Holmes sweet Holmes

Feb 10 2009 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

FORGET Ben Fogle and James Cracknell ...

Their trek to the South Pole was a dawdle compared to the trip north facing single-minded Perth fans who were determined to view the club’s bid to extend their advantage at the peak of the First Division.

The A9 landscape was inhospitable but nothing was colder than the icy reception referee Stephen Finnie and his two luminescent assistants received from Perth manager Derek McInnes at full-time.

Three goals were wiped out, a spot-kick claim was ignored and the official was so eager to pluck the red card from his pocket to dismiss a Ross County defender he failed to play an advantage rule 20 yards from goal.

McInnes stopped short of borrowing from the Jeremy Clarkson book of insults and won’t face a trip to Glasgow for a dressing down.

But even a stirring second-half fightback which retrieved a two-goal deficit and extended the unbeaten run to 17 games hadn’t soothed the savage beat within.

Yet another away draw – fixed odds friendly Saints have now posted seven from their last nine matches – edged McInnes a further point along the trail to the title.

But for a second weekend the football gods did his team no favours.

On the plus side, Saints dug deep to find the belief and courage required to plough their way back into contention on a surface which would have rivalled the National Stadium, or Perth Showground in a monsoon.

Fair play to the volunteers who shipped the snow and stripped the covers but it looked like a relief map of the Cairngorms before a ball was kicked in earnest.

The match was notable for an intriguing tug o’ war between striker Derek Holmes and Lady Luck.

Five months on from his last goal he wheeled away to celebrate a header powered home from a Liam Craig cross in the sixth minute.

It was disallowed, like a mirror image Stuart McCaffrey header six minutes later, because a colleague had strayed offside.

Relief in the Ross County camp was mixed with embarrassment. Then minutes after the break, Holmes was yellow carded for handball after stretching to tuck away a defence splitting Kevin Rutkiewicz pass.

No wonder he was contemplating phoning a friend to see if his 77th minute equaliser was going to stand.

Saints sagged after their initial aerial assaults were nullified by officialdom and Chris Millar fluffed a close range header.

Twice Jody Morris did the needful on the goalline with vital clearances.

But when a Britain free-kick broke off Paul Sheerin’s arm, Marc McCulloch didn’t join the penalty claims. Instead he rattled a shot home off the underside of the bar.

And before the interval a threadbare backline was penetrated by Steven Craig, with a fine run and angled finish.

Off went Gartland at the break and Craig dropped into the left-back slot, with Andy Jackson making an effervescent contribution alongside Holmes, and Collin Samuel sparking to life on the flank.

A Rutkiewicz header was blocked, Jackson hit the bar and Stuart McCaffrey reacted first to head over the line in the 53rd minute.

It was game on again and while ex-Saint Dyron Daal pulled a shot wide

on the break, Saints were rolling forward.

Another Rutkiewicz probe saw Jackson turn Scott Boyd in the 73rd minute.

The striker tried to keep his feet after drawing the foul but tumbled. The red card was coming out before Liam Craig advanced onto the loose ball. But once again a free-kick chance was wasted.

Seventeen minutes left and Saints turned the screw. Four minutes later impact sub Gavin Swankie flung over a glorious cross which Samuel headed goalwards from an acute angle.

Soutar pawed it out but Holmes rumbled in to get his goal. Before the end another goal famine should have ended but Millar lacked the necessary composure to cash in on a Holmes set-up and a potential winner sailed over the target.

Ross County: Soutar, Corrigan, Golabek, McCulloch, Boyd, Keddie, Hart, Brittain, Craig, Daal (Stewart 87) and Higgins (Scott 77). Subs not used: Malin, Morrison and Brewster.

St Johnstone: Main, Irvine, Gartland (Jackson 46), Morris, Rutkiewicz, McCaffrey, Millar (Moon 88), Craig, Holmes, Samuel and Sheerin (Swankie 74). Subs not used: McLean and MacDonald.

Referee: Stephen Finnie.