St Johnstone boss, Simo Valakari, is confident that his team can maintain tunnel vision for their top of the table clash with Partick Thistle. “We learned so much from last year – the drama and the outside noise doesn’t help anyone perform on the field. “We are now playing our direct opponent who is straight there with us.”Best will neededThe stakes are high for Saints against Thistle. “We need to perform close to our best to get something out of the match. “If there are unforced errors because of the pitch, that’s part of football.