Sudden nervy times for sole Portsmouth player involved in a promotion hunt this season
The goalkeeper has made 40 appearances for the long-time Scottish Championship table toppers
For one Pompey player, the season has offered a cherished title race and promotion push rather than being embroiled in a demoralising relegation battle.
However, matters are starting to get a little nervy for Toby Steward and his St Johnstone team-mates heading into what should be the glorious finale.
The Scottish Championship leaders have long appeared destined for an end-of-season promotion party, having dominated their division.
At the heart of it is Steward, who has been earning rave reviews for his goalkeeping contributions during an impressive season-long loan from Fratton Park.
With five games remaining, the Saints are three points clear at the summit, with a far superior goal difference compared to their rivals. Certainly a position of strength.
Yet, following successive draws, including coming from behind to claim a point at home against Queen’s Park last weekend, the tension has been ramped up.
One automatic promotion spot up for grabs
With just first place guaranteeing promotion to the Scottish Premiership, and second spot merely earning play-off qualification, suddenly St Johnstone are slightly wobbling, much to the concern of some of their fanbase.
Certainly the ongoing threat posed by Partick Thistle is registering a little alarm at present as the second-placed side maintain their long-running pursuit.
Following the 1-1 draw with Queen’s Park, The Courier’s Eric Nicholson wrote: ‘St Johnstone’s top of the table cushion doesn’t feel very plump all of a sudden.
‘A combination of Partick Thistle rattling off a couple of victories since they faced Saints last Friday night and the Perth side slipping up against Queen’s Park has reduced the gap in the title race from eight to three in the blink of an eye.’
Later in the article, he added: ‘St Johnstone haven’t scored two goals in a league game from open play since December, when they blew away Morton at McDiarmid.
‘Those numbers align with the eye test – Saints aren’t clicking as an attacking unit consistently enough and haven’t been doing so for quite some time.
‘It doesn’t matter what the combination is in the front four, they don’t connect, find space and convert chances like they used to. And they’re still as reliant on Josh McPake as they ever were.’
Nine goals scored in eight games
Simo Valakari’s men have now scored nine goals in their last eight games, with three of those arriving in one fixture against Ayr United.
At the other end of the pitch, the outstanding Steward has kept seven clean sheets in 2026, with Saints having conceded just 23 goals in their 31 league fixtures to date.
The 21-year-old is flourishing in regular league football, having made his Football League debut during an emergency loan with Crawley this time last year, totalling four League One games.
Before that, he had non-league loan spells with Tonbridge Angels, Wealdstone, Gosport, Bognor and Salisbury. Out of contract this summer, Pompey are expected to invoke a 12-month club option.
St Johnstone are next in action at third-placed Arbroath on Saturday, with victory essential if they are to continue holding off Partick Thistle.
‘It’s very close to a 50/50 battle now’
Although, according to Nicholson’s recent article, the promotion race has now become a ‘50-50 battle’.
He wrote: ‘It’s said that the bookmakers don’t usually get things wrong but pricing Saints at 1/5 and Thistle 4/1 to be crowned champions seems behind the curve.
‘You can get longer odds on Partick beating an Ayr side in freefall than on Valakari’s men taking three points at Gayfield – where Arbroath have only lost once since January 2025.
‘We’re not quite in flip of a coin territory but, looking at the respective fixtures and form, it’s very close to a 50-50 battle now in my eyes.’