Last updated on .From the section Scottish Premiership

Dundee slipped six points adrift at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership as St Johnstone inflicted an eighth straight defeat on the Dark Blues.

A terrific second-half free-kick from Scott Tanser and Callum Hendry header gave the dominant hosts victory.

Dundee barely threatened and were fortunate to avoid a heavier defeat. Second-bottom St Mirren's win at Livingston deepens Dundee's plight - they have scored just once in seven matches and are staring at relegation with four games left.

St Johnstone coasted to victory in the Tayside derby and sit best of the rest in seventh place.

Winger Matty Kennedy did everything apart from get on the scoresheet in an outstanding individual performance as Tommy Wright's side began the post-split fixtures in style.

Dundee's losing streak is the worst run of any Scottish top-flight club this season.

Perth Saints streets ahead

Dundee looked paralysed by fear from the outset. They were overrun down St Johnstone's left and had no answer to the menace of Kennedy.

The winger forced a fine early near-post save from Seny Dieng and his deliveries were a constant danger. Hendry should have done better than head wide from one Kennedy cross, but his next attempt was goal-bound until Dieng bundled the ball behind.

Chris Kane also had an effort saved from a Tanser centre as St Johnstone played with freedom and flair.

Dundee offered precious little going forward, a 20-yard strike from Paul McGowan that fizzed over the bar their only moment of note before the break.

It was a matter of time until St Johnstone found the breakthrough and Kennedy almost provided it shortly after the restart, turning Cammy Kerr inside out before his curling drive from distance dropped just the wrong side of the post.

When the opener finally arrived it was a strike of real quality as Tanser bent a free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards after Darren O'Dea had clattered Kane.

Dieng got a hand to the ball but couldn't keep it out. However, the Dundee keeper saved his side from a hammering with several saves as Kennedy was denied the goal he deserved.

The one-way traffic continued and Hendry's clinching goal was for too easy for the hosts. Richard Foster was given time and space to cross from the right and Hendry was unmarked to send a close-range header back across Dieng into the bottom corner.

Dundee's day was summed up as substitute Andrew Nelson botched their best chance, firing well wide from the edge of the box, before Craig Curran failed to connect with a Nelson cross three yards out.

'Alarming lack of fight' - analysis

Dundee appear to be careering towards relegation. With just four games left their hopes of survival are hanging by the slimmest of threads, one that looks close to snapping, particularly after results elsewhere went against them too.

Given the stakes, Dundee's lack of fight and shortage of chances will alarm boss Jim McIntyre who must now somehow find a way to deliver a remarkable survival act.

As for St Johnstone, they were utterly dominant. Tommy Wright wants his team to finish the season strongly, on the basis of this display they look more than capable of doing that.

'We need to win our last four games to stay up'

'We let the fans down big time' - reaction

Dundee manager Jim McIntyre: "We let ourselves and over 2,500 fans down today big time. Of course I expected more from my team.

"There's going to be nerves and pressure but you have to handle it and we haven't. We're going to have to do something we've not done all season. We need to win all four games now.

St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright: "I have questioned some of our performances recently in terms of people maybe thinking the season is over. But we have plenty to play for and I got the perfect response. We dominated, it was a really good team performance and the players deserve a lot of credit."