St Johnstone came from two goals down to win a six-goal Scottish Championship thriller at Ayr United and move three points clear at the top of the table.
Simo Valakari’s side travelled to Somerset Park without a win in their past three outings and started slowly against a side with promotion ambitions of their own.
Mark McKenzie fired United in front on eight minutes with a fine strike from outside the box and Jamie Murphy double their advantage soon after Ethan Walker raced clear and set up a tap-in.
Scott Brown’s side maintained that advantage until half-time, but half-time substitute Matty Foulds made it 2-1 inside two minutes of the restart, beginning a stirring fightback.
Josh McPake levelled the scores after Ayr goalkeeper Liam Russell failed to deal with an Adama Sidibeh cross from the right.
St Johnstone continued to pile forward in search of a winner and McPake delivered it, poking Sidibeh’s cutback into the roof of the net, before Kai Fotheringham made sure of victory with a fourth in stoppage time.
Partick Thistle can move level on points again when they face Arbroath on Saturday, while Ayr could drop out of the play-off spots if Dunfermline beat Queen’s Park or Greenock Morton beat Airdrieonians by three or more goals.
