(Photo by Paul Thomas/Getty Images)
Ross County gained a massive 3 points in the basement battle away to St Johnstone winning 2-1, Regan Charles-Cook and Ross Callachan scored in each half to create a 4 point gap in the table.
The Staggies started proceedings on the front foot, Charles-Cook tried a blistering effort on 5 minutes, his 16-yard effort being held by Elliott Parish before Harry Clarke saw a long-range effort denied by the custodian who deputised for Zander Clark who was ruled out.
Ross County took the lead on the quarter-hour mark, Joseph Hungbo sent Charles-Cook through with only Parish to beat and the winger did so with ease, lobbing the ball over the goalkeeper and giving the visitors a well-earned lead.
St Johnstone got the perfect response having gone a goal down 4 minutes later through a speculative long-range effort from Jacob Butterfield after his left-footed strike cannoned off a Ross County defender, leaving Maynard-Brewer helpless in the County goal, their first goal in 5 games also which was welcome.
The Highlanders were then awarded a penalty on 29 minutes, a Hungbo free-kick bouncing off the hand of Craig Bryson with Willie Collum having no choice but to point towards the spot, up stepped Ross Callachan with the effort striking off the right-hand post.
Ross County continued to impress in the 2nd half and threatened on 57 minutes, David Cancola swung a lovely ball into the box, finding White who saw his header at Parish before the whistle blew for a foul.
Malky Mackay was demanding a better impetus in the attacking area and he got his wish on 69 minutes, County regaining the lead, Charles-Cook sent in a lovely ball finding Jordan White who saw his header kiss the post before Ross Callachan bundled home beyond the reach of Parish from close range.
The assignment was to get 3 points and Ross County have done that, the side that showed better instincts when going forward and were rarely threatened at the back, jumped above Dundee and a point behind St Mirren in 10th is the early Christmas present that Malky Mackay would have wanted.
Regan Charles-Cook covered a lot of grass at McDiarmid Park, he started a fine performance by getting on the end of a Joseph Hungbo pass before converting with the latter also enjoying a fine display in Perth. Ross Callachan was disappointed with his penalty miss but made up for it with that all-important winner.
Their 1st goal in 5 games but a Jacob Butterfield long-range strike did little to turn fortunes around, Callum Davidson looking ahead to the earlier winter break, having to get a Boxing Day clash against Celtic out the way first. Very quiet in the forward areas and a lack of creativity around the midfield area.
The absentees through self-isolation didn’t help either with a lot of experienced figures unavailable for Davidson and St Johnstone.
St Johnstone: Parish, Brown, Dendoncker, Gordon, McCart, Booth, Davidson, Bryson, Butterfield, May, O’Halloran: Subs: Sinclair, Devine, Craig, Crawford, Middleton, Solomon-Otabor, Muller.
Ross County: Maynard-Brewer, Vokins, Cancola, Baldwin, Spittal, Callachan, Watson, Charles-Cook, Hungbo, Clarke, White Subs: Laidlaw, Randall, Samuel, Burroughs, Tillson, Paton
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