McIntrye: We need to improve

Saints clung on to take all the three points in the first of two meetings of the teams in the space of seven days.

The lead earned by James McFadden's first-half opener was doubled by Michael O'Halloran's 73rd-minute strike, but Jake Jervis pulled one back for County two minutes later to set up a nervy finale.

The Highlanders fell just short as they pushed for a late equaliser in the closing stages, but their second-half improvement will have given them heart for their return to McDiarmid Park.

However, McIntyre has warned they cannot afford the slow start they endured on Saturday if they are to give themselves a chance of revenge against the Scottish Cup holders.

He said: "We had a couple of words at half-time and we knew exactly where we needed to improve, and I felt we did that really well in the second-half and created opportunities. But, again, it's about taking your opportunities when they come. They took theirs.

"We've sized each other up and we'll go head to head again next week. One thing we'll need to do is start the game better than we did on Saturday.

"If you start games like that you give yourselves an awful lot to do.

"I've not got a question mark over the players' attitude or willingness. What we did show in the second-half was quality. We moved the ball really well and a lot quicker than we did in the first-half.

"We won more of the second balls and pressed St Johnstone back. They were camped in for the last period of the game.

"We did a lot of things well and we need to make sure we do them at the start of the game next week."

McFadden was at the centre of most of St Johnstone's most incisive play in the first-half and it was no surprise when he gave them the lead five minutes from the break.

Lee Croft's corner reached the Scotland cap, who engineered enough space to drill in a shot from 12 yards on the angle and it nestled in the net via a deflection off County defender Richard Brittain.

O'Halloran somehow hit the post rather than score with a point-blank header in the second-half but made amends when he turned inside on a McFadden pass to shoot past Mark Brown for Saints' second.

The two-goal lead lasted just two minutes, though, as Staggies substitute Joe Cardle swung in an excellent cross and Jervis knocked in Scott Boyd's back-post knock down.

Despite increasing pressure from the visitors, Saints held on for the win, but McDiarmid Park manager Tommy Wright insists the result will have no bearing on the repeat encounter as the Perth outfit start their defence of the trophy they won against Dundee United back in May.

He said: "It doesn't affect next week, it's a different game. We just prepare for it. We want to try and retain the cup and that's what we'll be trying to do. Cup runs are important for clubs the size of St Johnstone and Ross County.

"So, it will be set up again, because I think overall it was an entertaining game."