Dundee United created three Premiership to win in a row with a narrow 1-0 victory over St Johnstone in Tannadice.
The defender Emmanuel Adegboyega was a home hero with the only goal of the game in the first half.
The victory raised horrors to the fourth place over Aberdeen, who plays on Sunday, while Saints, who secured an unforgettable victory over Celtic last week, remain a day.
Trůzy made two changes in the team that defeated Hearts in Tynecastle last week with Allan Campbel and Louis Moult who dropped to the bench to be replaced by Wingers Kristijan Trapanovski and Glenn Middleton.
The saints made one improvement to the side that beat the hoops when Barry Douglas replaced the injured Drey Wright.
After even opening, the hosts threatened for the first time in the eighth minute, when Middleton Teed UP took on the edge of the box and hit a wild shot that only wide goalkeeper St Johnstone Andy Fisher flew in the right position.
This was a rare opening, and both sides were difficult to carve other clear opportunities.
Meldok, however, was finally interrupted by United in the 25th minute. Ferry released the corner from the right and Sam Dalby played the ball back through the goal to Adegboyeg and fired home from a near range.
The saints would be angry because the corner was unnecessarily distributed.
St Johnstone finally had a first look at the goal when Stephen Duke-McKenna found space inside the Dundee United box, but his curling effort was just behind Jack Walton’s home.
The saints improved after the break and had a chance when Makenzie Kirk ran half of the line to the edge of the home box, but his low shot sailed wide.
Home Defender Declan Gallagher had a chance on the corner, with Fisher he had to pull out a major storage to prevent the defender.
The saints tried to threaten, but Adam Sideh approached Josh McCpake Cross, who only flew wide.
Gallagher then had another opportunity from a free kick of Ryan when he found himself with time and space inside the Saints box, but could only direct the head of the bullets.
Pendulum turned St Johnstone’s journey again when McCPake saw how he had deviated around the post for a long time before the United had handed over an excellent chance to double his advantage when Luca Stephenson chose Moulta with restrictions, but a surrogate striker was well stored by Fisher.
McCPake had another chance deep until the time of stopping, but again it was diverted before another Sub Benji Kimpika fired his thumbs wide.
What the managers said …
DUNDEE UNITED boss Jim Goodwin: “It would be nice one day to be 3-0 up and relax and enjoy the game. We had to crush three 1-0 victories against a really difficult opposition.
“There was a lot of rides for both teams and we knew the saints would be a really tough team.
“We are hard to fight to keep the pace against HIBS and Aberdeen for European places and it is nice to get the result that on tomorrow’s two teams put pressure on these two teams.
“There is a great confidence in the group now, but today it could be a little more comfortable than what it was.
“I think it’s our seventh or eighth victory 1-0. We would like to be a little more fun, but there are two sides in the game.”
St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari: “We played well. We introduced the show.
“We knew it would be very tight. We thought it would be a game with a few chances.
“The first half was very evenly aligned. Yes, we can be disappointed and we are disappointed by how we lost the goal. Not the defense of the set-piece because these things can happen but as we admit the corner.
“But the show, the fight is there, everything is there. Now, five games to go. We would like to be closer to our opponents? Yes, but we couldn’t get there.
“It’s five games now. We’ll see where we’re going.”
