St Mirren 5 Ross County 4: 'Bizarre day at the office' leaves neither players nor managers happy

Football Writer

Monday 1 October 2012

THIS was the proverbial "great game for the neutrals." Which was maybe just as well, for in the aftermath of one of the most entertaining Clydesdale Bank Premier League matches in recent memory, none of the contributors seemed all that happy.

Steven Thompson, on ground, watches his overhead effort sail into the net for the winner in nine-goal thriller. Picture: SNS

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Graeme Macpherson

St Mirren won this nine-goal thriller with an overhead kick in the final minute to record their fourth successive home victory and move to within two points of the top of the division. Yet the celebrations come full-time were very much muted.

Manager Danny Lennon appeared in something of a daze – as if he had just completed a very taxing Sudoko puzzle – and was emotionally spent. His satisfaction at seeing his team come out on top was tempered by the poverty of his team's first-half performance and at throwing away a two-goal lead with 10 minutes left to play. His mood would surely have been even worse if Steven Thompson had not intervened late on to ensure a home win. Even the usually gregarious Thompson seemed downbeat, describing the team's display in the first half, when Ross County dominated and went up the tunnel 2-1 in front, as "the worst I've seen us play since I joined the club".St Mirren did improve in the second half, and a penalty from Lewis Guy, a Sam Parkin header and a fine strike from Kenny McLean had them 4-2 in front. It seemed, however, as if their first-half showing, as well as the late collapse that led to County drawing level at 4-4 via two Rocco Quinn goals, was still on their minds when they came to speak about what had been a remarkable contest."We didn't play well on Tuesday night [beating Hamilton Academical in the Scottish Communities League Cup] or today, but we won both games," said Parkin. "So in a funny way you can dust yourself down, forget about two not-great performances and realise we're through to the next round of the cup and in a decent position in the league. But we've got to improve on the first half as we weren't our usual selves. "If we are to take any positives out of it it's that we've scored five goals, and having being pegged back by Ross County, to find a winner as well does show good character. So we're delighted and relieved. Put it down to a bizarre day at the office."Thompson and Parkin tend to be viewed as big target men, whose best work is done in the air, but the former St Johnstone striker believes there is more to their respective games than that. "I had never played against Thommo before and he's really impressed me. People think him and I are just both big lumps, but we're both the same kind of player; we like the ball in to us on the deck. That's what gets the best out of us and he's produced a bit of magic. It was a great finish and relief all round."It seems you wait ages for a Ross County defeat and then two come along at once. A week after their 40-game unbeaten league sequence was ended by St Johnstone the Dingwall side found themselves again licking their wounds. This one must have been even sorer to take. Derek Adams' side dominated the first half, playing some bold, attacking football and then seemed to have done enough to earn a point via Quinn's brace, only to succumb to defeat with virtually the last kick of the game. County's doughty performances at the start of the season had seen them earn a reputation as being a dull and unadventurous side, making this scoreline all the more remarkable. "If only we had been cautious this time," sighed Vigurs. "It was just a freak – it turned into a basketball game at the end. "We've scored four goals away from home and still walked away with a defeat. In spells we played really well and scored some good goals, but as a team we can't defend like that. We didn't handle their big boys up top. It was silly goals we've lost and we've walked away with nothing after scoring four goals."But we can't ship five goals, we really can't. We need to get a solid back line, a solid midfield and we need to defend from the front. We didn't do that and we left ourselves too exposed, and fair play to St Mirren, they took their chances."analysis 'Bizarre day at the office' leaves neither players nor managers happy

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St Mirren 5 Ross County 4: 'Bizarre day at the office' leaves neither players nor managers happy

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