AFTER the sunshine of their Marbella training camp, Ross County's week was clouded by a red card and a tumble from top spot.
It proved a thoroughly captivating battle with Partick who cursed two glaring first-half misses and only just failed to capitalise on Martin Scott's needless early bath. The Glasgow side had bedded in Inverness the night before and perhaps Liam Bucha
nan suffered a poor night's sleep in his hotel room. In a fine, incident-packed first-half in pelting rain, Buchanan was guilty of two bad misses before ultimately striking the crucial second half leveller.
Early on, both Garry Wood and Gardyne tested Jon Tuffey from distance. Gardyne was immediately buzzing and involved in most of County's best play. But it was Partick who should have taken the lead after nine minutes when David Rowson's crack at goal was spilled by Michael McGovern. Buchanan raced in to apply the finish from a few yards but skewed the ball wide as he slid in to beat McGovern.
Partick gained the ascendancy towards half-time with Alan Archibald's fierce 25-yard strike flying a yard wide. Archibald also had a header tipped over the bar by McGovern after the County defence failed to deal with a Buchanan cross. Mark Corcoran then blazed past three challenges on the left after 35 minutes only to drive low across the face of goal.
Buchanan's howler came two minutes later when he failed to connect properly with Rowson's cross in front of goal.
But Partick were made to pay for missed opportunities as County gained the lead five minutes from the break. Gardyne found space to take a Garry Wood pass and struck a ferocious left foot shot in off the inside post from 25 yards.
County were down to 10 men after 57 minutes after Martin Scott received a second booking. Carded earlier for dissent, the County midfielder walked after taking down Mark Corcoran outside the County box.
Partick capitalised with substitute Chris Erskine, on for only two minutes, hitting the leveller after 62 minutes. The Jags swept down the right before the 22-year-old looped his shot over McGovern from the right side of the box.
The game continued to delight with Paul Lawson restoring County's lead in spectacular fashion after 69 minutes. From an Iain Vigurs pass, the ex-Celt netted with a wonderful rising strike into the top left corner from 25 yards.
But County's lead lasted barely three minutes, before Buchanan made amends for earlier misses with a clinical 15-yard finish.
