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St Johnstone 1; ROSS COUNTY 1 |
If Saints' affair with the First Division is to prove anything more than a forced flirtation then they had better start scoring. Their defenders are to be applauded for keeping their fellow SPL suitors out for all of 600 minutes, but their lack of potency in attack is blatantly obvious to all, with a total of just six league goals this season.
The side initially adopted a cautious approach, St Johnstone calm and considered, carefully perusing their options before cleverly releasing the ball. County were altogether hasty, darting around to little effect, wasting possession.
On 18 minutes Saints' strikers demonstrated their ability to sniff out a goal when Craig Russell danced past Brian Irvine to send the ball whizzing across the six-yard box. The mere presence of a striker would surely have ensured a goal.
A minute late, Paddy Connolly lost his nerve when clean through, as he hesitated and the chance was gone.
Possession was entirely in Saints' favour and when all seemed predictable, the Perth side stunned everyone and scored. The build-up was delightful and the finish simple - on-loan Celt Ryan McCann rising to head home Marc McCulloch's inviting cross.
On their clumsy first half performance, a second-half goal for County only seemed a remote possibility. Then, again, a goal for Saints had seemed at one stage equally distant.
But on 52 minutes another goal for St Johnstone looked a distinct possibility; smart passing between Connolly and McCann set up McCulloch, but his shot was easily gathered by Tone Bullock in the County goal. Further chances came for Saints, but the opportunities were all spurned.
It was all very familiar until County, enjoying a foray up-field on the hour mark, breached Britain's meanest defence.
Alex Bone enjoyed a fair bit of luck in the box, his pass found Connor Gethins whose shot rebounded off Kevin Cuthbert into the path of Graham BAYNE who finished cleanly. The Saints defence had gone ten hours without conceding a goal. If only their strikers were equally efficient.
The goal knocked the stuffing out of Saints, who took on a rather shabby look as County seized control.
A soft penalty in 75 minutes handed Saints a chance to take all three points, but even then they failed to convert. Paul Hartley's weak shot was duly saved by Bullock.
Ross County: Bullock; Irvine, Robertson, Canning, Perry, Gilbert, Wood (Ferguson, 46), McGarry (Gethins, 46), Bone, Bayne and McCulloch. Unused Subs: Fridge (gk), McKay and Cowie.
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ROSS COUNTY 0; St Johnstone 0 |
With one club managerless and the other trying to cling on to theirs, this was never likely to be an afternoon of carefree football.
St Johnstone, as tight defensively as they are blunt in attack, have made draws like this something of a trademark of late and Ross County could not quite find the ingenuity to claim the victory they so craved.
However, it fell to supposed Rangers target Alan Main to pull off two fine saves, including a gravity-defying one-handed stop from a Hugh Robertson thubderbolt, to prevent County from gleaning a morale-boosting win.
The veteran goalkeeper, tellingly, used a well-placed leg to deny County's Mark McCulloch in 50 minutes and pulled off a fabulous diving save in 79 minutes from that Robertson rocket.
Although Saints did command the better of the match and trouble the home side's box late on in the game, they never showed the necessary finesse in front of goal needed to take advantage of the slip by rivals Falkirk.
For County, there was determination aplenty but no cutting edge when it mattered against a confident and assured Perth backline.
A penetrating run by Keigan Parker caused County problems in theopening minute before Tommy Lovenkrands completely mis-cued from a cross.
County hit back with a decent move culminating in a dangerous low ball across the goal from Steven McKay which was scrambled clear.
A lively midfield battle was brewing with both sides showing plenty of verve and grit, but neither able to gain the upper hand or seriously threaten.
Chris Hay came closest to making the breakthrough in 26 minutes when Mark Perry slipped and lost possession, but the former Celtic player pulled his shot wide of the far post.
Saints were unlucky, again, from a peter Lovenkrands corner a short time later, the unmarked Parker collecting the ball at thr far side of the box before sending a dipping shot just over.
Better play from County saw them work their way back into the game, but Mark McCulloch could not quite connect well enough when a half-chance beckoned from 16 yards in the 37th minute. Alan Main saving easily.
Two minutes before the break, after a short spell of pressure, a Parker lob from the edge of the box beat the out-of-position home 'keeper Tony Bullock but the ball drifted just wide of the post.
That anti-climax summed up much of the huffing and puffing of the first half. County looked the more menacing side immediately after the break and in 50 minutes came close to breaking the deadlock.
A McKay cross from deep on the left was met with a fierce low drive from McCulloch only for the flailing foot of Main to block.
Saints hit back with a deft free kick from Mark Reilly, cleverly lobbing the County wall to allow Lovenkrands through on goal. 'Keeper Bullock was alert enough to block at his feet.
McCulloch, who was threatening on the right, became the latest in a string of County players to fire over the bar in 67 minutes.
County's Robertson suddenly lit up the play in 79 minutes with a searing 40-yard attempt which drew a brilliant one-handed diving save from Main in the corner.
Saints retaliated witha pounding of the County danger area but the home side's McKay was the hero with a brilliantly timed saving tackle on Hay.
The heavy pressure continued into the final five minutes but County's defensive line stood strong. In the final minute, Steven Hislop flashed a low shot inches wide of the far post as County tried to snatch a much-needed victory.
Ross County: Bullock; Canning, McKay, Perry, Irvine, McCulloch, McGarry (Bayne, 79), Ferguson (Hislop, 62), Bone, Cowie and Robertson. Unused Subs: Fridge (gk), Deas and Webb.
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