Saints shrug off the fitness blues to take a share of the spoils
ST JOHNSTONE 0 ROSS COUNTY 0
Callum Davidson praised his group for soldiering through fitness setbacks to secure a second successive clean sheet.
The Perth men held the visitors – and five second-half substitutes – at bay despite missing knee-injuryworry Graham Carey and fielding others who toiled to train through the week.
It was a hard-fought stalemate and not one that reflected greatly on either side’s top-six credentials.
St Johnstone’s experience in defence ultimately coped with the more youthful legs of the County wide attackers.
Davidson said: “I thought we were good and worked it in good areas in the first half.
“We passed the ball quite well. The game plan worked. Two or three boys played who hadn’t trained all week.
“Jamie Murphy was struggling with an injury, Ryan McGowan was struggling as well but managed to train on Friday.
“I got good minutes out of them and we got a good spark from the ones who came on.”
There is concern for Carey, however, whose creativity and left-foot goal threat was an encouraging feature of the first two months of the season.
“He hurt his knee at training,” said Davidson. “I don’t know how long he’ll be out for.
“It was good to get Ryan in there in midfield though, and thought he adapted really well.
“As a defensive unit, we were very solid. There have been a lot of positives in the last two home games.
“We’ve other fixtures coming up where we can get points. We’ll get everyone fit and healthy and have a really strong squad to pick from.”
Carey’s injury resulted in McGowan being the versatile pawn moved to deep midfield alongside Melker Hallberg.
Captain Liam Gordon made his first start of the season at the heart of the three-man defence.
Both sides struck woodwork in a lively opening 10 minutes that proved a false dawn for entertainment value.
Drey Wright picked out Stevie May lurking unmarked on the edge of the area. The striker’s half-volley looped over Ross Laidlaw before smacking the far post.
A mazy run in from the right flank by William Akio, on the first start of his injury-hit Dingwall career, teed up Kazeem Olaigbe. The Belgian’s shot struck the underside of the crossbar then the wrong side of the goal line for County.
It was the first warning shot that Akio and Olaigbe could be a significant danger. Olaigbe left May trailing in his wake as he broke free and fashioned room for another effort, only to scuff wide.
Saints posed problems on the break and from dead balls. County let a corner drop right to the feet of Andy Considine, whose first-time crack from eight yards was blocked on the line by Laidlaw. Nicky Clark’s rebound menace was swiftly smothered out.
Olaigbe’s threat was well dealt with by Wright, which may have prompted the Southampton loanee to lash out with a bad lunge.
He was withdrawn on 65 minutes after being booked. His replacement, Owura Edwards, was one of the fresh sets of legs Malky Mackay used to try to wear down this most durable of home defences.
But David Cancola’s low 25-yard drive held by Remi Matthews was the only moment of sweat for the Saints keeper.
Ali Crawford and Connor McLennan came on in the creative slots for Davidson and the former found himself with a chance to win it. Edwards blocked Wright’s shot into his path. Crawford’s first-time snapshot flashed inches wide of Laidlaw’s left-hand post.