One of St Johnstone’s more unusual claims to fame down the years is that they have got a catalogue of managers the sack.

If it is still just a little early for David Gray to fall victim, this defeat has certainly left the Hibs boss in a precarious position.

Two first-half goals by Josh Fowler, either side of a Nathan Lowe equaliser, did the damage at McDiarmid Park today.

It might have been more had Fowler not passed up a glorious chance to complete a hat-trick, missing a free header early in the second half.

Hibs rallied late in the game, but they had been sluggish and sloppy for so long that it left them with too much to do against a well-drilled opponent.

Having watched their team lose the Edinburgh derby just three days earlier, a sizeable Hibs support made their feelings known at full-time.

St Johnstone striker Josh Fowler celebrates scoring from the penalty spot in their 2-1 victory

Hibs manager David Gray was furious with his players after their defeat at McDiarmid Park

St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari enjoys a win that lifts them above Hibs in the league table

Gray was equally angry with his players, questioning their bravery, their determination and the slackness that he said made it easy for St Johnstone.

‘The bit that stings the most is that it’s off the back of a derby defeat,’ he said. ‘I spoke about a reaction. We certainly didn’t get that. There was a lack of responsibility across the pitch, which I’ve not seen. That’s back-to-back defeats, a bit of adversity for the players and myself. We need to stick together. This is when you really find out about people.

‘There’s going to be negativity around it and understandably so. I’ve been here long enough to know the demands and expectation around this football club. Looking back a couple of weeks, the noise has been building but now we’re going to come under criticism and I understand why.’

For St Johnstone, it was a second consecutive home win in the league, a deserved reward for their possession, their trust in each other and the predatory instincts of Fowler.

He opened the scoring in the 17th minute, calmly knocking home a deflected cross by Taylor Steven. It was a curiously simple goal for the home side, not least because Hibs defender Jason Kerr, who won a cup double with St Johnstone, left the striker unmarked.

Having seized that early lead, Saints looked comfortable with their patient passing game, and would have been more so had they not gifted Hibs an equaliser.

When Reece McAlear’s careless ball went straight to Miguel Chaiwa, the Hibs midfielder quickly released Lowe. The striker homed in on goal and slipped the ball under the goalkeeper.

That should have allowed Hibs to start again and learn from their earlier mistakes, but St Johnstone controlled the key areas and regained their lead five minutes before the interval.

When left-back Enes Alic burst into the box, Martin Boyle clumsily brought him down from behind and a penalty was awarded. Fowler converted it by sending goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger the wrong way.

It has been a big week for Fowler, who joined St Johnstone from Queen’s Park in January. He has been slow to catch fire at McDiarmid Park, but a late equaliser against Dundee last Wednesday earned him a start here.

Emboldened by his two first-half strikes, the striker went in search of a hat-trick after the interval. Having passed up a free header after a cross by Steven, he then curled a left-foot shot narrowly wide of the far post.

Gray had replaced Boyle with Ante Suto at half-time. It was intended to give Hibs something different, and they nearly levelled when Jamie McGrath’s shot was turned round the post.

But St Johnstone also benefited from the emerging spaces. Kerr’s last-ditch tackle denied Sam Stanton and, when Grant Hanley was taken off injured, the visitors’ defence – already without the injured Jordan Obita and the suspended Jack Iredale – looked threadbare.

Only when Gray made a triple substitution on the hour mark did his team properly raise their game. With Thibault Klidje bolstering their attack, they got a foothold in the final third and came increasingly close to equalising.

Set up by Kerr’s header into the six-yard box, Suto missed under pressure from Alic. Then Kanayo Megwa’s header was parried by Steward.

As the game entered its final 10 minutes, St Johnstone closed the gaps with their substitutions and defended resolutely when they had to. Zach Mitchell was outstanding at the back.

All in all, it was a triumph for their manager, Simo Valakari, who has stuck with the passing game that won them the Championship last season and will stick with it against Celtic on Wednesday night.

‘You have to play to your strengths,’ said Valakari. ‘We’ve built up the team to play this way. It would be very stupid and naive to move away from our style because it is our strength to play this way. But at the same time we need to be able to hide our weaknesses.

‘We worked so hard last season to come up to the Premiership and play these matches. We want to compete, and there’s no better place than against the reigning champions.’

St Johnstone 4-2-3-1: T Steward 7; L Smith 6, Z Mitchell 8, C Diabate 7, E Alic 7; R McAlear 6, J Holt 7; T Steven 6 (J Cotterill 57), S Stanton 7 (M Tait 72), J Gullan 4 (K Fotheringham 22, 5) (M Todd 72); J Fowler 8 (D Schmidt 72).

Manager: Simo Valakari 7

Hibernian 4-2-3-1: R Sallinger 6; F Passlack 5, J Kerr 5, G Hanley 5 (K Megwa 61), A Mayor 6; J Devaney 6 (C Wright 61), M Chaiwa 6; M Boyle 5 (A Suto 46), J Mulligan 6 (N Cadden 75), J McGrath 6; N Lowe 6 (T Klidje 61).

Manager: David Gray 5

Referee: Steven McLean