KANE’S PAIN FOR COUNTY
Super sub’s late strike seals points
SUBSTITUTE Chris Kane took just two minutes to leave his mark on Ross County and move St Johnstone 11 points clear of Partick Thistle in fifth place in the Premiership.
Saints are now all but assured of a top-six spot after recording their fifth victory in their last six visits to Dingwall.
And it was Kane’s stunning stoppage-time goal that maintained their remarkable record at the Global Energy Stadium.
Craig Curran looked to have salvaged a point for the Staggies when he cancelled out Jay McEveley’s own goal.
But Saints boss Tommy Wright produced a masterstroke when he sent on Kane in place of Steven MacLean in the 88th minute.
David Wotherspoon passed to Kane with his back to goal 18 yards out and the striker demonstrated his predatory skills when he turned in one fluent movement and rifled the ball into the top left corner of the net.
This latest success means St Johnstone have the second best away record in the Premiership behind Celtic and with Hearts just a single point ahead of Saints, Wright is certain to reassess his targets.
He said: ‘We played extremely well. I don’t think Zander (Clark) had too many saves to make, and while they are a good side, our shape gave us control and we looked a threat all afternoon.
‘We created chances and, had our final ball been better, we could have had more. We also hit the post and the bar.
‘The goal we conceded was unlucky from our point of view, but we kept going and I’m so pleased for Chris, it was a great goal to win any game.
‘There’s a long way to go but we’ve opened up a huge gap on County which will be difficult to close.’
County have not won a Premiership match since their success against local rivals Inverness Caley Thistle in the Hogmanay derby.
As a consequence, they slipped from seventh to ninth and manager Jim McIntyre is running out of patience.
Referring to Aberdeen’s 87th-minute winner in the Scottish Cup eight days ago, McIntyre said: ‘That’s two weeks in a row we’ve conceded a late goal and it’s a real sickener.
‘There was no shortage of effort as my players gave everything they had, but Saints took their chances and we didn’t.
‘The most glaring chance was Michael Gardyne’s one which went sailing over the crossbar. It was a golden opportunity and a big moment as the first goal is all-important at this level.
‘The team that does it invariably goes on to win the game. But we’ve not scored the first goal often enough and that’s a concern.’
But McIntyre hasn’t given up on sixth place after claiming: ‘I fully expect this will go the next eight games before it’s decided as teams are cutting each other’s throats.
‘St Johnstone have fifth place nailed and are going for fourth. The rest of us are competing to be the best of the rest and we’ll lick our wounds and go again.’
While St Johnstone were fully deserving of their win, it was not an encounter that will live long in the memory of those who witnessed it.
Blair Alston knocked on wood after four minutes when the midfielder’s deft flick from the centre of the box clipped the post.
And after Gardyne had wasted Curran’s and Liam Boyce’s good work by blazing a shot carelessly over the bar, the home side was punished for sloppy defending in the 31st minute.
McEveley steered the ball into his own net after being put under pressure by MacLean, who engineered the move in the first place when he released Alston to deliver a cross from the right.
Gardyne very nearly snatched an equaliser when he struck the near post, but the home side then enjoyed a stroke of good fortune when Martin Woods appeared to use a hand to execute a goal-line clearance from Keith Watson’s header.
It appeared that St Johnstone were to be denied due reward for their superior efforts when County equalised in the 73rd minute.
Woods’ shot was deflected into the path of Curran and the striker’s shot from the centre of the box found the bottom left corner of the net — only for Kane to shatter the Staggies hopes.