Hibernian's Champions League challenge was dealt a hammer blow at McDiarmid Park as a quickfire Tommy Lovenkrands double gave St Johnstone a deserved win.

The Danish midfielder netted his first goal since August to give Saints a deserved win and consign the visitors to their third successive defeat.

Sighs of relief could probably be heard all the way from Ibrox, where Rangers coach Dick Advocaat is desperately trying to salvage a top two spot from a disastrous campaign.

A tiring Hibs team could do little to prevent Momo Sylla from dominating the game and it was his pass which set up Lovenkrands for his second after Jim Weir's long punt forward created the opener two minutes earlier.

Hibs' hopes of splitting the Old Firm received a double boost in the 24 hours preceding the game, with key playmaker Russell Latapy committing his future to the club for the remainder of the campaign and second-placed Rangers slumping to a shock home defeat by Dundee United.

Latapy is out of contract at the end of the season and rumours had been rife of a deadline-day switch to Celtic.

But the champions-elect failed to make contact with their Easter Road rivals on Saturday, so the Trinidad team-mate of Dwight Yorke will stay in Edinburgh until the end of May.

Latapy took his place in an attacking Hibs line-up as manager Alex McLeish attempted to make the most of his good fortune but after a bright start, Saints enjoyed the better of a drab opening period.

Sylla looked the most likely to break the deadlock but the Ghanian's two early efforts failed to force Nick Colgan into meaningful action.

The Republic of Ireland keeper beat away Nathan Lowndes' powerful left-foot drive after Sylla had found his team-mate with a quickly taken free-kick.

St Johnstone, clear of relegation trouble but certain to find themselves in the wrong half of the SPL split next week, played with a youthful freedom and would have gone into the interval ahead had referee Hugh Dallas not ruled that the free-kick from which Paul Hartley netted against his former club had been taken too quickly by John Paul McBride.

Hibs were strangely lifeless given the importance of maximum points to their chances of overhauling Rangers, with Latapy drifting in and out of the game to little effect.

Ulrik Laursen embarrassingly scuffed his shot after Latapy's one telling contribution had found him clear inside the penalty area.

Alan Main twice denied David Zitelli but most of the play flowed towards the visitors goal, although clear chances were scarce.

McBride was stretchered from the field nine minutes before the interval after turning his ankle, giving another of Clark's young guns, Marc McCulloch, a chance to shine.

Highly-rated Kiegan Parker was also thrown on for Lowndes midway through the second-half as the home side continued to dominate without being able to make the breakthrough.

Hartley dragged a shot across the face of goal after Sylla had found the striker inside the penalty area and Marc Libbra was forced to hack clear after Colgan fumbled Hartley's cross.

Sylla also had a penalty appeal turned down after tumbling under pressure from Fenwick and with Hibs' attacks becoming more sporadic, manager Alex McLeish turned to Mixu Paatelainen.

The giant Finn almost weaved his way through barely a minute after his arrival but before he could make any further impact, Lovenkrands had put his team two up.

The diminutive Danish midfielder broke the visitors' offside trap to lob Colgan from the edge of the area after Weir had punted a hopeful ball forward.

And within two minutes, Lovenkrands, who by his own admission has been a huge disappointment in his first season in Perth, had bagged another, holding off Gary Smith and delaying his shot before stroking home from seven yards.

Hibs had one chance to drag themselves back into the game but after Latapy had struck a post with a wicked 20-yard curler, Ian Murray failed to control with the goal at his mercy and Main advanced to block the shot.

Teams

St Johnstone: Main, Weir, Kernaghan, McClune, Ross Forsyth, Dasovic, Hartley, McBride, Lovenkrands, Lowndes (Parker 68), Sylla.

Subs Not Used: Cuthbert, Frail, McCulloch, Crozier.

Goals: Lovenkrands 71, 74.

Hibernian: Colgan, Laursen, McIntosh, Fenwick, Gary Smith, Jack (Brebner 76), Libbra, Arpinion (Murray 85), Zitelli, McManus (Paatelainen 63), Latapy.

Subs Not Used: Franks, Lehmann.

Booked: Arpinion.

Att: 4,346

Ref: H Dallas (Scotland).