County chief McIntyre ready for tough Saints showdown

The Perth side shocked second-placed Aberdeen with a 3-0 win at McDiarmid Park last Friday night and the following day Motherwell beat third-placed Hearts 1-0 at Fir Park.

For their part, the Staggies battled to a more than creditable 1-1 draw with Celtic at Parkhead on Sunday to leave them two points behind the Saints and three behind Well with four games remaining.

County have drawn 1-1 twice with St Johnstone in Perth and lost by the odd goal in five the last time the sides met in Dingwall and McIntyre expects another tight affair.

He said: "We have to maximise being at home and try to get the three points against a St Johnstone side who were excellent against Aberdeen.

"We know that they will be fighting along the same lines, if they can manage to take care of us then that puts them in a very strong position.

"It is all there to play for, for both sides.

"I have gone on record before saying St Johnstone's level of consistency in the last four or five seasons is what we would like to achieve.

"The games between us this season have been really close, there has been nothing in it and I don't expect it to be very different this time."

McIntyre, who was earlier this week nominated for the PFA Scotland manager of the year award after winning the League Cup this season for the Staggies - their first major honour - while achieving a top-six finish, will take confidence from his side's display against Celtic last week.

The former Dunfermline and Queen of the South manager said: "We knew we had to get something and we managed to do that.

"With the opportunities we created we certainly could have taken the three points.

"It is always difficult going to Parkhead, it is about getting the balance right between being hard to beat and also carrying that threat.

"I thought we done that superbly well in the second half and created those opportunities that on another day we might have taken."