Highlights - St Johnstone 2-0 Hamilton

Two goals by striker Stevie May earned St Johnstone victory at McDiarmid Park and left Hamilton stuck at the foot of the Scottish Premier League.

May, 18, put the Perth Saints ahead after only four minutes, scoring from Collin Samuel's cut-back.

And right at the start of the second half May added his second when he pounced on a loose ball to fire past Accies keeper Tomas Cerny.

Hamilton were disappointing, rarely threatening Peter Enckelman's goal.

St Johnstone are now on 29 points along with Inverness and Dundee United, though the Tannadice side have played three games fewer than their Tayside rivals.

The result is good news for Hibernian for they would have found themselves propping up the table if Accies had left Perth with three points.

It was a night for the debutants as St Johnstone manager Derek McInnes gave Lithuanian winger Arvydas Novikovas his first start, but the loan player from Hearts was replaced by Alan Maybury at the beginning of the second half.

And Accies boss Billy Reid introduced defender Ziggy Gordon, Mark Carrington, released by MK Dons, and Republic of Ireland Under-23 international James Chambers.

Saints took the lead when Chris Millar's ball down the right flank allowed Samuel to beat the covering Andy Graham with his pace and the Trinidad and Tobago international's cut-back from the bye-line was perfect for May to score from eight yards.

Michael Duberry and Steven Anderson kept Accies strikers Mickael Antoine-Curier and Damian Casalinuovo at bay but the visitors did manage a shot on target in the 30th minute.

However, Antoine-Curier's left-foot effort from the edge of the box trundled towards home keeper Enckelman.

But the Saints goalie struggled with a few first-half corners, flapping at Dougie Imrie's first delivery and relying on Liam Craig to head off the line as Martin Canning's looping header looked set to sneak in at the post.

Imrie's second corner caused more problems but Canning arrived just too late at the edge of the six-yard box to capitalise.

May almost grabbed a second at the other end on the stroke of half-time after superb combination play with Samuel.

Dave Mackay's low ball to the edge of the area was dummied by Samuel but Cerny saved from May with his legs.

Saints went two ahead when sub Maybury's shot from the left was deflected into the path of May and he showed great skill to knock the spinning ball over Cerny with a flick of his right foot.

Twelve minutes into the second half Reid replaced Casalinuovo, Carrington and Chambers with Aaron Wildig, Jon Routledge and debutant Tom Elliott - to try to create the impetus to find a goal.

Accies enjoyed a brief flurry but they still struggled to create any decent chances.

They worked an opening when the towering Elliott knocked on Routledge's free-kick Anderson brilliantly blocked Antoine-Curier's shot on the turn.

Immediately at the other end, Samuel had a shot hacked off the line by David Buchanan after Duberry had nodded down Millar's corner.

As play continued, May was denied his hat-trick when he struck his volley just too close to Cerny.

Anderson produced another crucial block in the 75th minute to prevent Elliott from getting on the end of Antoine-Curier's cross on the break.

But the visitors looked a beaten bunch as St Johnstone finished the match bossing possession.

Mackay spiralled a free-kick over the bar from a promising position with five minutes remaining but it was to be May's double that separated the teams come the full-time whistle.

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