St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock 4-3: Scottish Premiership Recap

St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock Headlines a Wild Scottish Premiership Opening Weekend

The 2026/27 Scottish Premiership season is finally here, and if Matchday 1 is any indication, the bottom half of the table might be just as entertaining as the top. On Episode 177 of Tackling the Chicane, the father-son duo break down a St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock classic that nobody saw coming, dig into surprisingly shaky starts from both Celtic and Rangers, and shift gears into IndyCar's return to action at Portland after a brief midseason breather.

If you're searching for who won St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock, how Celtic's title defense opened, why Hearts are already in crisis mode, or what's going on with David Malukas's grid penalty in Portland, this recap has you covered. This was a jam-packed Saturday morning episode — soccer season is back in Scotland, IndyCar is sprinting through a stretch of four races in four weeks, and F1 is on its August shutdown, so there's plenty to unpack even without a Grand Prix on the calendar.

Below, we run through the goals, the storylines, and the racing news from Episode 177, plus a full FAQ section answering the questions Scottish football and IndyCar fans are actually typing into Google this week.

St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock: The Scottish Premiership's Surprise Thriller

Nobody circled St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock as the marquee fixture of Matchday 1, but that's exactly what it became. St Johnstone, freshly promoted under Finnish manager Simo Valakari, held on for a stunning 4-3 win over Kilmarnock in a match that swung wildly in the second half.

Josh Fowler opened the scoring for St Johnstone in the 16th minute, but Kilmarnock leveled through Greg Kilty just before halftime — a half that also saw Kilmarnock's dynamic midfielder John Jules taken off after a brutal head collision with a St Johnstone defender inside the box. He briefly tried to return for the second half but couldn't continue.

Then came the chaos: Diabate put St Johnstone back in front in the 47th minute, only for Kilmarnock to rip off a stunning three-goal swing in six minutes. Hugel equalized from distance in the 49th, and an own goal from St Johnstone made it 3-2 to Kilmarnock by the 53rd minute. St Johnstone answered with an own goal of their own to level things, then Fotheringham struck in the 80th minute for the eventual 4-3 winner, with a Lloyd goal in between chalked off by VAR.

Both teams' defending left plenty to be desired, but if Josh Fowler (goal and assist) and attacking midfielder Jamie Gullan (two assists) keep producing like this, St Johnstone won't be the pushover their promoted status suggests.

Celtic's Laborious 1-0 Win Over Dundee Raises Questions

Celtic's title defense opened with a 1-0 home win over Dundee, Benjamin Nygren scoring the only goal with a 52nd-minute header. On paper, three points is three points. In practice, the hosts describe it as a tough watch — "huffing and puffing towards the finish line" is how the show characterizes it.

The bigger concern is the squad itself. Celtic have lost 16 players this offseason and brought in just two: Danish forward Kasper Høgh and Colombian forward Camilo Durán, who played out of position on the right wing against Dundee. Meanwhile, the club reportedly walked away from a £5 million deal for a German midfielder over a £300,000 gap in valuation — the kind of nickel-and-diming that's become a running theme on the podcast.

With Alistair Johnston reportedly Premier League-bound and more exits possible, the bench options behind Celtic's starting XI look thin — 36-year-old James Forrest and Sebastian Tounekti among them. Martin O'Neill is technically locked in for another year, but the hosts openly wonder whether a genuinely bad season might be the only thing that forces real change at boardroom level. Kilmarnock away on Matchday 2, on their brand-new grass pitch, is shaping up as an early litmus test.

Rangers Draw at Dundee United as Hearts Implode

Rangers spent the summer essentially raiding Hearts — poaching manager Derek McInnes, striker Lawrence Shankland, and midfielder Cammy Devlin — and still couldn't beat Dundee United on Matchday 1, settling for a 1-1 draw. Lachlan Rose's smash-and-grab goal in the 38th minute put Dundee United ahead before Norway World Cup forward Tallon Griekspoor... err, Tobias/Taylor Aasgaard equalized in the 56th. A sluggish, uncreative first half from Rangers raises real doubts about whether the new-look squad is actually clicking yet, despite a genuinely startling volume of summer signings.

Hearts, meanwhile, are in freefall. After heartbreakingly losing the title on the final day last season, they've been battered on every front: a 4-0 and 2-0 aggregate Champions League qualifying exit to Sturm Graz, a 2-1 loss at Aberdeen after conceding twice in stoppage time having led until the 90th minute, and a 6-1 demolition away to Benfica in Europa League qualifying. Their new manager is already under serious pressure heading into a must-win Matchday 2 clash with Dundee United. If you're wondering why Hearts are struggling this season despite a strong finish to last year, the answer is a brutal combination of squad raids, European fatigue, and a manager who hasn't found any answers yet.

IndyCar Returns to Portland: The David Malukas Penalty Explained

After a short midseason break, IndyCar rolls into Portland for the Grand Prix weekend (the show jokingly mislabels it the "Freedom 250," but Portland it is) as part of a brutal stretch of four races in four weeks before the season wraps up in California in early September.

The big pre-weekend story: both David Malukas (car No. 12) and Foyt's Caio Collet (car No. 4) will start Sunday's race with six-place grid penalties after unauthorized engine changes — the result of separate crashes that damaged their original power units. It's a tough break for Malukas, who's been genuinely fast enough this season to challenge Alex Palou, but the hosts note a six-or-seventh-place starting slot isn't the worst outcome on a road course, where the front three rows often turn into a first-corner pileup. Palou, chasing his fourth win in a row and deep into what the show calls "the era of Palou dominance," topped opening practice, though as always in IndyCar, pit strategy could decide everything on Sunday.

Qualifying runs Saturday evening with the Fast 6 shootout, and the race airs Sunday afternoon — a genuine appointment-viewing weekend with F1 fully dark until August 21st.

The IR-28: A First Look at IndyCar's Next-Generation Chassis

Away from Portland, the big long-term IndyCar news is the on-track debut of the IR-28 chassis, tested this week at the Indianapolis road course with Alex Palou among the drivers behind the wheel. The car — arriving for the 2028 season — drew immediate comparisons to a late-model F1 car and, more specifically, a Formula 2 car in side profile, with a far more integrated aero screen than the current car's clearly bolted-on unit.

Beyond looks, the IR-28 promises to be lighter, stronger, and safer, with improved energy storage and deployment systems. It also brings back a virtual position-display concept last seen (and largely abandoned) in late-2010s IndyCar — a nice touch for big oval races where lapped traffic makes it hard to track real running order. Don't expect to see a livery just yet; the test car ran in generic black. But expect a static display car at next year's Indianapolis 500, likely tucked behind the pagoda in Gasoline Alley for anyone willing to look before race-day crowds swarm it.

Key Takeaways

• St Johnstone shocked Kilmarnock 4-3 in a chaotic Matchday 1 opener featuring two own goals, a VAR-disallowed goal, and a scary head injury to Kilmarnock's John Jules.
• Celtic beat Dundee 1-0 but looked laborious doing it, with just two signings all summer against 16 departures — a squad depth problem that's already visible on the bench.
• Rangers drew 1-1 at Dundee United despite a summer spending spree that included poaching Hearts' manager, striker, and midfielder — form hasn't matched the outlay yet.
• Hearts are in genuine crisis, having lost to Sturm Graz, Aberdeen (in stoppage time), and Benfica 6-1, with their new manager already facing a must-win match.
• David Malukas and Caio Collet both take six-place grid penalties for unauthorized engine changes at Portland, though a mid-pack start isn't necessarily fatal on a road course.
• Alex Palou remains the man to beat, topping opening practice at Portland as he chases a fourth consecutive win.
• The IR-28 chassis debuted on track this week, with a more integrated aero screen and a 2028 target date for full-time competition.

Want the full breakdown, including the hosts' new "second team" project for the Scottish Premiership and their thoughts on IndyCar's American street-race experiment in Washington, D.C.? Listen to the full Episode 177 of Tackling the Chicane for all the details and banter you won't find in this recap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership?

St Johnstone won 4-3 at home in a wild Matchday 1 opener that featured three goals in a six-minute span, two own goals, and a goal disallowed by VAR. Josh Fowler and Jamie Gullan were the standout performers for the newly promoted hosts.

How did Celtic do in their 2026/27 Scottish Premiership opener?

Celtic beat Dundee 1-0 at home thanks to a Benjamin Nygren header in the 52nd minute, but the performance was widely described as unconvincing given the club's thin squad depth after losing 16 players and signing only two forwards over the summer.

Why did David Malukas get a grid penalty at the IndyCar Portland race?

David Malukas and Foyt's Caio Collet both received six-place grid penalties for the Portland Grand Prix after taking unauthorized engine changes, a consequence of separate crashes earlier in the season that damaged their original power units.

How did Rangers do against Dundee United on Matchday 1?

Rangers drew 1-1 away to Dundee United despite a summer overhaul that saw them sign Hearts' former manager Derek McInnes, striker Lawrence Shankland, and midfielder Cammy Devlin. Lachlan Rose put Dundee United ahead before Taylor Aasgaard equalized in the 56th minute.

Why are Hearts struggling so badly to start the season?

Hearts have lost to Sturm Graz in Champions League qualifying (4-0 and 2-0), conceded twice in stoppage time to lose 2-1 at Aberdeen, and were beaten 6-1 by Benfica in Europa League qualifying — a brutal run that has already put their new manager under pressure.

What is the IndyCar IR-28 and when will it race?

The IR-28 is IndyCar's next-generation chassis, tested on track for the first time this week ahead of a planned 2028 debut. It features a fully integrated aero screen, improved energy storage and deployment, and a lighter, stronger overall structure compared to the current car.

Conclusion

Matchday 1 of the Scottish Premiership delivered exactly the kind of chaos this show lives for — not from Celtic or Rangers, but from a St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock 4-3 thriller that nobody had marked on their calendar. Add in a shaky Rangers draw, a Hearts side in freefall, and IndyCar barreling into a jam-packed Portland weekend behind a new chassis reveal, and Episode 177 is a genuinely fun listen even with F1 on its summer break.

Catch the full conversation — including the hosts' picks for a "second team" to follow in the Scottish Premiership this season — by streaming Episode 177 wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the Episode

Hear the full breakdown of St Johnstone vs Kilmarnock, Celtic and Rangers' opening results, and all the IndyCar Portland news on Episode 177 of Tackling the Chicane.