I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT
Saints are a turn off for Rod as strikers hit bum notes in Paisley stalemate
ROD STEWART may have been only joking but he won very few friends with his claim nobody wants to watch St Mirren.
With the greatest respect, a defiant showcase of entertainment this encounter was not.
The vintage rocker believes the Buddies are a turn-off and his wish is to watch his heroes Celtic playing down south.
And the Paisley side picked their night to hit the bum notes in a stalemate with Ross County which only served to strengthen Rod’s case.
A story of Handbags and Gladrags with nine bookings and war of attrition due to two sets of strikers who were well out of tune.
Jim Goodwin’s side failed to take a hatful of chances as they made it seven games without a win.
But while the Highlanders may remain rock bottom, they collected another point to add to a recent revival which leaves them just two points adrift.
Saints shuffled their pack with Kyle McAllister and Kristian Dennis recalled as the suspended Joe Shaughnessy and Ryan Flynn dropped out.
County boss Malky Mackay made four changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Dundee United – Jake Vokins, Ross Callachan, Dominic Samuel and Joseph Hungbo coming in for Jordan Tillson, Regan Charles-Cook, Jordan White and the banned Harry Clarke.
To be fair, the Highlanders were needing to change the picture against the Buddies given they hadn’t won in six meetings, losing the last four.
Saints looked keen to extend that run as they forced a string of corners and Eamonn Brophy had a header deflected wide.
But they were almost stung in five minutes as County’s Blair Spittal saw his shot from the edge of the area spin off Charles Dunne and fly inches over.
Another break by County caused panic in the Buddies box as Dunne made a hash of a clearance.
Dominic Samuel was able to take a touch before curling a shot which was arrowing into the top corner before Jak Alnwick went full stretch to push it wide.
County slowly gained some control and another Spittal effort from distance required a more conventional save from Alnwick in the 15th minute. Samuel was next to try his luck but blasted his effort well wide.
Shoot on sight seemed to be the policy for both sides, with Richard Tait’s 25-yarder well held by County’s Ash Maynard-Brewer after 24 minutes.
Saints went closer moments later as McAllister lashed in a low shot which was diverted away from goal by a last ditch intervention by Jack Baldwin.
Harry Paton went into the book for Staggies before Connor Ronan joined him, both for cynical trips as the game started to ignite.
The Highlanders then lost Alex Iacovitti to injury just after the half-hour and he was replaced by Keith Watson whose first act was to go into the book for a lunge on Dennis.
But it was all square at the interval, it was proving a decent watch but all a bit powder puff on the attacking front.
Seconds after the restart there was a caution for County’s Jake Vokins for a blatant body check on Marcus Fraser as Saints broke and as the crime count continued to rise, Dunne and David Cancola were next to land yellow cards from referee David Dickenson for grappling with one another inside the box .
The breaks in play were doing little to liven up the contest but Saints should have broken the deadlock when Dennis somehow managed to steer a header wide from a few yards out.
It was a missed opportunity in keeping with a familiar theme.
Chances continued to come, though, with Brophy spinning to send in a shot which was fielded by Maynard-Brewer as the action was now all but confined to the County half.
Another sight of goal for Dennis only produced a tame shot which was straight at the Staggies keeper and
frustration at the lack of a clinical touch was being vented from the stands.
Ronan tired to lift them when he fired in two shots which were blocked by the increasingly busy Maynard-Brewer and Scott Tanser smacked a shot high over the top when a bit of composure was required.
A final glimpse of goal for Saints came substitute Curtis Main’s way but another weak finish failed to threaten the Staggies No.1.
Saints were dominant in the secondhalf but they will rue the missed chances and that lack of a predatory striker is a problem which continues to haunt their campaign.