Ross County go nine games without a win and back in relegation zone after defeat at St Johnstone
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Scottish Premiership
St Johnstone 1
Ross County 0
Scorer: Carey (70)
Ross County have dropped back into the relegation zone and have now gone nine games without a win in all competitions after defeat in Perth.
Graham Carey scored the only goal of the game as new manager Craig Levin started his reign at St Johnstone with a victory and they moved off the bottom into 10th place.
The Staggies could finish bottom of the Premiership by the end of the weekend if Livingston manage to pick up a point against Rangers tomorrow.
Ross County have failed to win a game since a 1-0 victory at Kilmarnock back on Saturday, September 2.
The Staggies made two changes to the team which lost 3-0 to Celtic last weekend. Ben Purrington came on for George Harmon and Will Nightingale replaced the suspended James Brown.
There was little action in the first half, with Victor Loturi and Luke Robinson both yellow carded after a grapple on the pitch.
Scott Allardice had a half chance from 20 yards out which was easily saved by Dimitar Mitov as the team went into the break goalless.
St Johnstone created two great chances to score early in the second half. Chris Kane hit a spectacular effort which beat Ross Laidlaw, but crashed off the crossbar.
Carey was there with the follow up and his low drive forced a good save from Laidlaw to keep the score at 0-0.
But St Johnstone took the lead with 20 minutes remaining when Stevie May's cross from the left wing found its way to Carey who curled a beaut from inside the box into the top left corner.
May came close to killing the game off in the closing stages when he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but Laidlaw produced a good block to keep Ross County in it.
Jordan White came close to levelling for Ross County late on when he got on the end of a Jack Baldwin cross, but nodded straight at goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov.
St Johnstone: Mitov, Brown, Considine, McGowan, Gordon, Kane (Spangler 80), Clark (May 63), Carey, Robinson, Smith, Phillips.
Subs: Richards, Gallacher, Macpherson, Kucheriayvi, Jephcott, Olugunwa, Turner-Cooke.
Ross County: Laidlaw, Randall (Sheaf 88), Purrington (Harmon 52), Baldwin, Allardice (Samuel 73), Fhanda, Loturi (Turner 45), Murray, White, Nightingale, Leak.
Subs: Munro, High, Reid.
Referee: Nick Walsh
Attendance 3018
