A draw was a fair result, in an evenly-contested match at McDiarmid Park.
County suffered three defeats against the Perth outfit last season, winning the last encounter between the sides 1-0 in April, but there was to be no separating them on this occasion as on-form attackers Craig Curran and Graham Cummins cancelled each other out.
The Staggies have now taken four points from their last possible six, following Saturday’s 2-0 win against Hamilton Accies.
County were forced to make one change from the side that recorded the Staggies’ first victory of the campaign on Saturday, with defender Scott Boyd dropping out with a neck injury, having been due to break the club’s record appearances tally in what would have been his 288th game since joining from Partick Thistle in September 2007. He was replaced by former Port Vale defender Chris Robertson, making his County debut.
Saints left it late to rescue a 1-1 draw against the Staggies’ Highland rivals, Caley Thistle, on Saturday, and manager Tommy Wright drafted in goalscorer Graham Cummins in place of Simon Lappin for his first start having netted from the bench in his first two games. Defender Frazer Wright also dropped out, being replaced by Brad McKay.
The hosts had conceded five goals in their opening two games and County manager Jim McIntyre tasked attackers Liam Boyce and Craig Curran, whose double saw off Hamilton on Saturday, with adding to that.
Curran was involved from the off last night, but this time making himself known to referee Alan Muir just 90 seconds into the game with a challenge on McKay that earned the English attacker an early yellow card.
County didn’t take long to settle into their stride however, and Saints goalkeeper Alan Mannus had to show good reflexes to beat away Staggies skipper Andrew Davies’ header from a deep Michael Gardyne delivery after just five minutes.
Saints hit back though, and just three minutes later County survived a let-off when Cummins scooped a free header over the bar from Liam Craig’s corner. County goalkeeper Scott Fox was called upon for the first time moments later, getting down to hold John Sutton’s cushioned shot from 16 yards.
Having weathered that pressure, County’s front two combined to net the opener on 17 minutes. Boyce threaded a low pass to put Curran clean through on goal, and the forward steadied himself before drilling low past Mannus for his third goal in two games.
Saints continued to pose a threat at set-pieces, and but for Cummins they would have drawn level on 35 minutes, with the Irishman inadvertently getting in the way of attack partner Sutton’s goal-bound header from David Wotherspoon’s corner.
It was end-to-end action, and moments later County came within inches of adding a second, as Raffaele De Vita’s flick from a Gardyne delivery was deflected behind by McKay.
When the Staggies clicked into gear they were a joy to watch, and they could have doubled the lead four minutes before the interval, as Boyce and Curran combined on the edge of the box to set up Ian McShane, but the former Queen of the South midfielder’s low shot was straight at Mannus.
Saints wide man Michael O’Halloran was proving to be a real danger man, and his cut-back nearly set up an equaliser on 52 minutes, but to the visitors’ relief Cummins struck the ball off Fox’s right-hand post from close-range.
Just 60 seconds later though, Saints found the breakthrough they deserved on the balance of play. This time there was to be denying on-form Cummins, as Sutton’s pass fell his way, before the attacker powered a low strike into the corner from just inside the box, for his third goal in as many games.
County spurned a fine chance to regain their lead on 65 minutes, when Mannus spilled Marcus Fraser’s free-kick straight to the feet of De Vita, but the Italian did not get a firm connection on the strike as it spiraled wide.
De Vita was taken off shortly afterwards for Tony Dingwall, and the youngster brought a fresh spark into the Staggies’ forward play, while McIntyre also withdrew Boyce for Brian Graham, but Saints’ top scorer from last season was unable to put his former club to the sword as the points were shared.
