"That's the poorest we've started a game this season," he said.

"I thought after 20 minutes, we started to play. Our workrate in the first 10 minutes wasn't good enough, but we got better, got the goal and until virtually the last couple of minutes of the second half I thought we were the better team.

"We had good chances – I can't fault them. Their application, in difficult conditions, was excellent for 60 to 70 minutes. It was soft and slidey and quite hard to play football on, but the lads did well.

"The reaction after going a goal down was great, and in the second half we probably had the majority of chances – but we've got to take them and put the game to bed."

Ross County boss John Hughes was left ruing a mistake in defence that gave their visitors the opportunity to equalise from the spot.

Under pressure from several Saints players deep in his own half, Coll Donaldson tried to play the ball to Keith Watson across his own box, but as Conway nipped in ahead of the right-back he was taken down.

The Staggies had looked the better side up to that point, but after coming under pressure for much of the second half Hughes believes it was a fair result.

"It was a game of two halves," Hughes insisted.

"In the first, I felt we were very good in terms of passing the ball, and we got our goal and had a few other chances.

"In the second half, it was all St Johnstone, but we stood up to it to be fair.

"Late on, we could have nicked it off the set piece, but in saying that big Ross Laidlaw had a great save as well.

"There was a mistake for their goal, but we're not going to point the finger of blame. We're all in it together, we win together and lose together."