Two Scottish Premiership teams fighting for survival at the bottom of the table lock horns at McDiarmid Park on Saturday afternoon as St Johnstone play host to Ross County.
The Staggies are seeking revenge against the Saints as they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat in their most recent meeting in Perth just over two months ago.
Match preview
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Simo Valakari is running out of time to save his St Johnstone side from relegation, with a run of four defeats in five Scottish Premiership matches leaving them rock bottom of the table and six points adrift of safety with only three games remaining.
The Saints suffered a damaging 2-0 home defeat to Kilmarnock last weekend, their 22nd league loss of the campaign, and they are aware that defeat on Saturday to Ross County would confirm the end of their 15-year stay in the top flight.
St Johnstone are seeking to avoid losing four Premiership games in a row for the second time this season, having previously done so in December, and they are also bidding to avoid suffering a third straight defeat without scoring on home soil.
There is reason for the Saints to be optimistic of success on Saturday, as they are unbeaten in their last six league meetings with Ross County (W4 D2), winning the last two, although the Perth-based outfit have never previously beaten the Staggies three times in a row in the top flight.
Ross County narrowly avoided the drop last season by winning the relegation playoff and they may be required to do the same again this season unless they finish the campaign strongly, as they currently occupy 11th place in the Premiership standings, following a run of six successive defeats.
Only once before have the Staggies, who suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Hearts last weekend, ever lost seven in a row in the Scottish top flight, doing so in 2014-15 when they were beaten in each of their opening seven matches of that season.
Despite their miserable run of form, head coach Don Cowie believes that his group of players still have the quality to stay up and he is now targeting a “huge” victory in Perth to put their survival bid into their own hands.
Success on Saturday is not a given for Ross County, though, as they have lost three of their last four league trips to St Johnstone (D1), including both of their last two without scoring.
Team News
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St Johnstone centre-back Bozo Mikulic remains a long-term absentee as he continues to recover from a cruciate ligament injury. In his absence, Daniels Balodis, Sven Sprangler and Barry Douglas are all set to line up in the back three.
Makenzie Kirk has scored a team-high seven goals this season and is expected to operate in an advanced role next to either Nicky Clark or Josh McPake, providing support for central striker Uche Ikpeazu.
As for Ross County, Noah Chilvers (cruciate ligament), Ryan Leak (Achilles tendon) and Aidan Denholm (hamstring) all remain sidelined with injuries, while Ross Laidlaw is also unavailable as he continues to recover from glandular fever.
Cowie has confirmed that Scott Allardice does not require surgery on a knee injury, but he will miss Saturday’s game, while Jack Greaves and George Robinson are both doubts and will have niggles assessed ahead of kickoff.
St Johnstone possible starting lineup:
Fisher; Sprangler, Balodis, Douglas; Carey, Watt, Griffith, Steven; Kirk, McPake; Ikpeazu
Ross County possible starting lineup:
Amissah; Wright, Tomkinson, Ashworth; Brown, Randall, Kenneh, Harmon; White, Samuel; Hale
We say: St Johnstone 1-1 Ross County
If St Johnstone can rediscover the resilience they were able to show in a 1-0 triumph over champions Celtic last month, then they have a decent chance of coming out on top against fellow strugglers Ross County. However, we feel that the visitors will ultimately do enough to claim a share of the spoils on this occasion, all but relegating the hosts to the Championship.
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