Monday, McDiarmid Park, 7.45pm, live on Sky Sports 1
Please note: Match postponed (fog).
STEVE LOMAS takes charge of St Johnstone for the first time tonight as the club try to fill the big shoes of Derek McInnes.
The Irishman is pretty much a coaching novice but then so was McInnes and Owen Coyle before him and they brought success to the Perth club.
Lomas will be hoping new manager syndrome kicks in – and the club also have a new chairman is Steve Brown – so it's a big night for the McDiarmid Park club as they welcome Aberdeen.
The former West Ham reserve boss isn't taking over a struggling outfit but one McInnes lifted to fourth in the SPL. However, the superb way he's started at Bristol City suggests much of the success could be attributed to his undoubted managerial talent.
So can Saints step from his shadow and do the new boss proud? I reckon the home side will edge it against a Dons outfit who haven't travelled well this season.
Craig Brown's men have won their last two at home in convincing style but on the road it's a different story with only one point and one goal in six outings.
Saints haven't netted in two games since McInnes left, losing 1-0 and drawing 0-0, so this suggests a game of unders.
Under 2.5 goals pays 4-6 at Ladbrokes and Paddy Power while an edgy 1-0 home win is 7-1 at Ladbrokes. And no scorer at 9-1 with Ladbrokes might not be the daftest bet of the night. No to both teams to score pays 1-1 with Paddy Power.
Saints are a best 7-5 at Chandler with the Dons 12-5 at boylesports and the draw 23-10 at Ladbrokes.
Aberdeen are without banned striker Rory Fallon and have a doubt over Scott Vernon. That makes Darren Mackie their most likely scorer at 8-1 with William Hill.
The Pittodrie man will be hoping fans can read all about his success and forget all the furore over his “My favourite book is Lord of the Rings but I've only watched the film.” To be fair he's one up on me as I haven't seen the film or read the JR Tolkien's classic. Maybe one year!
Anyway I digress. If Mackie's Dons' biggest threat Saints will be looking to twin hitmen Fran Sandaza and Cillian Sheridan to nick.
Sandaza is 6-1 with Coral to score first and Sheridan the same price at bet365 and Ladbrokes.
Recommendations
Under 2.5 goals
(4-6, Paddy Power)
First goal time after 31 mins
(23-20, William Hill)
Saints 1, Dons 0
(7-1, Ladbrokes)
In December 2020 we sadly 
