ST JOHNSTONE might need those passports yet.

This battling, well-merited victory keeps them in contention for the final available Europa League place.

With two games to play, they remain on the shoulders of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, a point behind the third-placed Highlanders. How badly St Johnstone want that European slot be put to the test when they visit Celtic Park next weekend.

A late winning goal for Inverness against Motherwell stopped the Perth team moving above Terry Butcher's side and into third place, but the enthusiasm with which manager Steve Lomas punched the air at full-time, as his players celebrated with similar exuberance in front of a large travelling support, suggested they were pleased with their afternoon's work.

"All credit to Inverness [for winning] but we're still in there fighting," Lomas said. "We just want to take it down to the last day. We know it will be difficult. We have a few walking wounded in there and a big game against Celtic next week. But we're still fighting."

This was a third successive post-split defeat for Dundee United, the only positive news for manager Jackie McNamara arriving in the shape of Johnny Russell's return from injury.

The striker had been out since breaking his leg against Inverness at the end of February but was summoned from the bench early in the second half as his team chased an equaliser.

How many more times Russell will be seen in a United shirt remains to be seen, however, with the striker admitting he would not be averse to a move abroad in the summer should interest in him from Catania, or others, crystallise. He was unable to make an impact here, however, as United toiled.

"I thought we were a bit predictable at times," sighed McNamara, who revealed Sean Dillon will go in for an ankle operation tomorrow. "We didn't ask enough questions of their defence. But we will dust ourselves down and carry on for next week."

In a fairly humdrum, end-of-season affair, it was St Johnstone who possessed the greater edge and they were ultimately deserving of their victory.

Liam Craig was the scorer of the only goal of the game after 38 minutes. The Hibernian-bound midfielder started the move then took his place in the penalty box to collect a pass from Gregory Tade before finishing well past Radoslaw Cierzniak.

United laboured and their already fading aspirations of European football next season have now been killed stone dead. As 19-year-old Luke Johnston made his first start at full-back, two early chances offered optimism but there was little for them to cheer beyond that.

Stuart Armstrong should have done better than hoof a shot into the stand after being teed up by Michael Gardyne in the first minute, while Gary Mackay-Steven failed to add to his YouTube collection of memorable clips when he fluffed his shot after Armstrong had picked him out in the box.

Beyond that there was little for the home side to get excited about and St Johnstone looked the team more likely to score again. They thought they had added a second midway the second half when Rowan Vine's bobbling shot seemed destined for the far corner, only for Cierzniak to get a hand to it and push it around the post.

Steven MacLean was then denied by a fine close-range save by the goalkeeper with Tade rather brutally lashing the rebound high over the crossbar. It mattered little in the end as St Johnstone coasted to a precious win.