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Albion Rovers 0; Ross County 8 |
County had a facile victory against a poor Albion Rovers side. This win, 8-0, sets a new record for a win in the Third Division - replacing County's 8-1 victory over Montrose last season.
County took the lead in the 8th minute when the home 'keeper misjudged a free kick and David Ross rose unchallenged to head the ball into the empty net.
From then on, County had complete control of the game. In the 19th and 23rd minutes Neil Tarrant scored two goals and County were on their way. Tarrant's first saw him control then carry the ball 40 yards upfield before he rounded McLean in the Albion goal and stroked the ball into the empty net. His second was a firm drive from close range which he thumped into the roof of the net.
Rovers were finding it hard to caontain a lively County attack and it came as no surprise when Frank Escalon scored a great goal. He drifted past three defenders before he picked his spot with a coolly place shot. This goal in the 33rd minute was followed by another 4 minutes later when Steve Ferguson beat the off-side trap to push the ball past the out-rushing 'keeper.
Early in the second half, County appeared to be taking things easy, but were, never-the-less, in complete control.
County increased their lead in the 60th minute when Ferguson scored his second, rising to head home a corner from Roy McBain.
Ferguson should have completed his hat-trick only a minute later but McLean saved his penalty kick.
In the 75th minute Tarrant completed his hat-trick when he turned a telling Murray Hunter pass past the 'keeper. In the 87th minute Roy McBain completed the scoring when he finished a strong run which started within his own half with a superb shot.
Ross County: Walker; McKay, McBain, Furphy, Maxwell, Gilbert, Escalon (Herd, 83), Ferguson, Tarrant (Campbell, 77), Taylor (Hunter, 57) and Ross.
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Ross County 1; Albion Rovers 2 |
Ross County missed a penalty on the stroke of half time when Alex Taylor's waek spot kick was saved by MacLean and County could not follow it up in the resulting goalmouth mélée. And so County were denied a comfortable 2-0 cushion at half time.
The home side looked as if they were cruising to victory for long spells in the game but a tough Albion side had other ideas and they battled hard throughout mindful of the 8-0 drubbing earlier in the season.
The opening twenty minutes were a bit sluggish but County's Ian Maxwell did have the ball in the net in the 23rd minute only to have it disallowed for off-side. This effort followed some excellent work by Steve Ferguson on the left.
In the 42nd minute Gary Wood opened the scoring when he headed home a Ferguson knock-on from a Taylor corner.Then on the stroke of half time Kenny Gilbert was hauled down in the penalty area and Taylor failed to maximise the opportunity granted to him from the resulting spot-kick.
The second half offered fresh hope for the home side but that promise quickly evaporated when first Diak scored in 52 minutes and Lorimer in in 70 minutes sealed an unlikely victory for Albion Rovers.
Ross County: Walker; Furphy (Tarrant, 69), McBain, Haro, Maxwell, Gilbert, Ferries, Ferguson, Wood, Campbell and Taylor (Escalon, 62). Un-used sub: Herd.
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Albion Rovers 3; Ross County 3 |
Albion Rovers pushed Ross County all the way in a six goal thriller as the home side came back from being a goal down three times. There was certainly no chance of County's runaway victory back in August and indeed the leaders were probably glad of a share of the points in the end.
Early on the Rovers defence failed to clear their lines and were duly punished when Neil Tarrant cleverly dummied Gary Wood's cross to allow Steve Ferguson to sidefoot the ball home.
The swirling wind and the heavily sanded pitch made it difficult for both sides, but Martin Melvin nearly equalised for albion when his 30-yard shot appeared to hang in the wind before landing on the roof of the net.
The conditions played a part in the home side's equalising goal when Euan Donaldson's in-swinging corner was carried behind his own goal line by on-loan Colin Meldrum, who looked badly at fault.
Meldrum fumbled Donaldson's next corner, but the 'keeper's blushes were spared when Murphy blasted a clear opportunity over the bar from only eight yards out.
County regained the lead when the home defence failed to clear a Mark Haro cross and Gary Wood stooped to head the ball home.
Albion squandered yet another clear cut opportunity a minute later when Lorimer was up-ended in the penalty area by Roy McBain. The striker took the kick himself but Meldrum redeemed himself when he parried to spot kick and saved Donaldson's follow-up shot.
Rovers equalised early in the second half when Donaldson curled a superb free kick from the edge of the box.
And so to the end-to-end finale. Ross County took the lead once more when John McGlashan broke into the box and McStay could only guide McGlashan's cross into his own goal as Neil Tarrant stood poised to pounce.
Rovers equalised with a little under twent minutes remaining when substitute Sturrock crossed for McStay to glance the ball past Meldrum.
Ross County: Meldrum; McKay, McBain, Haro, Maxwell, Ferguson, Ross, Wood (Ferries, 75), Tarrant, McGlashan and Golabek. Subs Not Used: Taylor and Tully.
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Ross County 2; Albion Rovers 0 |
Two-Goal Davie Ross was the hero as Division Three champions Ross County ended their home programme with a sound, if not spectacular, performance against an Albion Rovers outfit that had already snatched four points from the Dingwall men.
The striker is in fine form, having notched four goals in his last two outings, but maintains that he is doing nothing different.
Ross said: "I've been playing consistently since Christmas, but lately the balls that were coming back off the bar or the keeper have been finding the back of the net. I've hit a bit of a purple patch in the last two games and it has really given my confidence a boost."
Ross looked back on his outing between the sticks a couple of weeks ago with a wry smile.
He said: "When you're playing in goal you just can't afford to make any mistakes and I must say it was really great to have Nicky Walker back. He is a great influence on our defence."
Ross's first counter in fifteen minutes came from a close-range header but his second after seventy-six minutes gave him a warm glow of satisfaction. Ross said: "I ran on to a long clearance and lobbed the ball over the keeper as he came out."
Albion Rovers coach Jimmy Lindsay admitted that his side had been well beaten. He said: "A mistake by our keeper cost us the first goal and when Jim Hamilton slipped up for the second there was no way back."
County's long-serving winger Billy Ferries came on for the last thirty-five minutes to mark the end of a glittering Victoria Park career. Pressure of work has put paid to Ferries' senior career but there is sure to be a queue for his signature from several ambitious Press and Journal Highland League clubs.
Ross County: Walker; Tully, McBain, Haro (McKay, 53), Maxwell, McGlashan, Ross, Kinnaird, Wood (Furphy, 70), Taylor and McLeod (Ferries, 55).
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