 |
|
|
|
|
|
Return to Lorsports' Home Page
ROSS COUNTY 2; Inverness 1 |
It has been a long time coming for Neale Cooper. Five years into his Victoria Park reign, the Ross County manager was still waiting for his first home derby victory before this deserved triumph.
Plagued by accusations his players all too often lost their nerve in front of their own support, and with early season form appearing patchy to say the least, this could hardly have been a sweeter outcome for the former Aberdeen star.
Goals from Steve Ferguson and Alex Bone in the second half sent County ahead, but despite being reduced to 10-men with Bobby Mann’s untimely exit, Inverness Caley Thistle staged an admirable, if failed, fightback.
County, on the back of a midweek League Cup triumph over Brechin, were in the unusual position of fielding an unchanged side. In contrast, Caley Thistle, also in winning form before the game, had first-choice goalkeeper Nicky Walker, also a family firm director, stranded amid the airport chaos in the United States.
County created the best chance of a nervy opening and Alex Bone came close after a clever Karim Boukraa flick gave him an opening.
There was nothing at all between the sides through most of a fiercely-contested first half and referee Willie Young kept his cool and his cards in his pockets as some heavy challenges were served up.
County looked the more purposeful after the break and within a few minutes, Hugh Robertson’s ball swept hard across the face of goal was crying out for a County taker.
Despite the pressure, Caley were hitting on the counter and, in 59 minutes, Roy McBain spotted Christie in space on the edge of the box. The veteran’s curling shot was saved low by the ever-reliable ex-Barnsley goalkeeper Tony Bullock.
The game turned decisively in County’s favour just after the hour with two goals in four minutes. In 63 minutes, a hefty Robertson ball from deep left found skipper Steve FERGUSON in space and his diving header from a few yards out was unstoppable.
Neale Cooper’s side might have wrapped it up just two minutes later after scorer Ferguson lifted a shot against the crossbar from eight yards, but they didn’t have long to wait.
Caley’s defence was posted missing in 67 minutes and Alex BONE stroked home. The visitors’ misery was complete two minutes later when Bobby Mann walked for a second booking after fouling Mark Perry.
The Inverness side are nothing if not comeback experts, though, and Barry Robson ensured a nervy finish for County in 77 minutes, firing a left-foot drive past Bullock from 20 yards. But it was not enough. Cooper’s hoodoo was broken.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Maxwell, Irvine, Hastings, Webb, McCormick, Ferguson, Bone, Boukraa (Hislop, 87) and Robertson. Unused Subs: Fraser, McQuade, Cowie and Trialist.
Inverness CT 3; ROSS COUNTY 0 |
The Inverness side held the clear upper hand in these derby clashes with eight wins to County's five with four others drawn. But there was plenty to suggest that this could prove a pleasing afternoon for the visiting fans. The Dingwall club's recent form at this venue had been superior with Neale Cooper's side collecting a win and two draws in their last three visits.
There was little early on to suggest the game wouold be quite so one-sided with an early scare for Caley and Calder in the Caley goal having to fist away a Mark McCormick corner.
Strong running from Mike Teasdale brought Caley into the game. The former Dundee defender was taking the responsibility in Christie's absence and he came close from long range in 18 minutes.
Neither side looked convincing in the opening 20 minutes although in 25 minutes a rash challenge by Brian Irvine outside the box set up Caley skipper Bobby Mann for a blasted free kick which Tony Bullock managed to clutch.
County broke immediately and young Don Cowie's dangerous crossball from the right had to be scrambled for a corner. Had they manged to maintain their momentum at this point in the match, County might have grown in confidence. Instead they lost their grip.
Caley enjoyed their best spell of pressure with Bullock holdinga curling Bagan shot and watching a deflected Ross Tokely drive fizz just wide of his right hand post. Despite their superiority, however, it took blatant luck to send the home side in front in 37 minutes.
Dennis Wyness found his former Aberdeen team-mate Russell Duncan on the far right side of the field and from his low, bobbling, relatively harmless cross Mark McCormick struck out a leg and re-directed the ball into his own net.
It was a moment of slight carelessness but mainly desperate bad luck for the ex-Livingston player who on a better day would have seen the deflection spin for a corner. There was almost a repeat just a few minutes later as Irvine chose to leave Robson's speculative 25-yard effort and a distracted Bullock saw the ball drift just wide.
County tried to hit back with a powerful burst from Richard Hastings to set up Steven Hislop for a low drive that Calder had covered. As half time approached Caley still looked the most likely and an angled snapshot by Paul Ritchie drew a superb reflex save from Bullock in 43 minutes.
County boss Cooper underlined his unhappiness with a double substitution at half time. Ex-Norwich and Bordeaux midfielder Cederic Anselin replaced Irvine with Mark Perry dropping back into the defensive three to make way fro the more naturally attack-minded Frenchman.
Meanwhile, ex-Aston Villa striker Neil Tarrant took over from the club's top goalscorer Hislop. A short time into the second half, Alex Bone replaced Conor Gethins in attack but these changes failed to produce any niticeable inprovement in the County attack.
Just before the hour mark, Caley surged forward and took advantage of the gaps in County's defence to go two up. Ian Maxwell made a last-gasp tackle on Ritchie but he and Perry allowed the opportunist Wyness in for a confident finish from 10 yards.
Seconds later, Wyness almost sped through for a second but after unselfishly cutting the ball across goal Sean Webb made a fine cobering challenge. County then had 'keeper Bullock to thank for a brilliant finger-tip save in 67 minutes after Ritchie got his head to a Robson free kick.
It was ll over for Ross County in 73 minutes when slack marking let Robson hit the bye-line inside the County box. His sharp cut-back found Wyness and the prolific scorer did not have to be asked twice to send the ball into the net and complete a miserable day for the County players and their fans.,/p>
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Hastings, Maxwell, Irvine (Anselin, 45), Webb, Cowie, McCormick, Gethins (Bone, 54), Hislop (Tarrant, 45) and Robertson. Unused Subs: Gonet (gk) and Boukraa.
ROSS COUNTY 0; Inverness CT 0 |
It was honours even in a tense but inconclusive Highland derby last night with neither goalkeeper given much to worry about. The end result was far from satisfactory, though, with the near neighbours both rising a place in the league table.
With a second meeting looming on Saturday, and so little to separate the teams in their battle for First Division survival, the stakes were high.
Ross County made only one change from the side that thrashed St Mirren 4-1 last Saturday, with Alex Bone replacing Irish striker Conor Gethins, who was away on Under-19 international duty in Rotterdam. Despite pre-match worries about injuries, Caley Thistle were at full strength.
It was a lively opening with a header by the visitors' Ross Tokely slipping wide from Roy McBain's free kick in eight minutes. At the other end, aggressive play just outside the box saw a Hugh Robertson shot deflected over the bar.
Caley midfielder Charlie Christie's importance to his side was obvious just before with a break and cross on the right forcing a timely interception from the head of Ian Maxwell, with striker Paul Ritchie prowling. Then, his drilled ball across the box found top scorer Dennis Wyness who turned to side-foot an effort into the side netting from 10 yards out.
County enjoyed a lot of possession, but suffered a scare in 35 minutes when Grant Munro missed at close range. Otherwise, the first half was typical derby bluster, with very little between the sides.
Bone had the ball in the net in the second half but the goal was disallowed for a previous infringement. Steven Hislop twice tested Nicky Walker soon after but the ex-County 'keeper denied the big striker. Bone also sliced just inches wide on the run in 65 minutes.
County's attacking verve ebbed in the last twenty minutes, although Walker's reflexes had to be quick to save from a Richard Hastings' shot.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Maxwell, Irvine, Canning, Gilbert, Ferguson, Robertson, Hastings, Bone and Hislop. Subs: Gonzalez (gk), Anselin, McCormick, Cowie and Boukraa.
Inveness CT 1; ROSS COUNTY 1 |
It took two and a half hours for this Highland double-header to rise above the mediocre. When it finally did all the familiar features were there.
Almost 10,00 fans took in the two games, played within five days, with the outcome (two points apiece) hardly easing the relegation worries for either side.
County will dwell on the Jekyll and Hyde contribution of promising striker Steven Hislop in this second instalment. The former East Stirlingshire player scored with a superb second-half header but shortly after Ross Tokely had equalised, he raised a hand amd was red-carded. County's attacking punch evaporated as the player left the field and Caley Thistle failed to capitalise on their one-man advantage.
There wasa flurry of early activity for the visitors, though little of great damage. It was tense and scrappy early on but from a Hugh Robertson corner Mark Perry fired in a shot only to see it riccochet of Ian Maxwell to safety.
Four minutes later, powerdul play from Steve Ferguson saw Nicky Walker save at his top corner from a 20-yard shot.
Caley Thistle came more into the game with some inventiveness from Barry Robson, but much of the rest of the first period was plain abysmal.
Matters came to life in 51 minutes when Conor Gethins, the smallest man on the field, out-leapt Bobby Mann to set up Richard Hastings but the former Inverness player's shot was touched over the bar superbly by Walker.
The break-through came in 55 minutes. Hastings' free kick from the left found HISLOP stretching to angle a header in at Walker's right-hand post from eight yards out. Caley responded by throwing on former Kilmarnock winger David Bagen for Russell Duncan and they equalised two minutes later.
A fine free kick from Robson found Tokely slipping into the six-yard box to angle a header past Tony Bullock.
Then, drama erupted in 62 minutes as Hislop saw red for an act of complete folly. The County striker was booked for a foul on Tokely, but was then red-carded for raising his hand at the same player after a foul had already been awarded.
Inverness took advantage in terms of possession, but their barren spell in front of goal - with none in the four matches before this one - continued.
Ross County: Bullock; Perry, Robertson, Maxwell, Irvine, Gilbert, Canning, Ferguson, Gethins (McCormick, 78), Hislop and Hastings. Unused Subs: Gonzalez (gk), Bone, Cowie and Boukraa.
Return to Lorsports' Home Page