Date	Saturday, 21 September 2002
Competition	Scottish League Division 1
Fixture/Score	Saint Johnstone 1:1 Ross County
Venue	McDiarmid Park
Attendance	2,434
Referee	Kenny Clark
Comments	Match Report Report from the Press & Journal. Saint Johnstone 1 Ross County 1 Ross County have proved themselves specialists when it comes to shattering records. They ruined Falkirk's 100% start to the campaign with a 1-1 result in Dingwall last week and the gallant Highlanders' repeat of the score line put paid to the last remaining shut-out sequence in British football. The first goal to be conceded this term by Perth goalkeeper Kevin Cuthbert was reserved for the 61st minute. The player who took the honours was one-time Dundee midfielder Graham Bayne, who opened his account for the Dingwall outfit. He was handily-placed to follow-up a Conor Gethins shot pushed out by the goalkeeper after a rare spell of County pressure. It was a strike which stunned the Perth support--and not simply because they've grown accustomed to shut-outs. Having forged ahead through the head of Ryan McCann in the first period, after the midfielder raced on to a perfect Marc McCulloch cross, Saints were in complete command. But a combination of poor finishing and defiant goalkeeping from Tony Bullock restricted their adventage. It allowed astute County manager Neale Cooper to ring the changes at the interval. With three front men harassing the home defence and Saints' wing-backs McCulloch and John Robertson denied space, County clawed their way back into the game, although they needed Bullock to beat away a Paul Hartley penalty after Mark Perry impeded McCulloch. Cooper said: "It's very pleasing to take a point, but I couldn't understand why we were playing the way we did in the first half. "Stevie Ferguson came on and gave us experience, dig and determination in the midfield. "And they began going for route one, which was right up our street. "I thought the penalty was soft, but Tony saved it brilliantly. He has been outstanding for us. I can't believe he's still here because he could play in the Premier League and be one of the best there. "I wouldn't swap him for anyone in Scotland. Rival boss Billy Stark, who saw Saints slip four points off the pace set by this weekend's opponents Falkirk, couldn't believe his side had failed to dispose of the Highlanders in a one-way opening period. He said: "Frustrating isn't the word. I don't think anyone could make a case for County taking something out of the game." And with his side averaging just one goal a game, Stark acknowledged it added up to another two points frittered away.
Ross County
Manager	Neale Cooper
Starting 11	1: Anthony (Tony) Bullock, 2: Mark Perry, 3: Hugh Robertson, 4: Martin Canning, 5: Brian Irvine, 6: Mark McCulloch 1, 7: Kenneth Gilbert, 8: Martin Wood, 9: Alexander Bone, 10: Graham Bayne 1, 11: Steven McGarry
Bench	0: Leslie Fridge, 0: Steven Ferguson, 0: Steven MacKay, 0: Don (JNR) Cowie, 0: Conor Gethins
Saint Johnstone
Manager	Billy Stark
Starting 11	Kevin Cuthbert, John Robertson, Grant Murray, Marc McCulloch, Ian Maxwell, Stuart McCluskey, Mark Reilly, Paul Hartley, Ryan McCann 1, Craig Russell, Paddy Connolly
Bench	Alan Main, Darren Dods, Ryan Stevenson, Keigan Parker, Chris Hay