Match ends, Ross County 0, St. Johnstone 0.
Ross CountyRoss County0St JohnstoneSt Johnstone0
Malky Mackay hopes to add three players to his Ross County squad on Tuesday but expects the remainder of the summer transfer window to be "bumpy".
County and St Johnstone played out a 0-0 draw in Saturday's opening day of Scottish Premiership fixtures.
Ali McCann could have put the Perth side ahead but blazed his penalty over with 20 minutes remaining.
"We've got a tough month coming up. This transfer window is going to be bumpy," Mackay told BBC Scotland.
"It's a change at the club - 15 players leaving, so many players are going to have to come in. The transition will take a bit of time but we'll get there.
"We're hoping to have maybe three signings done by Tuesday morning. We do that and then we look to maybe another couple by the end of the week. I need to not have the kids on the bench at the moment."
Regan Charles-Cook was left all alone as he headed over the St Johnstone goal moments before Reece Devine's low shot was deflected wide at the other end in the early stages of the match.
County's Ross Callachan should have ended the impasse after going beyond his team-mates from midfield and dragging a shot across the face of goal, Charles-Cook not far enough advanced to add a finishing touch from the left side of the box.
With little change coming from St Johnstone's defence, manager Mackay withdrew Dominic Samuel and sent on Oli Shaw moments before the game's biggest talking point.
Devine skilfully brought the ball down near the bye-line and was knocked over by Donaldson, who appealed in vain that his challenge did not constitute a foul.
But it mattered little as McCann got under his shot to let Donaldson and County off the hook.
St Johnstone were now in the ascendancy and Callum Davidson introduced Stevie May, Chris Kane and Liam Craig.
And it almost paid off as Kane teed up May, whose shot was kept out by Ross Laidlaw and Craig slid in to smack the rebound off the outside of the left-hand post.
May was off target with a last-minute header as both sides settled for a point.
Man of the match - Reece Devine
What did we learn?
Given the penalty miss and the visitors' strong finish, County will be more grateful of the point than St Johnstone.
The league season may only be one game old but this could be one of the most physical matches both teams face.
Referee Colin Steven showed leniency in the early stages but eventually had to start yellow-carding offenders as robust challenges went in.
And the rising free-kick count prevented the match building up any sort of momentum.
What did they say?
Ross County manager Malky Mackay: "I'm delighted with the fact we actually kept a clean sheet, worked hard and got the result in the end.
"It probably was a penalty. It would've been really harsh if the game had been decided by that. It was a very even game. A point each was probably the right result."
St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson: "It's a hard one. First game of the season, you're always a little bit apprehensive over how it's going to turn out.
"I was pleased with the second-half performance. The penalty miss, that's part of football. I thought it was a penalty. It's just unfortunate we didn't score it. It's just one of those things."
What's next?
St Johnstone enter the European arena on Thursday with the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round tie with Galatasaray in Turkey (19:00).
Their first home league game of the season is against Motherwell next Sunday, when Ross County visit Hibernian (both 15:00).
Player of the match
LaidlawRoss Laidlaw
with an average of 9.46
Ross County
Avg
- Squad number1Player nameLaidlawAverage rating
9.46
- Squad number8Player nameCallachanAverage rating
8.39
- Squad number15Player nameWatsonAverage rating
6.57
- Squad number7Player nameSpittalAverage rating
6.40
- Squad number26Player nameWhiteAverage rating
6.21
- Squad number22Player nameTillsonAverage rating
6.20
- Squad number10Player nameSamuelAverage rating
6.07
- Squad number2Player nameRandallAverage rating
6.03
- Squad number9Player nameShawAverage rating
5.85
- Squad number16Player nameIacovittiAverage rating
5.80
- Squad number25Player nameDonaldsonAverage rating
5.78
- Squad number17Player nameCharles-CookAverage rating
5.66
- Squad number6Player namePatonAverage rating
5.06
St Johnstone
Avg
- Squad number3Player nameDevineAverage rating
6.65
- Squad number22Player nameHendryAverage rating
6.64
- Squad number10Player nameWotherspoonAverage rating
6.58
- Squad number19Player nameRooneyAverage rating
6.48
- Squad number11Player nameO'HalloranAverage rating
6.46
- Squad number4Player nameMcCartAverage rating
6.32
- Squad number8Player nameDavidsonAverage rating
6.29
- Squad number1Player nameClarkAverage rating
6.01
- Squad number18Player nameMcCannAverage rating
5.99
- Squad number26Player nameCraigAverage rating
5.93
- Squad number7Player nameMayAverage rating
5.70
- Squad number9Player nameKaneAverage rating
5.16
- Squad number6Player nameGordonAverage rating
5.05
- Squad number5Player nameKerrAverage rating
4.21
Line-ups
Ross County
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Laidlaw
- 25DonaldsonBooked at 70mins
- 15Watson
- 16Iacovitti
- 2Randall
- 8Callachan
- 22Tillson
- 7SpittalBooked at 66minsSubstituted forPatonat 68'minutes
- 17Charles-Cook
- 26WhiteBooked at 31mins
- 10SamuelBooked at 52minsSubstituted forShawat 65'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Paton
- 9Shaw
- 11Robertson
- 21Munro
- 30Wright
- 33Williamson
- 34MacLeman
St Johnstone
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Clark
- 5Kerr
- 6Gordon
- 4McCart
- 19RooneyBooked at 71mins
- 18McCann
- 8Davidson
- 10WotherspoonSubstituted forCraigat 83'minutes
- 3Devine
- 11O'HalloranSubstituted forMayat 76'minutes
- 22HendrySubstituted forKaneat 76'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Brown
- 7May
- 9Kane
- 12Parish
- 16Muller
- 23Ballantyne
- 26Craig
- Referee:
- Colin Steven
- Attendance:
- 1,990
Match Stats
Home TeamRoss CountyAway TeamSt Johnstone
- Possession
- Home45%
- Away55%
- Shots
- Home4
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home0
- Away2
- Corners
- Home0
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home19
- Away14
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Ross County 0, St. Johnstone 0.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Coll Donaldson (Ross County) header from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Harrison Paton with a cross.
Post update
Foul by Alistair McCann (St. Johnstone).
Post update
Harrison Paton (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Hand ball by Liam Craig (St. Johnstone).
Post update
Attempt missed. Stevie May (St. Johnstone) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Liam Craig with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Oli Shaw.
Post update
Christopher Kane (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Alex Iacovitti (Ross County).
Post update
Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Jordan Tillson.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Liam Craig (St. Johnstone) left footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the right is blocked.
Post update
Jason Kerr (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Harrison Paton (Ross County).
Post update
Liam Craig (St. Johnstone) hits the left post with a left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box.
Post update
Attempt saved. Stevie May (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Christopher Kane.
Substitution
Substitution, St. Johnstone. Liam Craig replaces David Wotherspoon.
Substitution
Substitution, St. Johnstone. Christopher Kane replaces Callum Hendry.
Substitution
Substitution, St. Johnstone. Stevie May replaces Michael O'Halloran.
Post update
Coll Donaldson (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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