The drenched few who made the trek from Perth saw St Johnstone's UEFA Cup hopes set sail at a rain-lashed Tannadice Park tonight.

On a night more suited to the nearby HMS Discovery, 10-man Saints grabbed maximum points to sink Dundee United's hopes of an early end to their relegation battle.

Daniel Griffin proved to be St Johnstone's match-winner, curling home a superb free-kick three minutes before the break as the sides struggled to cope with a pitch which had standing water on it before the start and steadily got worse.

As if the conditions weren't enough to deal with, the visitors also had to play most of the second period with 10 men after a dual moment of madness from Nathan Lowndes.

The young striker had looked the most composed man on the boggy park during the opening period, then had the mental aberration managers have nightmares about.

First Lowndes stupidly kicked the ball away after escaping a desperate lunge on Magnus Skoldmark with just a lecture.

Then, the yellow card barely having time to touch the insides of referee Mike McCurry's pocket, it was produced again as Skoldmark became the victim of Lowndes' crude, high challenge.

It left Saints hanging on for a victory that takes them within four points of third-placed Kilmarnock and kept United in the thick of the battle to avoid the drop.

The rain was still pelting down as the teams took the field and continued for the entire 90 minutes.

Saints suffered before they set foot on the sodden surface, having been forced to change in a ladies' toilet after finding their dressing room flooded.

The fans were in subdued mood as well, despite the importance of the evening, although it soon became obvious that neither side would be going flat out - the risk to safety paramount in most minds.

Early opportunities were few and far between, Joe Miller wasting United's best chance when he dragged a shot wide after turning Griffin inside the Saints box.

Kieran McAnespie, who is expected to be in action for the Scottish Under-21 side against Germany next week, volleyed a half-chance over from 10 yards and then flashed a drive past Sieb Dykstra's right hand post as the visitors shrugged off their dismal start to the evening.

In contrast to his disgraceful second-half cameo, Lowndes danced across the sodden surface without a care.

David Hannah had already been cautioned for one foul on Miguel Simao when he brought the Frenchman down again on the edge of the area - Griffin's delicate strike ensuring the big defender didn't go unpunished.

But Lowndes' three-minute moment of madness after the interval put St Johnstone on the back foot on a night when victory was essential to keep their UEFA Cup hopes alive.

Black moods descended on all sides, Maurice Malpas the fourth man to see yellow for showing clear dissent when a decision went against him, although with a man advantage it wasn't clear what the former Scottish international had to complain about.

Neil Murray and Billy Dodds both failed to level from decent positions and Jason de Vos turned away in agony as his far post header arced narrowly wide.

Unsettled substitute Alex Mathie wasted a glorious chance to equalise after Griffin's back pass stuck in a pool of water inside the Saints box, slamming against Main's legs as the Saints keeper advanced.

United huffed and puffed looking for a leveller but it wouldn't arrive.

Manager Paul Sturrock's men remain four points above bottom club Dunfermline with Saturday's trip to East End Park looming large.

They have still won just two home games all season and gave former Saints boss Sturrock the kind of reunion he will want to forget.

Teams Dundee Utd: Dykstra, Malpas, Patterson, Olofsson, Hannah (Duffy 81), Easton (Eustace 58), Dodds, Miller, Skoldmark, De Vos, Murray (Mathie 72).

Subs Not Used: Gallacher, McLaughlin.

Booked: Hannah, Malpas, De Vos.

St Johnstone: Main, Dasovic, Weir, O'Neil (O'Halloran 86), Kane, Bollan, Griffin, McAnespie, Dods, Lowndes,Simao (Preston 80).

Subs Not Used: Grant, Robertson, McCluskey.

Sent Off: Lowndes (50).

Booked: Lowndes.

Goals: Griffin 42.

Att: 6,741

Ref: M Mccurry (Glasgow).