Daniels Balodis St. Johnstone’s 14-year stay in the Scottish Premiership came to an end on Wednesday night, as they fell 1–2 to Hearts in Edinburgh — a result that confirmed their relegation with one match remaining. The result, combined with Ross County’s dramatic stoppage-time equalizer in a 1–1 draw against Dundee, left the Perth side four points adrift with just one game remaining — sealing their drop to the Championship.
The Perth side found themselves in trouble early, conceding twice in the first half. The opener came from an unfortunate own goal by Barry Douglas, followed by a composed finish from Hearts winger Alan Forrest.
Although St. Johnstone pulled one back in the second half, the deficit proved too great to overcome. Their faint hopes of survival were extinguished moments later when Ross County secured a dramatic 1–1 draw against Dundee, pulling four points clear and out of reach.
One of the few bright notes in a difficult spring for the club has been Latvian international defender Daniels Balodis. The 26-year-old joined St. Johnstone in the winter transfer window after leaving the Latvian champions RFS. Since arriving in Scotland, Balodis has made 15 appearances across all competitions — remarkably playing every minute of each match.
Though he didn’t find the net in the loss to Hearts, Balodis has contributed two goals earlier in the campaign, which included a game-winning goal inside the Celtic Park against Celtic and established himself as a reliable presence in the back line. His performances have stood out in an otherwise turbulent second half of the season for the Perth side.
St. Johnstone will close out their Premiership campaign on Sunday against Dundee — a match with no bearing on survival, but a final chance for players like Balodis to end the season on a strong note. With the club set for Championship football next term, questions remain about who will stay and who might move on — and Balodis, after a solid introduction to Scottish football, could well attract further attention over the summer.