Can St Johnstone seal Championship title in BBC live broadcast?

St Johnstone stand two points from securing the Scottish Championship title and promotion with two games remaining.

Title race nears finish line For many months now, observers have anticipated St Johnstone’s inevitable Championship title triumph after their commanding start to the season under Simo Valakari. The Perth club have held the top spot since their emphatic season-opening 5-1 victory over Partick Thistle on 2 August. Though Thistle emerged as their only meaningful rivals with consistent challenges, a late equaliser for Airdrieonians against Glasgow side on Saturday moved Saints within two points of promotion back to the top flight just one year after relegation. Their chance to clinch the crown could arrive live on air on Tuesday when they face Dunfermline Athletic in a rescheduled fixture. ## Promotion hopefuls and strugglers Before the campaign began, St Johnstone and Ross County were widely tipped as the two favourites for an instant return to the Premiership given their retained Premiership-quality squads. County’s campaign, however, has been far from straightforward. While St Johnstone have powered forward, County have slumped toward the bottom, languishing one point behind Airdrieonians at the foot of the table with only two fixtures remaining. Despite dismissing managers Don Cowie and Tony Docherty and reinstalling Stuart Kettlewell, County risk mirroring Hamilton Academical’s fate from the prior season by suffering back-to-back relegations. St Johnstone, conversely, appear to have been validated for their continued trust in Valakari. ## Manager’s rocky road to success Valakari arrived as a potential saviour after Craig Levein was dismissed when Saints sat tenth of twelve clubs just five games into last season, yet his early pledge to “create something special” coincided with a bottom-place finish five points behind County and four further adrift of Dundee. Though his attractive, fan-focused football philosophy drew praise, initial results lagged behind. American owner Adam Webb remained steadfast, refusing to “break the bank” to escape relegation and prioritising long-term sustainability. By November, with Saints now in the Championship, Webb declared they had managed to “weather the storm” without emergency funding. By January, the club honoured Valakari’s methods by branding him the “UK’s most beloved coach” and even released a custom beer in his honour. ## Partick Thistle’s near-miss chase Partick Thistle’s title challenge has been defined by narrow margins and missed opportunities after losing key talents like Makenzie Kirk to Portsmouth and Benjamin Kimpioka to Sivasspor, plus the release of veteran players. Despite these losses, Saints recruited several experienced Championship performers in the summer and stormed through their first seven league games unbeaten. Thistle temporarily closed to within three points by October thanks to goalless draws and a Cove Rangers Scottish Cup upset over St Johnstone. A 2-1 loss at Firhill in November and another 2-1 home defeat to Cove in the cup looked to derail Saints’ momentum, but Valakari’s side stabilized while Thistle failed to capitalize on subsequent draws in December and February. ## Revelations and reinforcements Josh McPake has been the standout performer under Valakari, scoring seventeen of his nineteen goals by late February after arriving from fourth-tier Stirling Albion, earning a summer move to Heart of Midlothian. January signings Josh Fowler, Alfredo Agyeman, and Ruari Paton added crucial firepower as St Johnstone built a superior goal difference. Unsurprisingly, six Saints players have been named to the PFA Scotland Championship Team of the Year, double the tally of Thistle. Title-winning medals now appear inevitable, whether clinched at East End Park on Tuesday or before season’s end. ## Dunfermline’s double challenge Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline have remained in close pursuit all season, stringing together seven consecutive matches without defeat and twelve in the league overall. Their recent Scottish Cup semi-final penalty shootout victory over Falkirk concluded a physically and emotionally demanding weekend, raising questions about the impact on their league outing against St Johnstone. The Pars will welcome a rousing home reception as they target promotion play-off places, especially after Arbroath’s three-goal swing into third place. Organizers have even arranged extra seating to accommodate the expected traveling support. The upcoming clash marks the latest chapter in a tight season series that saw St Johnstone win 2-1 at home in September and settle for a 2-2 draw in Dunfermline the following November.