The term 'six-pointer' is such a cliche, yet there was some merit in using it to describe Saturday's clash in Dingwall. That's not to say that defeat has absolutely doomed Ross County to relegation to the Championship; they still have seventeen league games left, after all. And this loss leaves them only three points adrift of St. Mirren.
But County had to hit spectacular depths of incompetence to screw up this game. It doesn't help that there is now a palpable sense of panic amongst the players at the prospect of a match in Dingwall, where they have won just once all season and four times in the past twelve months. But the back line remains utterly shambolic and chaotic, despite (or perhaps because of) frequent changes in personnel; Jim McIntyre has had nineteen matches as manager; surely that's enough time to get this lot organized?
St, Mirren, who are about as threatening as a poodle with its teeth removed (and less pretty on the eye), should have been out of sight by the break, with their young midfield trio of Stevie Mallan, John McGinn and Kenny Mclean causing havoc every time they got the ball down and ran at County defenders. County were on the ropes, yet they got the perfect fillip when Yoann Arquin, making his debut for the Buddies against the team he left a fortnight ago, was outrageously sent off for stepping on Lewis Toshney's toe. They would be a man up for fifty minutes, against a side who hadn't kept a clean sheet all season.
And still they made remarkably heavy weather of it, even having brought on another striker, Liam Boyce, at half-time, as St. Mirren bunkered in and hung on. McIntyre even admitted afterwards that the tempo was far too slow, that there was too little width. Only Jackson Irvine, inexplicably parked on the right flank, offered any drive from midfield; it was the Ozzie who created a golden opportunity that was squandered pathetically by Craig Curran. When the equalizer did come, it was soft; a hopeless punt into the box was flicked on by Curran's replacement, Jake Jervis, and finished off by Boyce. With eight minutes left on the clock, it was more a consequence of tired legs in the defence than skilled attacking play.
And yet County couldn't even nick a point, as Stevie Mallan's diving header won it. The teenager is making quite a name for himself, following on from his wonderful solo goal against Dundee. This goal was arguably even more important.
County can still extract themselves from the current predicament. They still have two weeks to strengthen the squad - and boy does it need strengthened - and they are blessed to be competing in a top flight season with two other utterly inept teams in it. In most years, Motherwell, St. Mirren and Ross County would all finish bottom by a mile. This season, at least one of them will stay up. LS
Aberdeen's run ends...and how!
Ninety minutes later, when they'd somehow escaped with a point, it was hard to remember that this match started so brightly for Aberdeen with David Goodwillie's early opener suggesting business as usual for the side that had won eight straight league games. When Goodwillie snuck in behind the Dees defence again to tee up Jonny Hayes, it seemed as if the Dons were about to put the game to bed early; as it was, the Irishman's strike was stopped by a combination of some appendage of Paul McGinn's body (I am certain Willie Collum would have seen fit to award a penalty and send the boy aff...) and a Scott Bain reaction save. Aberdeen were to pay for their profligacy.
As dismal as Dundee are at defending, they're also good for goals - they haven't failed to score in a game since last October. Aberdeen's defence had been solid rock for weeks, but the Dees proceeded to smash it to smithereens. First, Gary Irvine marauded into the box and unleashed a hot shot past Scott Brown. A couple of minutes later, a sublime one-two with Luka Tankulic freed Greg Stewart to power in a second, and by the time Ash Taylor had fly-hacked a Gary Harkins shot past his own 'keeper just after the half-time break it looked as if the Dark Blues were going to take home a valuable three points.
Aberdeen were shell-shocked, the supporters were stunned; a few Dandies even embarrassed themselves by booing the players. Those fans who sneaked out early may have choked on their boiled sweeties as the final drama played out over the radios of their likely traffic-jammed vehicles. With minutes remaining, teenage sub Lawrence Shankland skipped round Kostadin Gadzhalov, only for the Bulgar to bring him down inside the box (I thought it looked a soft penalty, although in fairness there were few protestations made to the referee). Hayes duly slotted home to set up the grandstand finish in injury time - a Shay Logan volleyed lob, a Shankland shanked header, a Ryan Jack smash and grab, pandemonium.
For Dundee, it must have been somewhat galling to lose a two-goal lead so late in the day, albeit Paul Hartley didn't sound too displeased during the post-match presser. As for Aberdeen, if your eight-game winning streak is going to come to an end, it may as well come to an end by coming back from 3-1 down in the last five minutes. Time will tell if it will prove a crucial point gained, or a disappointing dent to their apparent title challenge. MI
One can't begrudge Celtic their 2-0 win at New Douglas Park; the scoreline felt like a fair reflection on the match. Hamilton were their usual high-energy selves, but found that the Bhoys were too capable to be harassed. With Virgil Van Dijk stepping out of defence and both full-backs raiding forward, Celtic always seemed to have extra men in midfield. Whilst Dougie Imrie was game to track Emilio Izaguirre down one side, Adam Matthews ran amok on the other; with Stefan Johansen frequently coming inside off the flank and dragging Accies' left-back Stephen Hendrie with him, Matthews had an enormous seam to raid down. Ali Crawford was nominally the left-sided Hamilton midfielder, but he's not a natural wide player and left Matthews too often. And so the Welshman blasted in a superb opener and was the provider of the second for Liam Henderson.
That's not to say Accies played badly at all; their attitude was as impressive as previously under Alex Neil and one suspects that centre back and caretaker boss Martin Canning will be appointed as Neil's successor this week despite two defeats. Continuity is what this club wants. But Accies didn't have enough up front and, as stated above, lost the midfield battle.
Celtic's problem remains up front. Leigh Griffiths got the nod for this one. By my memory, he becomes the sixth different centre-forward used by Ronny Deila in the 4-2-3-1 this season, following John Guidetti, Stefan Scepovic (both subs for this one), Anthony Stokes (usually preferred on the left but currently injured), Teemu Pukki (discarded) and Kris Commons (I'm sure he started the game in Inverness up front). Griffiths was busy and linked up play well, but he offered little in the penalty box. And in this Celtic side, with two attacking full-backs and the likes of Commons and Johansen creating, the primary role of the lone striker is to finish off the chances that the others create.
No fewer than three Accies players have more league goals than any Celtic player. Until Celtic find that prolific striker (or at least until Guidetti, Scepovic or Griffiths find some consistent form), they will remain vulnerable. LS
St. Johnstone win. Not much else to say, really
Due to lack of there being anything of interest about this game, I have resorted to mean spiritedness and sarcasm.
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it, does it make a sound? If two mid-table teams play a rubbish game in front of not many people, did it really happen?
I swear I watched the “highlights” of this game five minutes ago and I can barely remember a single thing that happened. Dave Mackay scored a deflected opener that he had the audacity to celebrate but after that it’s a bit of a blur. Let me rack my brain.
Partick hit the bar I think, and some St Johnstone player scored a header. Erm… I think there was handball somewhere, and maybe a tackle that led to a corner for a team. I think that might have been it.
Oh, Brian Easton celebrated his goal line clearance as if he’d scored, which was quite right as it was far more exciting that any of the actual goals that were scored. And Partick Thistle haven’t won in Perth for 22 years, which might be as embarrassing a statistic as there is in football.
Willie Collum was the fourth official. That might be kind of interesting.
Final score from McDiarmid Park: St Johnstone 2, Partick Something, snore. IM
Won't Somebody Please Think Of The
Due to frozen goal mouths at Tannadice, the Dundee United v Caley Thistle game was postponed. Sadly for the Inverness support a number of them were already approaching Perth when this announcement was made leaving them with no other option but to turnaround and head back north having wasted most of their Saturday.
Calloffs are always regrettable but this one could have been made at 09:45 when the first inspection took place. Instead, it took a second inspection at 11:30 to deduce that the pitch was not safe and the match was postponed. I don't know what measures United did take (or possibly didn't) ahead of Saturday's match but perhaps the various parties need to be more ruthless when making these decisions and think of the supporters who are travelling and likely to be inconvenienced.
There's no way that Dundee United actually wanted the game called off as they would have lost money from the postponement. But when supporters are travelling quite significant distances to games these decisions should be made at a reasonable time to save fans too much of a wasted journey.
To their credit Dundee United will offer supporters entry to the re-arranged fixture for a mere £5 which is to be commended. However, a midweek trip to Tannadice is unlikely to welcome a large travelling Inverness support despite this generous offer. AS
Iain Meredith (IM) is technically a Rangers fan, but these days he tends to support them ironically. He only agreed to help with this blog because now he can tell his wife that he's "only watching the game to help a friend out".
Lawrie Spence (LS) has ranted and spouted his ill-informed opinions on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007. He has a life outside this blog. Honestly.
Andrew Sutherland (AS) occasionally writes for When Saturday Comes. He would never miss an ICT match unless he was offered a date with the lead singer of CHVRCHES...who he would then take to said ICT match.
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