St Johnstone grabbed a vital three points against Aberdeen thanks to a Josh Fowler penalty, with a VAR check that felt like it lasted longer than the actual match proving to be the decisive moment.
The spot kick came after referee and VAR officials spent a considerable amount of time reviewing a handball by Jack Milne. When the decision finally came through, Fowler stepped up and did the business, sending St Johnstone into the top five of the Scottish Premiership.
It was the kind of win that does not always make the highlight reels but means everything in terms of where a club sits in the table. St Johnstone have been grinding out results and this one, scrappy as it may have been, pushes them firmly into the conversation at the top end of Scottish football.
For Aberdeen, it is another frustrating afternoon to add to a run of results that have left their supporters increasingly restless. Conceding a penalty through a handball is the sort of thing that haunts a dressing room, and Milne will know he handed the initiative to the opposition in what was otherwise a tight and competitive game.
The VAR process itself drew plenty of attention. Scottish football has had a complicated relationship with video review technology since its introduction, and lengthy stoppages like this one tend to reignite the debate about how the system is being used and whether the delays are worth the outcome. Fans in the ground had little idea what was being checked or how long it would take, which remains one of the more frustrating aspects of the current setup.
Fowler, though, kept his composure when it mattered. Taking a penalty after a long delay is not easy. The momentum of the game has stalled, the crowd is wound up, and the goalkeeper has had extra time to think about which way to dive. Fowler showed nerves of steel and tucked it away cleanly.
St Johnstone will take huge confidence from this result. Breaking into the top five in the Premiership is a significant marker for a club that has had its ups and downs in recent seasons. The manager will be pointing to this as proof that the squad has the character to pick up points in tight matches against difficult opposition.
Aberdeen, on the other hand, need to regroup quickly. They have the quality in their squad to turn things around but results like this one, where a single moment of misfortune costs them the game, will sting. How they respond in their next fixture will say a lot about where they are as a team right now.
Scottish Premiership title races and top-six battles have a habit of being decided by moments exactly like this one. A handball, a VAR check, a composed penalty. St Johnstone took their chance and they will be sitting very happily in that top five heading into the next round of fixtures.