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Ross County 0; Brechin City 1 |
Iwo den Bieman made his debut in and Billy Ferries made a welcome return to the County side in this home match against Brechin City.
Den Bieman was "Man of the Match" and Ferries turned in one of the performances that has seen him become a warm favourite with the County fans over the years.
In the opening minutes den Bieman and Ferries combined on the right and the visiting 'keeper had to look lively to save a Steve Ferguson header.
A den Bieman free kick was met by Neil Tarrant but the young striker's header went over the bar.
It was all County as Brechin opted to defend deeply and their attacks were rare throughout the first half. They were defending well and County struggled to prise open a doughty visiting defence.
In the closing minutes of the first half a Ferries free kick was a little too high; Ferguson came close with a drive; and, Murray Hunter missed with another header.
In the second half it was all County. They attacked at every opportunity and through defenders forward at every opportunity. Ferguson, den Bieman and McBain all came close but the elusive break-through would not come.
Then, in the 85th minute the home side and their supporters were shocked when Brechin's Steve Ferguson collected a pass from Dickson and beat Nicky Walker in the home goal.
County continued to press for the equaliser but time ran out for them and three more valuable points were lost to a sucker punch from a side that had set out to frustrate County from the first whistle.
Ross County: Walker; den Bieman, McBain, Furphy, Maxwell, Gilbert, Ferguson, Ferries, Hunter (Higgins, 65), Escalon (Taylor, 67) and Tarrant. Unused Sub: Herd.
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Brechin City 0; Ross County 1 |
Ross County committed the ultimate in "smash 'n' grabs" on Saturday by taking Brechin City's unbeaten record for this season as well as the three league points.
The home side had dominated the match for long spells but were never able to convert their territorial advantage into goals. Indeed, if the Brechin strikers had shown even a little composure in front of goal then they could easily have score five goals.
Brechin should have taken the lead as early as the 10th minute when Dickson should have made a lot more of a sp;endid opportunity when he was put clean through by McKellar. His poor shot went wide of Walker's goal.
Ross County were yet to be seen as an attacking force but in the 20th minute Campbell fouled Neil Tarrant wide on the right touchline. Stuart Golabek took the free kick which Garden, in the City goal, fumbled towards the bye-line. Ian Maxwell did superbly to retrieve the ball and even managed to set up Tarrant who hammered the ball high into the roof of the net to give County a lead they scarcely deserved.
From here on in, it was a one sided contest with Brechin constantly on attack and County defending stoutly.
Brechin missed several good chances in the second half and the chief sinner was McKellar. County's sole effort in the second half came in the 52nd minute when Tarrant tried to take advantage of a slip by Tierney but was denied by a timely tackle by Bain on the edge of the box.
Ross County: Walker; Matheson, McBain, Haro, Maxwell, Gilbert, Ferries (Ross, 71), Ferguson, Tarrant, Taylor and Golabek. Unused Subs: Williamson and Higgins.
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Ross County 2; Brechin City 1 |
Ross County took a major step in their march to the Third Division title with a narrow victory over a Brechin City side badly needing three points to resurrect its own push for promotion.
All the goals in a scrappy game came in the first 45 minutes with Steve Ferguson firing the home team ahead only for Graeme Christie to level matters three minutes later. Neil Tarrant netted a 39th-minute penalty winner.
Dunfermline manager Dick Campbell was in the Victoria Park stand along with St Johnstone's managing director Stewart Duff and chairman Geoff Brown, presumably to run the rule over highly-rated striker Neil Tarrant.
County boss Neale Cooper revealed after the game that there have been no concrete bids for his talented striker.
Cooper said: "I don't want to lose the boy. We lost Derek Adams to Motherwell and Neil's come in and done a fantastic job for us."
Tarrant said: "I am happy here and I am going towards being top scorer in the league and hopefully winning a championship medal."
County took the lead in 22 minutes when Ferguson's shot was blocked by City keeper Garden but the midfielder's persistence paid off when he followed up to nod home the rebound for his 17th goal of the season.
Within three minutes City were back on level terms when Graeme Christie diverted a harmless looking Greig Smith shot past the helpless Nicky Walker in the County goal.
Brechin had loud appeals for a penalty when the ball bounced up and appeared to strike Craig Tully on the arm but referee Fyfe waved play on.
County's Davie Ross saw his 30-yard drive bounce back off the inside of the post in 36 minutes.
County regained the lead three minutes later when Tarrant found Ross on the six-yard line and he was downed by City's Smith just as he was about to shoot.
Tarrant stepped up to hammer the ball past Garden from the resultant spot kick for his 22nd goal of the season.
Late on Stuart Sorbie got in a near-post header for City but his fine effort went agonisingly over the crossbar.
Ross County: Walker; Tully, McBain, Haro, Maxwell, Ferguson, Ross (Golabek, 59), McGlashan, Tarrant, Taylor (Wood, 80) and Kinnaird. Sub Not Used: McKay.
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Brechin City 0; Ross County 1 |
Ross County clinched promotion and the Division Three championship with their victory at Brechin to the delight of their 500 travelling support.
The title-clinching goal came four minutes from half time when defender Mark Haro headed a Paul Kinnaird free kick in off the post.
Brechin pressed for an equaliser in the second half, but heroics from County 'keeper Nicky Walker kept the visitors in the lead.
Promotion hungry Ross County attacked from the first whistle. In four minutes a throw from Haro was geaded on and Steve McKay - in for the suspended Roy McBain - had a drive deflected for a corner.
A minute later County's David Matheson was booked for a foul on Steven Boyle. Jim McKellar missed a chance for City and then in 23 minutes Bain missed a golden opportunity to score the opener.
Home 'keeper Jim Butter saved bravely from Billy Ferries, then in 34 minutes he was in action again this time punching clear a dangerous cross from Haro.
Brechin almost went ahead in 35 minutes when a pass from Stuart Sorbie found John Dickson wide on the left. The stiker cut inside Matheson and his shot was parried by Walker. Sorbie failed to connect with the rebound.
County snatched the lead in the 41 minute through Haro but in stoppage time Boyle almost equalised when he broke through only to slice his shot wide.
City might have levelled a minute into the second half. A Bain pass was headed on by Sorbie and a drive from Boyle was turned round the post by the alert Walker.
County sent on Gary Wood for Ferries and he almost scored with his first touch.
City piled on the pressure in a bid to revive their promotion hopes and in 72 minutes Black fired over from a Bain pass.
Deep in stoppage time David Ross almost scored County's second when he forced a brilliant save from Butter.
The news that Stenhousemuir had drawn with Berwick sparked scenes of celebration at the final whistle by the jubilant Ross County fans.
Ross County: Walker; Matheson, Haro (Taylor, 72), Maxwell, McKay, S, Ferries (Wood, 55), Gilbert, Ross, Kinnaird, Tarrant and Escalon (Ewing, 82).
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