of the pile in Group A. They recorded four wins from four and scored 15 goals in the process. That meant the Dons were seeded in the draw and now have a home tie to Championship side Queen's Park to look forward to. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Plenty more memories and moments dedicated to Geoff Brown in a bit, but for now, back to the build-up. .. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Allan Preston Former St Johnstone defender on BBC Sportsound Geoff Brown is a remarkable man. I've known him for 30 years, this guy gave half his life to St Johnstone and never once has this club been in a penny of debt. A finer custodian of a football club in Scotland in my life time, I will argue until I'm blue in the face that Geoff Brown is number one. An incredible man who deserves everything he is going to get tonight. The people of Perth are turning up for him tonight. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) And what might those issues be? Adam Webb is weighing up the best approach to hosting Celtic and Rangers and the American is horrified by regulations prohibiting the sale of alcohol at games. "The Old Firm sort of take over and there is some colourful

conduct, shall we say, from some of those fans, " he said. "It really alienates our home

fans and so they tend to avoid the game. "It’s a thorny issue. Do we want to sell tickets to these

clubs or do we want our fans to feel comfortable. " He calls the no booze rules “unacceptable”, saying: "We have to change those. Tonight

we play Aberdeen and there’s no reason why our fans and their fans shouldn’t be

able to have a beer. " St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) New Saints owner Adam Webb insists he is going to lean on Geoff Brown's considerable experience. "He's not a big talker but when he does say something you should

listen, " said Webb of his predecessor. "At some clubs, life president is an honorary role, here it’s

a working commitment. He has agreed to take my calls and to help me work

through all the difficult issues that we have ahead. " Webb told BBC Scotland, he feels like he’s "stepping into something magical" at St Johnstone. "I’ve only been here a few months and already I feel like I

bleed Saints’ blue, " he said. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) "Geoff's contribution to St Johnstone over 38 years has been nothing short of heroic, " said new owner Adam Webb. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Maybe the most famous former Saintee of them all, Sir Alex Ferguson, has also been paying tribute to Geoff Brown. The great man spent four seasons in Perth and had this to say the other day. "I wish Geoff had been at St Johnstone when I was there as he did an incredible job in maintaining the club and its reputation and ensured that the club was recognised as one of the really good clubs in Scotland. " St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Tonight, St Johnstone pay tribute to Geoff Brown, with fans being asked to be in their seats by 19: 30 for a special pre-match celebration. The former owner is to become life president of the club, while the main stand at Mc Diarmid Park will be renamed the Geoff Brown Stand. Brown, now 81, became the majority shareholder way back in 1986 when Saints were in the third tier, playing at a ramshackle Muirton Park. St Johnstone v Aberdeen (20: 00) Before a ball is kicked tonight, there's plenty going on at Mc Diarmid Park. And it's all for this man. This video can not be played Aberdeen beat St Johnstone in Jimmy Thelin's Scottish Premiership bow Jimmy Thelin's first league match as Aberdeen manager ended in victory as the Dons spoiled Geoff Brown's St Johnstone farewell party at Mc Diarmid Park. Thelin became the first Aberdeen boss to win his first five games in charge as goals from Nicky Devlin and Jamie Mc Grath saw off the Saints, although there was a scare after Gavin Molloy's late own goal. Despite the narrow scoreline, Aberdeen deserved all three points as they dominated large spells of the game, driving forward in waves of attack against a shaky home defence. Brown agreed to sell St Johnstone to American businessman Adam Webb in May and he was honoured before kick-off in front of a full stadium. As it happened & reaction from Mc Diarmid Park Subscribe to St Johnstone updates Follow Aberdeen news and analysis While Aberdeen were buoyed by the return of Bojan Miovski, who only made one substitute appearance during the League Cup group stage, St Johnstone boss Craig Levein admitted he was only "reasonably happy" with how the summer has gone. He would have been happier had Lewis Neilson hit the target with his header from three yards out. Instead, the on-loan Hearts defender put it wide. Aberdeen fired a warning shot when Ester Sokler got in behind, rounded the keeper and tucked home. The flag went up to save St Johnstone, but they were under the cosh. Miovski had a shot blocked well in the box before he rattled the crossbar from 25 yards. Sokler had one saved at close range by Josh Rae. A minute later, the Dons hit the front. Devlin was the man to make the breakthrough, rising high to glance home a header. St Johnstone did create a few chances, with Benjamin Kimpioka the man on the end of most of them. His dipping half-volley flew just over the bar. The Dons' second goal was all about the assist from Sivert Heltne Nilsen, a surgical pass that bisected the defence and presented a golden chance to Mc Grath, with the unmarked Irishman sliding the ball in. Mc Grath is canny at creating, too. He whipped in a delightful cross that new signing Molloy almost headed in, with the ball drifting just the wrong side of the post. There was time for a nervy ending. Makenzie Kirk - son of Saints assistant Andy - was introduced and immediately blasted in a low shot that cannoned off Molloy and past a helpless Dimitar Mitov. The young striker then had hearts in mouths when he got on the end of Matt Smith's fantastic link-up, but could only blast straight at Mitov. Nicky Devlin heads Aberdeen into a first-half lead The 'new manager bounce' is certainly a phenomenon, but pinning Aberdeen's victory on the aforementioned affect would be unfair. The Dons looked assured tactically, carrying out their roles confidently and largely with aplomb. Thelin's Elfsborg team were known for their direct approach and he has imprinted that style on Aberdeen quickly. It is not quite 'hoofball' though, instead picking their moments quite deliberately to launch it long. So the manager has bedded in quickly, but can the new players? Heltne Nilsen looks to have added much-needed grit to the midfield, while Molloy and Mitov were largely untested for most of the night. Things could have been far more comfortable had they been a little more clinical, but the game management was there to see it out. It has been 233 long days since the Saints won a league match in Perth. 16 December 2023 was the date. A 1-0 win over Hibs was the scoreline. Graham Carey the goalscorer. Many have named St Johnstone as relegation candidates. We are a fair distance out but if you cannot win at home, you are going to be in real trouble. Traditionally, the Saints' problem has been scoring goals but, worryingly, they looked far better in attack than defence this evening. Kimpioka was unlucky not to get his name on the scoresheet, while young Kirk offered real flair during his late cameo. This video can not be played Aberdeen: Manager Jimmy Thelin impressed after Premiership bow Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin: "The first half we have more control. Second half, St Johnstone did well and put pressure on us, but we defended well. We didn't get as many shots on goal but it was team effort, how we protected each other and fought all the way to the end for the three points. " St Johnstone manager Craig Levein: "I thought it was competitive, we got loads of crosses into the box and we had some really good chances. We got one, but we just couldn't get the other. " This video can not be played St Johnstone 'have set the bar in performance' - Craig Levein Last Updated 5th August 2024 at 22: 01 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Craig Levein Formation: 4 - 4 - 2 Manager: Jimmy Thelin Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Premiership All competitions All competitions All competitions St. Johnstone last faced Aberdeen on MD1 of a league season in 2016-17, drawing 0-0. Aberdeen have only lost one of their last 14 league trips to St. Johnstone (W8 D5), going down 1-0 in May 2022. St. Johnstone are winless on MD1 in each of the previous six league seasons (D2 L4) since a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock in 2017-18. When opening their league season away from home, Aberdeen have only won one of their last nine such games (D4 L4), beating Dundee United 1-0 in 2015-16. Since the Scottish Premiership began in 2013, this will be just the second MD1 fixture played on a Monday, after Ross County’s 1-0 win over Motherwell in 2020-21. © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.