ROSS COUNTY FOOTBALL CLUB

Ross County Match Reports Season 1998-99: Stenhousemuir

PAGE INDEX

• 19/9: County Go Down At Home (0-1)
• 7/11 Ross Avenge Their Early Season Defeat (4-2)
• County Slip Up At Home (2-2)
• Two Late Goals Sink County (2-3)

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Ross County fell at home to Stenhousemuir to round off an awful week in the Bell's Third Division.
After eight straight wins and a memorable draw against Hearts, they have been brought back to earth with a bump and a bang by two very disappointing performances against Queen's Park last Saturday and Stenhousemuir at home today.
Manager Neale Cooper branded this most recent inept display as "totally unacceptable" and "one of the worst in the last two years".
Stenhousemuir's Tommy Graham scored the winner after County's defence was badly exposed on the right in the 58th minute when Fisher dragged tha ball back from the bye-line for Graham to prod the ball home from six yards.
The match had been competitive and Steve Ferguson set the tone in the opening minutes with a rash tackle on Lawrence. The first opening of the game came in the seventh minute when the same player almost connected with an Alex Taylor cross.
The nearest Stenhousemuir came was when Ian Maxwell appeared to trip Hamilton in the box but all penalty claims were turned down.
Stenhouse muir had the better of the second half exchanges and Craig came closest for them in the 48th minute. As the dour battle dragged to the inevitable conclusion, County did push men forward and Gary Wood's introduction did bring a little life into the unimaginative County attack.

Ross County: Walker; Escalon (Furphy, 74), McBain, Herd, Maxwell, Gilbert, Ferguson, Hart (Wood, 58), Tarrant, Taylor (Campbell, 78) and Golabek.

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This was a confidence-boosting win for County as they avenged an early-season defeat at home by the former Division Two side.
Ross County had the wind advantage in the first half and made full use of the elements as they turned around at half-time leading 2-0. The highlight of this match was the hat-trick by Steven Ferguson his first in senior football and the fourth Ross County player this season to achieve the feat.
The opening goal came in the eigth minute when the home 'keeper parried a shot by Alex Taylor into the path of Ferguson who volleyed cleanly home.
County's second goal came in the 23rd minute when Neil Tarrant was brought down just outside the penalty area. From the free kick, Alex Taylor flighted the ball perfectly over the defensive wall and into the net.
Stenhousemuir started the second half in a more determined fashion and they were rewarded with their first goal in the 58th minute through a twenty metre strike by Hamilton.
The home side were throwing everything into attack and they scored a deserved equaliser in the 78th minute through Armstrong.
However, the visitors were stung into action in the last ten minutes. In the 81st minute a strong run and excellent cross by Stuart Golabek was met at the far post by Ferguson. The free running midfielder made no mistake to score his and his side's second goal.
As Stenhousemuir pushed forward to score the equaliser, County did have more space to operate in attack. In injury time, a panic clearance by Hamilton was sliced to Tarrant and the big striker whipped the ball into the penalty area to be met by the diving Ferguson to score a spectacular goal to complete a well-deserved hat-trick.

Ross County: Walker; Matheson, McBain, Haro, Maxwell, Gilbert, Ferries (Ross, 78), Ferguson, Tarrant, Taylor and Golabek. Unused Subs: Williamson and Higgins.

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Neale Cooper fingered draws as the culprit for not achieveing promotion last season and Ross County might be in danger of falling to the same sequence of results again this season as they drew their third successive league match last Saturday. Fortunately, other results in the division meant that they were still able to make progress over their promotion and championship rivals.

Ross County's unbeaten run started on October 10 and Cooper is convinced that this recent blip is not yet cause for concern.

County retain a commanding position at the to of Division Three following Brechin's defeat to Albion Rovers - the lead is seven points although Brechin do have a game in hand. County have a thirteen point advantage over third place Albion Rovers.

There were other mitigating circumstances to explain County's lapse: victory seemed assured before an uncharacteristic slip by the usually assured Ian Maxwell set up Stenhousemuir's equaliser; and, a snow storm during the first half left the playing surface almost unplayable.

County boss Neale Cooper commented: "Maxwell's mistake was out of character, but it cost us victory and he knows that.

"However, results worked well for us today and I was pleased enough with our second-half performance. John McGlashan was inspirational after coming on at half time and he is settling in well after his transfer from Dundee.

"In the first half the players got it in their heads that the game was going to be called off as the match officials had decided to give it only a few minutes longer. Slackness crept in as a result.

"I think a draw was a blow to Stennie, and the real threat to promotion now seems to be coming from Albion Rovers who are in great form. Whereas draws were a hindrance to us last season, I think we have the luxury of being able to slip up and still gain ground this time."

Maxwell apologised to his team-mates after his costly blunder let in John Gibson for that equaliser. But earlier, in only the sixth minute, Ian Maxwell had opened the scoring with a superb reverse head-flick which, whilst scrambled clear by the Stenhousemuir defence, was adjudged to have crossed the line.

Then, in the twentieth minute, the County defence were caught out when striker Alan Lawrence - who was a constant threst to County throughout the match - met a cross from the left to fire the ball home past Nicky Walker.

John McGlashan replaced Frank Escalon at half-time in a move designed to counter the deteriorating conditions.

The switch seemed to have worked with power-house McGlashan first setting up Steve Ferguson for a narrow miss and then striking County's second after 68 minutes.

The ball was half cleared from a corner and played back into the area by Ferguson before McGlashan ran in to flick the ball delicately over the diving 'keeper's body.

County had chances to kill the game off but Stenhousemuir defended bravely and earned themselves an equaliser in the 82nd minute through Gibson who made the most of the opportunity afforded to him by Maxwell's error.

Ross County: Walker; McKay, McBain, Haro, Maxwell, Gilbert, Ferries (Ross, 69), Ferguson, Tarrant (Wood, 76), Escalon (McGlashan, 46) and Golabek.

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With three minutes of this rousing encounter to go, Davie Ross must have been seriously thinking of a career change.

The Ross County striker had been pitchforked into the goalkeeper's position to save the club in a crisis. The Scottish League knocked back County's frantic appeal to take another number one on trial with Nicky Walker and Gary Stuart injured.

So, Neale Cooper, who has been known to take a gamble or two along his way along the soccer highway, threw the 'keeper's jersey to Ross, who, after realising their was no sign of Jeremy Beadle, was told he would be playing against Stenhousemuir.

Despite his pleas that he had never played in goal before or even read Andy Goram's autobiography, Ross started the game in this rather unfamiliar position at Ochilview.

Thankfully, Ross County had clinched their place in the Second Division before this confrontation, but it still looked good for the striker-come-'keeper. That was with three minutes to go. Then it all went pear-shaped and Ross realised that it might be better to stick to trying to get goals at the other end rather than keep other people's efforts out of his own net.

It was all good knockabout stuff and Stenhousemuir's urgent desire to pile pressure on the unsuspecting Ross nad his rearguard in their own late attempt for promotion suffered a set-back on the halfhour mark.

Veteran Paule Kinnaird found a vulnerable spot in the Stenhousemuir defence and slotted one home to put Cooper's side ahead and ease the burden on the fledgling goalkeeper.

Ross held out until the 73rd minute, but had to admit defeat when Gibson swooped to net the leveller.

Suddenly, Ross was being asked to walk a tightrope without a safety net before he was celebrating once more. Gary Wood raced up the field and put the Dingwall side ahead again in the 75th minute.

Stenhousemuir had other ideas and were not too interested in providing Ross with a fairy-tale ending. Banks equalised in the 87th minute and veteran striker Watters popped up in injury time to score the winner.

Ross County: Ross; Golabek, Haro, Maxwell, McGlashan, Kinnaird, Taylor (McLeod, 85), Wood, Escalon, Tarrant and McKay, S. Unused Subs: Matheson and Furphy.

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