Saints full-back John McQuillan was hero and villain as he scored his first goal of the season and then conceded a needless penalty in the final minute to hand Hibs a slender Premier League lifeline.

The form of the bottom-of-the-table Edinburgh side will have to improve dramatically if they want to avoid the drop.

St Johnstone were in command after a 62nd minute goal by McQuillan and looked assured of the three points. But then the defender miscued a header inside the area and then brought down Barry Lavety.

Tony Rougier took the kick, sending keeper Alan Main the wrong way, to give his side a barely deserved share of the spoils.

Both teams had their chances in the first half at Perth. Striker Paddy Connolly, Saints' new signing from Airdrie, almost made a dream start when he turned inside the Hibs full-back after three minutes but fired wide of the upright from an acute angle.

Then Roddie Grant fed the ball through to Gerry McMahon but the advancing keeper did enough to put him off and his left-foot effort sailed over the bar.

Saints, who made three changes from the side that crashed out of the Scottish Cup last week, were playing in positive mood and Connolly scorned a good chance in front of goal in 12 minutes from an Alan Preston corner.

Saints had a lucky escape in 15 minutes when Rougier sprung the Perth offside trap and tried to round the keeper but Main saved well at his feet.

Saints were forced into a substitution in 29 minutes when full-back Preston was stretchered off after a clash with Barry Lavety. The Perth defender was later taken to hospital for a precautionary X-ray on his leg.

Main was next to receive treatment after being sent crashing to the ground by Rougier as he went for a high ball.

Saints were the more dangerous side in this first period but McMahon and Grant lacked sharpness in front of goal.

Hibs started brightly after the restart with top scorer Steve Crawford and Rougier probing the Perth defence but it was Saints who took the lead.

A well-executed dummy from Connolly set up Kieran McAnespie and he fed the ball to McQuillan who curled it beyond Bryan Gunn for his first goal of the season.

McAnespie almost added a second three minutes later when his shot beat the Hibs keeper but somehow stayed out of the goal.

Hibs brought on their three substitutes in a bid to snatch an equaliser and it all looked to be in vain until that last gasp penalty.

Three players were booked - Hib's Rougier and Lavety and Attila Sekerlioglu of Saints.

Teams:

St Johnstone (0) 1 Hibernian (0) 1

St Johnstone: Main, McQuillan, Preston (McCluskey 29), Sekerlioglu, Weir, Kernaghan, McMahon (O'Halloran 81), Kane, Grant, Connolly (Andersson 81), McAnespie.

Booked: Sekerlioglu.

Goals: McQuillan 62.

Hibernian: Gunn, Miller, Dow (Donald 53), Brebner, Dods, Welsh, Rougier, Jackson (Tosh 66), Crawford (Renwick 83), Lavety, McGinlay.

Booked: Rougier, Lavety.

Goals: Rougier 90 pen.

Att: 6,472

Ref: J McCluskey (Stewarton).