Rollercoaster night for Saints old and new
They would be dancing in the streets of Scone when team selections from Dingwall surfaced on Wednesday night.
Ross Sinclair’s name was proudly sitting at the summit of the sheet signalling what was to be a first ever competitive St Johnstone start for the homegrown talent.
The former Perth Academy student has been with the club since the age of 12 – previously a kid with Scone Thistle – and has progressed nicely through the ranks.
He has previously picked up plenty minutes at numerous clubs on loan and let’s not forget his experiences of
representing Scotland at under-21 level.
But this latest milestone was particularly special and those tuning in from The Scone Arms or Brown and Blacks would be raising a glass in celebration.
Saints’ Premiership safety had been secured before the journey north thanks to Saturday’s victory against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
And in that sense, it made perfect sense for interim boss Steven Maclean to hoist Sinclair into the spotlight and especially with loan goalkeeper Remi Matthews now back down south.
While the pressure was off, one imagines the 22-yearold remained rather nervous between the posts.
In all honesty, he did not have much to do in a first half where Saints nudged ahead on 24 minutes thanks to a beautiful curler from Stevie May’s right boot.
There had been an early scare but Sinclair reacted smartly and quickly to spread himself nicely to deny striker Jordan White after initially punching clear a looping ball.
Perth players were actually pinging the ball around rather well and there would probably have been no complaints if they had managed to add a second before the break.
County, in the relegation playoff spot, did have a couple of sights of goal but the final product was often missing and that released the pressure instantly.
By this point word would be travelling around Scone that Sinclair had navigated through the opening 45 minutes with a clean sheet.
Another toast in The Scone Arms would be worthy.
Saints were not for taking their foot off the accelerator and were awarded a penalty in the 52nd minute after lovely link-up between May and Adam Montgomery.
Montgomery was wiped out in full flow and May took the honours by swinging the ball low into the bottom corner.
That pretty much looked to be that.
Moments later, however, County had a lifeline when Cammy Ballantyne was penalised by referee Nick Walsh for handball in the box.
Yan Dhanda stepped up to slam high into the net from the spot and rob Sinclair of his clean sheet. This was now to turn into a whirlwind finish.
The hosts suddenly had a spring in their step and on the hour mark Sinclair impressively denied substitute Alex Samuel, who had manoeuvred in from the right flank.
But White soon levelled the fixture at 2-2 after capitalising on a mis-hit attempt from range before, in the 89th minute, defender Jack Baldwin took centre stage.
He rifled in a low angled drive to leave Sinclair diving in desperation across his goal. The ball whistled into the bottom corner and, suddenly, County had the lead.
That had all sorts of ramifications at the bottom of the standings – excluding Saints of course – but Ryan Mcgowan ensured a point headed back down the A9.
A corner deep into stoppage time was nodded off the crossbar by Andy Considine and sneaking in at the back post to nudge the rebound over the line was the smiling Australian midfielder.
Sinclair will get another shot between the posts at home to Livingston on Sunday.