Alex Samuel and Akil Wright scored two late goals to salvage a draw for Ross County in the Scottish Premiership; Drey Wright had cancelled out Ronan Hale's opener; two Nicky Clark free-kicks saw St Johnstone into a 3-1 lead, but they could not hold onto it
Saturday 21 September 2024 19:50, UK
Late drama was the order of the day in Dingwall as Ross County came from 3-1 down late on to salvage a 3-3 draw against St Johnstone.
County had originally taken the lead through Ronan Hale in the first half, but Drey Wright expertly picked out the bottom corner just before half-time.
It was the Perth side who claimed the advantage in the second half, going ahead through two Nicky Clark free-kicks, but with just minutes left on the clock it was first Alex Samuel who got a goal back and then Akil Wright who scored an equaliser deep into added time.
Both sides struggled to find their rhythm in the early going, giving the ball away repeatedly when trying to build up attacks.
It was perhaps fitting, then, that the breakthrough in the 20th minute stemmed from a poorly-placed pass out from the back.
Jack Sanders, back into the side after suspension, gave the ball away to Josh Nisbet inside his own half, and the Australia international found Hale inside the St Johnstone box and he slotted into the bottom corner.
The Staggies had chances to double their advantage through Wright, who saw a header cleared off the line, and Hale, before St Johnstone began to grow back into the tie as half-time approached.
They would find an equaliser just minutes before the break, with Wright running on to a half-cleared Matthew Smith corner and firing through a crowd of players to pick out the bottom corner.
St Johnstone would take the lead on the hour mark, after Mackenzie Kirk was fouled by Kacper Lopata on the edge of Ross County's box as both he and team-mate Wright slid in to try and stop the striker bearing down on the home goal.
Clark stepped up to take it, and beat Ross Laidlaw at the 'keeper's side to put the visitors ahead 2-1.
In the last 10 minutes, Clark would repeat the feat with an even better striker, picking out the top corner directly from a free-kick 25 yards from goal to beat Laidlaw and put St Johnstone 3-1 ahead.
Immediately afterwards, County would get a goal back when Samuel headed in from close range, and with nine minutes added they had every chance of getting an equaliser.
That would come in the 97th minute, when Jack Grieves' free-kick was curled towards Wright, who powered a header past Sinclair and into the far corner from 15 yards out to level the scores at 3-3.
Ross County manager Don Cowie: "It was a strange game in terms of us being in control and looking comfortable and threatening.
"We probably should have been further ahead than the one goal we had, but we weren't clinical enough and we got punished.
"We showed great character to get a point out of the game, which is the least we deserved. It's a massive positive, because it didn't feel like a 3-1 game at that stage, but we kept going.
"I think the momentum was there for us to try and win the game, but there wasn't enough time for that. Overall, I'm just delighted to get it back to 3-3."
St Johnstone caretaker manager Andy Kirk: "The players were obviously not happy with the situation, but they put in a power of work and to not take all three points is hard to take.
"It's not the first time, so we need to learn from it. The players were rightly angry. We got ahead thanks to two wonderful strikes from Nicky Clark, so we should be coming away with three points.
"It's the players who are suffering at the moment on the pitch. It feels like we've come away with nothing, and that's hard to take.
"They need to start demanding more from each other on the pitch. I have no issues with their application during the week, but at key moments during the game it's hurting us."
