Ross County back to winning ways at St Johnstone
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ROSS County won their first game in 11 fixtures with a thrilling 4-2 victory at St Johnstone to move off the foot of the Ladbrokes Premiership this afternoon (Saturday) – although they almost saw a three-goal lead vanish.
Headers from Jay McEveley and Christopher Routis gave Jim McIntyre's team a 2-0 interval lead and Craig Curran nodded them three ahead just after the hour mark.
A Danny Swanson spot-kick soon after gave St Johnstone hope and Steven MacLean hauled his team back to within a goal with 10 minutes left.
However, Saints could not find an equaliser and Boyce put the cap on the win with another header as County climbed deservedly up to eighth place, just one point from the top six with their first win since beating Kilmarnock on August 20.
The Staggies made two changes from the team which held Rangers 1-1 as Kenny van der Weg and Michael Gardyne came in for the benched Erik Cikos and Ryan Dow respectively.
The Saints, who went into this one five unbeaten against their visitors, made one change from the side which drew 2-2 with Hearts as Chris Millar dropped out with a hamstring injury and Liam Craig took his place in the starting 11.
It was a chilly but sunny afternoon in Perth as the hosts were also on the hunt for three home points, having slipped up twice at McDiarmid Park in their last three fixtures here.
County keeper Scott had an early scare when he was caught by Steven Anderson early on, with the Saints man picking up a yellow card. After some treatment on the pitch, play continued.
St Johntone came close to taking the lead on 14 minutes when, after fine play on the right by Richard Foster, Blair Alston guided the ball just wide of the left post.
Danny Swanson then fed the ball cleverly through for MacLean, but Fox raced out to deny him, with faint appeals for a penalty ignored by whistler John Beaton.
At the other end, on 24 minutes, Gardyne cut inside the box and saw his shot deflected over for a corner.
Chris Burke flighted the ball into the box and McEveley pounced to bury his header past keeper Zander Clark into the net for the opener. This was his first goal for the club since joining in the summer.
County doubled their advantage on 38 minutes when Frenchman Routis got on the end of a Curran cross to head beyond Clark into the net by meeting Burke's cross.
What a great position the under-fire Dingwall side were in with the break rapidly approaching.
Ex-Wolves keeper Aaron McCarey made his second appearance for County when he replaced Fox at the start of the second half, Fox apparently struggling from his early knock.
St Johnstone brought on Tom Scobbie and Chris Kane for Joe Shaughnessy and Liam Craig in a bid to shake things up and add bite.
The hosts then made to make an enforced keeper switch as Clark had to go off due to a back injury, with Alan Mannus replacing him.
Curran went close for County on 54 minutes when he swerved a 20-yarder after the top after fine link-up play from Liam Boyce and Gardyne.
The Staggies stretched the lead to 3-0 on 63 minutes when a superb attacking move ended with Curran heading home a delivery from Boyce as they broke with pace and precision.
However, County had barely regrouped when McEveley was judged to have handled Alston's cross and a penalty was awarded. Up stepped Swanson and hammered the ball past McCarey to make it 3-1.
The Perth team made it a grandstand finish when, on 80 minutes, MacLean crashed home from close range when he connected with a Paul Paton cross from the left flank.
This gave St Johnstone belief they could complete a remarkable comeback, but Boyce's deflected header from a van der Weg ball into the box sealed the long-awaited win for the Dingwall side.
St Johnstone: Clark (Mannus 51), Alston, Anderson, MacLean, Wotherspoon, Swanson, Shaughnessy (Scobbie 46), Paton, Foster, Easton, Craig (Kane 46). Subs not used: Coulson, Gordon, Cummins, McLaren.
Ross County: Fox (McCarey 46), Routis, McEverly, Boyce, Davies, Burke (Dow 86), van der Weg, Chow, Gardyne, Fraser, Curran (Schalk 78). Subs not used: Dingwall, McShane, Cikos, Morrison.
Referee: John Beaton.
Attendance: 2554.
