Elliot Watt’s second-half winner saved St Johnstone’s Premiership survival hopes alive and cranked up the warmth on freefalling Ross County.
Simo Valakari’s Saints – 9 factors adrift on the foot of the desk in January – moved inside three factors of the second-bottom Staggies, with a touch higher objective distinction, after defeating them 2-1 in a tense showdown at McDiarmid Park.
The Perth aspect, who wanted a win to realistically extend their hopes of extending their 16-year keep within the high flight, went forward via Daniels Balodis, solely to be pegged again by an Alex Samuel equaliser earlier than the break.
However Watt’s strike on the hour proved decisive as County – who had a late Ronan Hale strike chalked off – have been consigned to a seventh successive defeat, leaving them in actual hazard of being overtaken by Saints over the remaining two video games of the marketing campaign.
Saints, who had misplaced their earlier 4 matches in all competitions, made three modifications to the aspect that began the 2-0 residence defeat by Kilmarnock as Jason Holt, Adama Sidibeh and Sam Curtis have been all restored.
There have been 4 modifications to the County aspect that began the 3-1 residence defeat by Hearts, with defender Will Nightingale pitched in for his first look since August after a knee damage.
St Johnstone have been the brighter crew within the opening half an hour, and so they carved out the primary actual alternative of the match within the twenty seventh minute when Curtis stabbed simply extensive from six yards after getting on the tip of Josh McPake’s cross.
The breakthrough got here for the hosts within the thirty first minute when Balodis headed Watt’s nook in off the underside of the crossbar.
Shortly afterwards, Saints ahead Sidibeh noticed a shot deflected simply extensive.
County began to construct their approach into the sport because the interval approached and Samuel and Hale each threatened with makes an attempt from the sting of the field.
The guests drew stage from their first clear probability of the match within the forty first minute when Kieran Phillips fizzed over a low cross from the proper that was turned in on the close to publish by Samuel.
Saints had a few huge alternatives to revive their lead within the 51st minute when Taylor Steven nodded McPake’s cross into the hazard space however Sidibeh was unable to get a clear shot away earlier than Uche Ikpeazu scooped his effort over the bar from shut vary.
The house aspect went again in entrance on the hour when Watt curled residence the free ball from 12 yards after Sidibeh had shot straight at goalkeeper Jordan Amissah following a Barry Douglas supply into the field.
There was an enormous second within the 81st minute when County thought they’d equalised via Hale, just for or not it’s dominated out for offside following a prolonged examine. The guests’ distress was compounded within the tenth minute of stoppage time when Zac Ashworth was proven a straight crimson card for dissent.
What the managers mentioned…
St Johnstone boss Simo Valakiri:
“When you get your last chance you need to deliver, and the boys did that today.
“We may all see the nervousness and there have been a couple of dodgy moments once we did not do the proper issues. That is completely comprehensible – my gamers are human beings.
“But I loved that they kept trying to do the right things under pressure and in the end it all came good. We’ve kept the fight going.”
Ross County boss Don Cowie:
“I’ve just said to the group, there’s no point feeling sorry for ourselves, because I certainly am not going to.
“We have got two huge video games developing. Regardless of the poor run of type that we have been on, we’ve nonetheless acquired a possibility to get ourselves out of the scenario that we’re in.
“We’re making it difficult for ourselves, but we’ve still got that opportunity.”
