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Raith Rovers 4; ROSS COUNTY 1 |
If Raith Rovers can cut out the compacency, which better sides than Ross County might have seized upon here, they might have the ability to stretch the big two of Ayr and Livingston.
It may seem a churlish point to make on the back of a second-successive 4-1 win, but the Kirkcaldy side could well ahve precipitated a second half goal avalanche had their effort matched their cutting-edge in front of goal.
Peter Hetherston's side may well get away with their foot off the gas against the likes of bottom-of-the-table County, but against the big-spending promotion favourites they will need to display yjeir killer instinct.
Hetherston brought back Shaun Dennis from Hibs on a three month loan, a timely signing given the departure of Craig McEwan and the absence of onf Mervyn Andrews on international duty with Trinidad and Tobago. He was warmly received by the home fans and he responded with an authorative display.
County were not aided by a mini injury crisis up front which had deprived them of Derek Holmes and George Shaw as well as defender Craig Taggart. However, Darren Henderson had recovered to take a place on the bench. So the last thing that Neale Cooper's side needed was the loss of an early goal, but they did. With their first attack of note, Raith broke the deadlock in the seventh minute through Paul Tosh who volleyed home from close range.
County's 'keeper Nicky Walker was helpless on that occasion but was culpible five minutes later when he fumbled a shot by Greg McCulloch only for Brian Irvine to come to his rescue to make a goal-saving clearance.
Without a creative player in midfield, County's only chance of scoring appeared to be from a defensive error or a bit of individual magic - and they nearly prifited from both. John McQuade skipped past a couple of defenders to fire in a shot that Guido van de Kamp bravely stood up to and deflected behind. Moments later, the Dutch 'keeper made an error when he palmed a hopeful cross into the path of Dave McKay but he redeemed himself with an excellent, point-blank stop.
Raith's failure to produce further meaningful chances in the first period betrayed the complacency that their early goal had engendered, rather than the defensive supremacy of the visitors.
The home side showed more appetite in a brighter second half and duly killed off the game, but not before a tiring Paul Kinnaird stroked in a deft free kick to the unmarked Steven Ferguson who unforgivably nodded wide.
Raith scored almost immediately afterwards. Steve Tosh played a diagonal ball through the penalty area which found Jay Stein who calmly played the ball beyond Walker.
It looked for a while as if the Dingwall side would disintegrate. Paul Tosh had a penalty claim turned down and Alex Burns shot wildly over the bar.
However, in the 64th minute the third goal duly arrived. French full-back Sacha Opinel hoisted a hopeful ball forward, but as Walker and Irvine dithered, Burns nipped between them to fire the ball into the empty net.
An Alex Bone goal had the County fans clutching at thoughts of a come-back when he scored in the 70th minute. But the game was up for County when Raith substitute Ivan Mballa rounded Walker and confirm County's position, firmly rooted at the bottom of the First Division and still without a win.
Ross County: Walker; Gilbert, Cunnington, Maxwell, Irvine, D McKay, Ferguson (Canning, 77), Fraser, Bone, McQuade and Kinnaird (King, 65). Unused Subs: Henderson and Escalon.
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ROSS COUNTY 0; Raith Rovers 0 |
A few goals will surely feature high on Neale Cooper's Christmas wish-list this year as his side failed again to find the net.
This was Ross County's second successive scoreless draw and their fourth game without a goal when defeats at the hands of Inverness and Livingston are included.
No-one can accuse Cooper of not trying to improve matters; Owen Coyle is the latest big name player lured north to Dingwall.
Coyle, even at 34, looks a sprightly, sharp and intelligemt performer, but, starved of any great service, he was largely ineffective. He also had to hold his hands up after the match for a glaring miss late in the game.
For Raith Rovers, financially striken and robbed of the core of their team earlier this season, drawing a blank almost seemed a blessing. Three straight defeats preceded this outing, and a draw at Victoria Park, while hardly marking a sharp upturn in their fortunes, at least ensured County did not leap-frog them in the table.
Cooper did see some signs for optimism though, as £30,000 signing from Livingston Mark McCormick was adventurous in the wide-right role, while Mark Perry, freed by Aberdeen and signed by County until the end of the season, looked a class act in defence.
It was indicative of the dearth of entertainment in the dreary first half that the first real chance fell as late as the 17th minute. A Derek Holmes head-flick sent Eddie Cunnington charging down the left and McCormick tried to take his low cross on the run but mis-cued straight on goal.
Coyle, on a month's loan, looked fit, fast and confident when supplied with the ball and he almost created the opener in 41 minutes.
He fired a superb pass into space on the right for the equally lively McCormick and he surged forward but his shot was parried to safety by the Raith 'keeper.
County upped the tempo markedly in the second half, but found themselves starved of luck and finishing prowess.
Coyle missed a glorious chance in 65 minutes as the ball broke to him inside the area from a McCormick free kick. Unfortunately the veteran had a rush of blood to the head and skied his shot high over the crossbar.
County continued to press, but the over-riding feeling was that this was not going to be a day overflowing with goals, and so it proved.
Ross County: Walker; Perry, Cunnington, Maxwell, Irvine, Taggart (Fraser, 46), McCormick, Ferguson, Holmes (Zahani'Oni, 74), Coyle and McQuade. Unused Subs: Hamilton (gk), D McKay and Henderson.
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Raith Rovers 0; ROSS COUNTY 4 |
Raith continued their descent towards the bottom of the First Division with a defeat at the hands of Ross County.
Following the disappointment of last week's Scottish Cup exit against Stirling Albion, Rovers manager Peter Hetherston made four changes to his team.
Young goalkeeper Craig Coyle played his first game of the season following Guido van den Kamp's shock departure from the club in midweek.
An uninspiring start from both sides gave little to cheer about and neither goal came under pressure in the opening minutes. A Hetherston foul on Darren Henderson on the edge of the box gave the visitors a great opportunity but Mark McCormick hit the wall with his free kick and the defence cleared the ball to safety.
McCormick squandered an excellent chance on the half hour mark when he shot well over but County hit back four minutes later to take the lead.
A through ball from McCormick into the box was missed by Browne to be picked up by Owen Coyle who fired in a low cross. Darren HENDERSON met the ball and bundled it home from close range.
At this point of the game it looked over for Rovers as they had lacked any real threat up front.
After the interval, Hetherston did what he could but after a period of pressure Rovers were stung by a classic break-away goal. John Fraser played a long ball out of defence and Karim Boukraa slipped a fine ball into the path of Ian MAXWELL and the big defender made no mistake with an unstoppable drive from 20 yards.
Boukraa's impressive display was curtailed midway through the second half when he was replaced by returning striker Alex BONE. The substitute tied the game up in the dying minutes when he collected a brace of goals. The first was a fine curling shot from the edge of the box and the second was a clinical finish after a superb run through the heart of the home defence.
Ross County: Walker; Perry, Robertson, Maxwell, Irvine, Fraser, McCormick, Ferguson, Coyle, Boukraa (Bone, 66) and Henderson. Unused Subs: Hamilton (gk), D McKay, Gilbert and Zahani-Oni.
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ROSS COUNTY 4; Raith Rovers 0 |
Former Airdrieonians striker Martin Prest scored a hat-trick as Ross County rattled in four goals in 18 minutes. Victory clinched sixth place for the Dingwall side in their first season in Division One.
The 22-year-old Prest struck three in a row after the break, with Steven Ferguson adding the fourth.
Raith's misery was completed when Andy Smith was sent off for a shocking tackle on the hat-trick hero.
Eddie Cunnington, Darren Henderson, Karim Boukraa, Craig Taggart and Kenny Gilbert were all out injured for County. It meant that youngsters Don Cowie and Steve McKay were given their chance.
Sean Dennis and John Inglis were both ruled out for Rovers, but Prest's former Airdrie team-mate, Miguel Alfonso, came through a late fitness test.
PREST'S hat-trick was the highlight of a one-sided second half, which followed an uneventful first 45 minutes. He broke the deadlock in the 47th minute, when he drifted past three defenders and drilled the ball past Rovers goalkeeper Samuel Monin.
PREST added a second 10 minutes later, collecting a pass from John McQuade and beating Monin from 15 yards.
PREST completed his hat-trick in the 62nd minute. He collected a long ball from Ian Maxwell and fired home from the edge of the box.
Steve Ferguson hit the fourth as County ran riot before Smith was sent off in the 70th minute.
Ross County: Walker; Perry, Robertson, Maxwell, Irvine, David Mackay (Prest, 23), McQuade (Dlugonski, 85), Ferguson, Holmes, Cowie and Steven Mackay (Fraser, 36). Unused Subs: Hamilton (gk) and Canning.
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