Ross County's hopes of staying in the Scottish Championship are dealt a blow as St Johnstone sign Ruari Paton on loan, beating the Dingwall club to the 25-year-old striker. Next fixture: vs Peterhead (at home, 2026-11-07). The Saints have held a long-term interest in Paton, who has a proven track record in the Championship, scoring 22 goals in 43 appearances for Queen's Park and 35 in 91 matches for Queen of the South. Despite Ross County's efforts to sign Paton, St Johnstone have managed to fend off strong interest from the Highland club, who are just aiming to stay in the division under Stuart Kettlewell. Paton's move to McDiarmid can now be sanctioned after Port Vale signed Martin Sherif on loan from Everton last night. The 25-year-old had a decent record in front of goal at Stranraer and Vale too, and his signing is a significant boost to St Johnstone's promotion charge.