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St Mirren 1; ROSS COUNTY 0 |
Two magnificent injury-time saves from goalkeeper Ludovic Roy ensured that St Mirren grabbed three points. And they also had Ross County's Ian Maxwell to thank, the defender having scored the only goal of the game by putting the ball into his own net after only two minutes.
But the result was met with boos by the Paisley fans, who showed their frustration after an awful performance from the home side.
St Mirren struggled to create many chances of their own.
With just over a minute gone, Hugh Murray slipped the ball through to striker Jose Quitongo and his dummy found Ricky Gillies six yards out. Gillies' mis-hit shot was flying well wide, but the ball struck Ian Maxwell and deflected into the net.
In the final 15 minutes, the visitors came close to equalising on several occasions. But Steven Ferguson, Alex Bone and Hugh Robertson all found Saints' man-of-the-match, Roy, unbeatable.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Hastings, Maxwell, Irvine, Webb, McCormick, Ferguson, Bone, McQuade and Robertson. Subs: Mackay, Fraser, Cowie, Hislop and Trialist.
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ROSS COUNTY 0; St Mirren 1 |
St Mirren won again to revive their promotion prospects after a shaky start to the season. However, the visitors had to work hard for the three points and at the end of the game only a headed goal from a defender separated the sides.
Barry McLaughlin's scoring contribution two minutes after the break made all the difference but Ross County were left to rue a Steven Hislop attempt that smacked off the bar mid-way through the first half.
County were without skipper Steve Ferguson after he broke down with a knee injury while teenager Conor Gethins was on international duty with Eire Under-19s.
However, the Dingwall side received a boost with the return of midfielder Mark McCormick to the bench. Ex-Saints striker Alex bone was restored in attack to partner Hislop.
There was a strong wind in County faces as they kicked off and Ian Ross used it to good effect with dangerous corners which Tony Bullock in the County goal had to be alert to.
Sergei Baltacha also enjoyed a busy start and tore into the box only to have his charge terminated by Bullock's block at his feet.
County's only real threat came from an over-zealous Hugh Murray passback that alarmed 'keeper Ludo Roy while Bone, jeered enthusiastically by Saints fans, volley wildly over.
Saints had County on the rack for most of the opening 15 minutes with a total of five corners and Ross was unfortunate when his fierce 30-yard effort was parried to safety by the over-worked Bullock.
County managed to settle and were unlucky not to break the deadlock in 27 minutes. A corner was headed downwards by Brian Irvine and on the bounce Hislop's connecting header from a few yards out struck the woodwork.
Play was fiercely competitive and swung from end-to-endd as half time approached. Bone slipped Hislop through in the Saints box and Roy manged a fine block. Immediately the visitors raced up the field and Ross was denied by Bullock's save.
From the re-start, Saints again took the initiative forcing their eighth corner of the game and were soon celebrating a deserved 47th minute opener.
Alex Burns swung in the corner and McLaughlin leapt to power a header into the roof of the net from five yards.
Only a despearte block by Bullock on Brian McGinty in the box prevented a quickfire second for Saints.
County broke up the field and were cursing their luck as Bone went through on the 'keeper only to lose his bearings with the goal beckoning.
In 57 minutes Neil Tarrant made his first home appearance since re-signing for County from Aston Villa, replacing the ineffective Karim Boukraa in a positive statement of intent from the Dingwall side.
County switched toa three-pronged attack and finally began to worry Saints wlthough the pressure was fleeting. On the hour, Hugh Robertson's low driven free kick just outside the angle of the box stung the glove of Roy and spun for a corner.
There was further home pressure but Jose Quitongo's winding runs were starting to trouble County's defence as the game wore on.
County further committed themselves to all-out atack with winger Mark McCormick replacing Mark Perry in the wide right role, but St Mirren shored up their defence and remained competitive and solid in midfield.
Baltacha almost caught out Bullock after the County 'keeper had charged upfield for a corner but the Saints star could not find the net with the 'keeper well stranded.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry (McCormick, 73), Hastings, Maxwell, Irvine, Webb, Cowie, Boukraa (Tarrant, 57), Bone, Hislop and Robertson (S McKay, 81). Unused Subs: Gonet (gk) and Trialist.
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St Mirren 1; ROSS COUNTY 1 |
Alex Bone returned to the venue where he cut his footballing teeth - and served notice his recent barren spell may be drawing to a close.
The former Saints, Stirling and Ayr striker scored once and was unlucky not to add to his tally as County came agonisingly close to collecting all three points.
In the event the Dingwall side trudged off with only a point ans still very much in the relegation zone. However, the togetherness and coherence that their manager Neale Cooper has craved was in evidence and no-one should be too gloomy about their prospects.
St Mirren were the more potent force in the second half but if the match had been settled boxing-style on points the host would have been the clear losers.
County had them on the ropes from as early as the first minute when Steve Ferguson hooked the ball over the bar after neat work by Richard Hastings and Bone.
Steven Hislop, who like Bone, has endured a recent difficult spell in front of goal with the division's lowest scoring side, also came close for County while Ferguson missed another chance before the breakthough materialised.
A long clearance by Hislop in 26 minutes found BONE striding clear in space between Scott Walker and Gary Bowman and the striker confidently curled the ball past Ludo Roy in Saints' goal.
Bone might have increased the County lead before the break when an Ian Maxwell belt up the field again had him charging goalwards but whilst his shot beat Roy it bounced off the bar.
Conor Gethins, who turned in a fine overall display, was also unlucky not to score as Roy blocked courageously at his feet to keep Saints in the game.
It was a more impressive Saints who re-emerged and County could not exert quite the same control on proceedings thereafter.
Tony Bullock, largely unemployed in goal in the first half, made a superb save from Alex Burns and then Ricky Gillies, before the latter finally got the better of him in 61 minutes.
Bowman's cross was touched on by Jose Quitongo and Gillies was well-placed to power the ball into the County net from close range.
County might just have nicked the three points they deserved late on after a blunder by Hugh Murray gave substitute Don Cowie a glimpse at goal only for the teenager to miss the target from the edge of the box.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, hastings, Maxwell, Irvine, Lilley (Webb), Ferguson, Robertson, Bone, Hislop and Gethins (Cowie). Unused Subs: Gonzalez (gk), Boukraa and Prest.
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ROSS COUNTY 4; St Mirren 1 |
Ross County's attacking endeavours saw the Dingwall side continue their upward trajectory with a fifth win in seven games and did it with a touch of flamboyance.
Gone are the weeks of uncertainty and discontent - at this rate, Neale Cooper's men could, quite conceivably, finish third in this division. Back-to-back games with rivals Caley Thistle this Tuesday and coming Saturday, could be defining moments.
While a drop to division two might seem unthinkable for last season's SPL relegated side, that is the stark reality of their current predicament. The anger showed in the reaction of a small body of their travelling support in the stand behind Tom Hendrie.
Saints didn't have their troubles to seek beforehand with two goalkeeping injuries forcing the fielding of a trialist from junior ranks, Scott Strang, who coped admirably for the most part.
If St Mirren looked sharper in the opening exchanges, it counted for nothing as County took the lead in 25 minutes, home skipper Steve FERGUSON curled a fine 20 yard shot into the top corner.
County had hardly caught breath before sloppiness outside their own box led to the 27th minute equaliser. The ball fell to wide man Ian Ross and his deflected snapshot from the 18-yard line wrong-footed 'keeper Tony Bullock.
The goals kept coming and, in 31 minutes, County were ahead again. An excellent Ian Maxwell cross from the left Jamie MacGowan red-faced after he slid the ball into his own net under pressure.
County extended their lead to 3-1 in 48 minutes, with keeper Strang fluffing a clearance into the path of Steven Hislop and his cross setting up Conor GETHINS for an easy header. Saints' resistance was killed stone dead in 77 minutes. HISLOP took a Hugh Robertson high ball and punished the keeper's indecision by slotting the ball low into the net.
Saints tried to fight back and Brian Irvine had to clear an Ian Ross effort on the line with 10 minutes left.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Maxwell, Irvine, Robertson, Canning, Ferguson, Gilbert, Gethins (Bone, 83), Hislop and Hastings. Unused Subs: Trialist (gk), Anselin, Boukraa and Cowie.
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