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Graham Carey pounced after a defensive error two minutes from time to give Ross County victory over St Johnstone.

Both sides fielded new striking additions, but neither looked like breaking the deadlock in their Premiership meeting in Dingwall.

But Melvin De Leeuw stole the ball from Frazer Wright before setting up Carey to slide home the winning goal.

It secured County's second straight victory and consigned Saints to consecutive defeats.

Victory lifted the Highland outfit above Partick Thistle into 10th spot in the table, with the Perth side stuck in seventh.

The transformation of Derek Adams' County squad continued, with Evangelos Ikonomou replacing the injured Steven Saunders in defence after returning from six months with Veria in his Greek homeland.

Former Morton midfielder Michael Tidser could only make the bench after his loan move from Rotherham United.

It was the imminent loss of a player that forced one of St Johnstone's two changes, with Chris Millar coming into midfield in place of Gwion Edwards, who has decided to return to end his loan from Swansea City because he wanted more guarantees of first-team starts.

Despite the signing of Michael O'Halloran after the striker's departure from Bolton Wanderers, it was Nigel Hasselbaink who was given the nod up front in place of Scott Brown.

Neither side was able to create more than a couple of half chances for the first 20 minutes and it was one of County's new arrivals who threatened to score from the first clear sight of goal.

On-loan Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Slew, who set up two goals in the midweek win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle on his debut, should have opened his County account but headed wide from an Ikonomou cross.

Millar fired straight at County goalkeeper Michael Fraser at the other end when a cut-back might have created more realistic danger to the home goal.

Slew showed his quality with a fine volley on the turn after controlling a Ben Gordon cross, but goalkeeper Alan Mannus turned it over for a corner.

However, defences were on top and a fine block from left-back Ikonomou prevented a Stevie May drive reaching the County goal.

St Johnstone created the first opportunity of the second half, a Millar shot missing the top corner, while Brian McLean headed over at the other end.

David Wotherspoon had a sight of the County goal, but his curling drive to the back post was easily held by goalkeeper Fraser.

Carey side-footed the ball home from close range when De Leeuw stole the ball from Frazer Wright before squaring it for the midfielder.

Substitute Tidser went close to extending County's lead with a powerful drive, but one goal proved enough for Adams' side.