Ross County had better hope that they prevail when Hibernian visit Dingwall on Tuesday evening. Otherwise they will face a fraught final fixture at Firhill on Saturday against Partick Thistle.
Failure to defeat Terry Butcher and his under-achieving players could see County requiring victory in Glasgow and the omens are not favourable for the Highlanders.
County have gone 16 months and as many matches since they last won a match south of Perth. Eleven of those games were lost and manager Derek Adams’ claim to be the form team among the bottom six has a hollow ring to it.
Just one victory and four defeats from their last seven fixtures has left them in a precarious position. The fact that Hibs are unbeaten in four meetings with them, including two wins at Victoria Park, in what has been a dismal campaign for the Edinburgh club does not bode well for Adams.
On Saturday they endured more suffering in the central belt when substitute Gregg Wylde fired an unsaveable shot into Mark Brown’s top left-hand corner to claim all three points for St Mirren, who had been the more adventurous of the two sides.
County finished fifth last season, their first in the top flight, but relegation via the play-offs remains a real possibility.
“I think it would definitely be a bit unfair if we ended up in 11th given the way we’ve played in the second-half of the season,” left-back Ben Gordon said. “We’ve taken 24 points since January and the gaffer has been saying to us we are one of the form sides in the country in the bottom six.
“It’ll take two massive performances to stay away from the play-off, but that’s what we want to have. Tuesday is a home game and you saw against Kilmarnock recently that we like to start quickly and put the other side under pressure.
“With the way things have been going for Hibs since the new year, it’s a massive opportunity for us and we hope to take full advantage.”
Richard Brittain and Rocco Quinn hit the crossbar for the visitors but Kenny McLean watched a candidate for Goal of the Season elude him when a dipping effort from 30 yards came back off the inside of the far post. Saints, though, created more openings and County had Brown to think for some superb saves.
Home captain Jim Goodwin was delighted with the result but was less pleased with the antics of some of his opponents, whom he accused of play-acting in an attempt to land the Irishman – the most cautioned player in the Premiership – in hot water with referee Craig Thomson.
“Obviously – and I need to watch what I’m saying – I’m aware of what opposition players and that have been up to in the last few weeks,” he said.
“I think, thankfully, we had the best referee in the country in the match against Ross County and he was wise to it as well. I hope now the officials are aware of what is going on.
“Don’t get me wrong: I’m not trying to portray myself as an angel and I’m not innocent all of the time but I just think the carry-on needs to be stamped out. It’s embarrassing and not the way the game should be played. It’s a contact sport. I give out tackles and expect them in return.
“But this carry-on, trying to get players booked and then the same players coming up to you after the game wanting to shake your handâ ¦.it’s cheating at the end of the day.”
St Mirren (4-1-4-1): Dilo; Naismith, McGregor, McAusland, Kelly; Goodwin; Newton, McGowan (Magennis 67), McLean, McGinn (Wylde 67); Thompson. Subs: Kello (g/k), van Zanten, Djemba-Djemba, Teale, Campbell. Goal: Wylde (79).
Ross County (4-4-2): Brown; Cikos, Songo’o, Boyd, Gordon; Brittain, Kiss, Kettlewell, Carey (Cooper h-t); De Leeuw (Quinn 88), Slew. Subs: Fraser (g/k), Maatsen, McLean, Oikonomou, Arquin. Booked: Gordon.
Referee: Craig Thomson.
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