Makenzie Kirk rediscovered his scoring touch with a second-half winner to give St Johnstone’s survival bid a massive boost with a 1-0 victory over Ross County.
Kirk netted on the rebound after 66 minutes as Saints closed the gap on Dundee at the bottom of the William Hill Premiership to just three points.
The 1-0 margin of victory would have been greater if not for three excellent Jordan Amissah saves.
But Saints will be thrilled to take momentum into a huge showdown at Dundee on Saturday.
Saints manager Simo Valakari had been dealt a huge pre-match blow with influential centre half Bozo Mikulic ruled out for the season with an ACL injury suffered in training.
The Croatian, set for nine months out, was replaced by Zach Mitchell.
Fellow loanee Stephen Duke-McKenna also made his first start after eye-catching substitute outings.
Both deadline day signings were superb at either end of the pitch while County failed to show the form that had previously put them into top-six contention.
County had arrived in Perth with an unchanged team for the third game in a row.
They took too long to settle as Saints dominated the ball and bossed the first half.
On 11 minutes, Duke-McKenna was first to be denied by the excellence of keeper Amissah.
McKenna’s 25-yard free-kick was sailing into the top corner of the net before Amissah pawed clear from his line.
The ex-Sheffield United goalkeeper then topped that with a stunning save from current Blades loanee Sam Curtis a minute before half-time.
The teenage defender looked like rounding off a superb Saints move with a diving header from Jonathan Svedberg’s delivery.
Curtis, denied by Craig Gordon’s genius in defeat to Hearts on Sunday, suffered once again from six yards out as Amissah hurled himself right to force away.
In a bright start to the second half by the visitors, Connor Randall went close and Elijah Campbell headed straight at Andy Fisher.
However, Saints resumed control quickly and earned a breakthrough with a move started by veteran sub Graham Carey.
Kirk took over and tried to play in Duke-McKenna. Akil Wright botched his effort to intercept by tripping and gifting Duke-McKenna a passage to goal.
The Harrogate loanee saw his shot saved but Kirk’s reactions were rapid and he buried his eighth goal of the season, ending a five-match run without scoring.
Duke-McKenna and Nicky Clark came close to doubling the lead and County only posed a serious threat on 89 minutes.
Nohan Kenneh struck a powerful low drive from just inside the box and there was huge relief for the home fans as Fisher did well to make a clean save.
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