Dave MacKay had just played his part in a remarkable rearguard action to break Ross County’s proud 40-game unbeaten league record.
The St Johnstone skipper, having helped defy the odds with 10 men for an hour, was probably entitled to feel anything is now possible for the Perth Saints.
Rather than get carried away, though, the 32-year-old left Dingwall with a level-headed belief that Saints can repeat or even better last season’s top-six feat.
Derek Adams’ team did everything but score and paid the price as defender Frazer Wright grasped a late winner.
For the determined visitors, though, this was fresh proof of recovery from some early-season blues.
In a very different test from McDiarmid Park against Celtic seven days before, St Johnstone showed depths of resolve and spirit to remain buoyant as County’s blue tide threatened to engulf them.
MacKay said: “When you get a fantastic result like that against Celtic it actually makes no difference at all the following week. If anything, there is more burden on you to make sure you get the three points in the next game, and we’ve done that.
“We were a wee bit lucky but we’ll take that at a tough place to come. Not many teams will win up here this year.
“In the second half especially, it was attack after attack from Ross County but we did well to weather it.
“The equaliser was a pretty poor goal to lose from our point of view, but to come back and win it was a great feeling.
“There were balls flying about but we have the type of characters who will just throw themselves into every challenge and make those blocks.”
“The first two years we came up we finished eighth and last season we made the top six. So we are looking to at least do that again.
“We had a really tough start when things weren’t quite going our way. Hopefully we’ve got that little bit of luck now and wee bit of confidence to push on.”
St Johnstone want referee Crawford Allan to take another close look at the red-carding of Rowan Vine.
Continued…
The goal-scoring hero against Celtic turned pantomime villain in front of County’s Jail End after seeming to barge into County skipper Richard Brittain off the ball.
It was a pivotal decision after 32 minutes given that Liam Craig, just two minutes earlier, had given Saints the lead.
Craig, a lively and enterprising performer throughout, collected Nigel Hasselbaink’s square ball and was granted time and space to slam a low 25-yard strike into the corner of Michael Fraser’s net.
Vine, though, reacted in a flare-up after apparently being shoved in the back by a County player.
County had already held the upper hand in terms of possession and pressure and perhaps their closest call saw defender Scott Boyd rocket a header just over from an Iain Vigurs’ corner.
The home side cranked it up significantly after the break, with Saints pinned deep in their own half but always willing to hit on the break.
Among County’s best opportunities, striker Sam Morrow failed to connect a header in front of goal from another Vigurs delivery.
But at the other end, substitute Murray Davidson had Saints screaming “goal” when he cracked the underside of County’s bar on the volley.
Colin McMenamin, carrying a thigh strain pre-match, came off the bench and drew a terrific save down low from Alan Mannus.
County’s equaliser came when defender Grant Munro, exhorting his team forwards, took matters in his own hands.
Munro fed Vigurs on the left and sprinted on to collect the return pass in the box.
The ex-Caley Thistle man then cut a pass towards the six-yard box where Morrow was placed to angle past Mannus.
Most would have expected Saints to crumble but, instead, they stood strong against an all-out siege.
Amid the barrage of pressure, the away side broke and Steven MacLean’s 20-yard strike was touched for a corner at full stretch by Fraser.
Liam Craig’s corner then found Frazer Wright leaping to arc a header high past the keeper to snatch an unlikely victory.
While thrilled at victory and his team’s fighting spirit, manager Steve Lomas was annoyed at what he saw as an unfair red card for striker Vine.
Lomas said: “They don’t surprise me, these players. The character in the squad is second to none. In adversity, it’s fantastic.
“But the sending-off is a shocker. Rowan Vine just turned his back and the guy Grant Munro has pushed him.
“The referee said he turned around and body-checked their man violently. But I’ve just seen it there. Listen, the referee is honest and only sees what he sees, but I would hope he would take another look. I think once again it’s a very poor decision, in my opinion.
“The last time I appealed one it was a total waste of time, so I won’t appeal it. It is down to the referee now.”
Saints’ character was richly-praised, with Lomas adding: “It has been coming for us for a while, these two victories, but we weren’t taking our chances and that was hurting.”