Billy Mckay salvaged a point for Ross County with a stoppage-time equaliser against St Johnstone.
It had looked like the hosts were destined for defeat, after Stevie May’s first-half goal, only for Mckay to turn in Josh Mullin’s cross in the fourth minute of added time.
With Hearts and Hamilton Accies meeting at Tynecastle, in an important game at the foot of the Premiership, victory for County would at least have given them greater breathing space.
That game finished 2-2 and Mckay’s late goal at least keeps the gap at six points between his side and 11th-placed Accies.
County made six changes from the 3-0 defeat at Hibernian, with Nathan Baxter, Keith Watson, Liam Fontaine, Sean Kelly, Lee Erwin and Harry Paton all dropped. Ross Laidlaw, Richard Foster, Callum Morris, Don Cowie, Josh Mullin and Oli Shaw were drafted in.
Josh Mullin’s cross-shot nine minutes in took everyone by surprise, including Saints goalkeeper Zander Clark as the ball ricocheted off him and the post before rolling clear.
Shaw – in Dingwall to try fulfil the early promise of his time at Hibernian – was next to take aim, skidding a shot in from 20 yards that Clark beat away.
A St Johnstone counter-attack threatened to opening the scoring, with Laidlaw called upon to parry Stevie May’s effort and then Coll Donaldson threw himself in the way of Drey Wright. When the ball eventually broke to David Wotherspoon, he could not find the target.
Saints were soon in their rhythm and moved the ball slickly despite the surface. When Marcus Fraser was caught in possession on 28 minutes, May was released and his clipped cross was turned wide by Wotherspoon.
Their positive approach soon paid off, with May and Chris Kane exchanging passes before the former Aberdeen man rolled his finish beyond Laidlaw.
The Staggies lost Ross Draper at half-time through injury, with Paton called upon to replace him.
Marcus Fraser let fly from 25 yards on the hour in an attempt to bring County level, but his shot sailed wide.
It was a frustrating second half for County, who had plenty of the ball but struggled to get attempts on Clark’s goal. When Billy Mckay did try from just outside the box, after being played in by substitute Erwin, his rolled past the far post.
Laidlaw had to be alert to block a Jason Holt strike with his feet before chaos at the other end, with Clark dropping an Iain Vigurs cross into the goal-mouth and Jason Kerr lashing the clearance back against his own goalkeeper.
The ball spun clear, indicative of County’s fortunes on what had been a frustrating afternoon, before Mckay’s stoppage-time intervention lifted the gloom.
