ABERDEEN claimed a first win at Ross County with deceptive ease last night to climb into fifth place in the SPFL Premiership table, just three points behind the league leaders Dundee United. It was a deserved victory, worthy of a greater winning margin that an agonising own goal from Paul Quinn which was a weak reflection of the visitor's overall dominance.
There was much to admire in County's spirit and defensive resilience, although it was a fraught night for their back four and back-tracking midfield men. The defeat kept the Highland side pinned to bottom spot behind ailing Motherwell.
Particularly in the second half, Derek McInnes' fluent front four seemed back to their best and Jonny Hayes, in particular, proved to be a constant thorn in the home side.
Pelting rain gave way to drizzle by kick-off, with County's emergency summer drainage work working a treat where it had failed abysmally last season. However, before too long it was hammering down again, the conditions making things tricky for both sets of players throughout a frantic, full-blooded encounter.
Having only just resisted a deluge of a different sort at Pittodrie last time out - escaping with a slightly flattering 3-0 defeat - County were clear underdogs last night. Yet Dingwall is no happy hunting ground for Aberdeen given that record of having failed to win on each of three visits to the Highland town prior to last night. A flu bug deprived had the home side of captain Richie Brittain, allowing recent signing Martin Woods - the 28-year-old Scot with vast experience of the English leagues - to make a first competitive start in his country of birth.
McInnes successfully deployed a more pragmatic approach in the League Cup revenge act against Hamilton Academical, having been hammered in surprising fashion by the same opponents in the league, and there was similar patience and restraint shown in the visitors' attacking intent before the break last night. However, Aberdeen still chipped away consistently at the County defence throughout a first half which they mostly controlled.
Often the greatest menace came from the toes of Hayes. The winger revelled in the rain and taunts from the home stands - he is a former Inverness Caleonian Thistle player - and was always quick to react to the probing passing of Willo Flood and Peter Pawlett. There were also concerns for County when Adam Rooney's header squirmed from goalkeeper Mark Brown's grasp, with the ball needing to be hacked clear by Quinn.
Resisting stoutly under pressure, County sought to fend off the Pittodrie side as a Shay Logan strike from 20 yards rose over the crossbar, while Brown also scooped the ball away from Rooney's feet after another delivery from Hayes.
County's first-half forays were far rarer but they were not without a threat. Quinn rose unchallenged to angle a firm header just wide of a post from a Michael Gardyne cross with six minutes of first-half action remaining.
Briefly, there was better play from the home side after the break. Like Hayes, County's Gardyne began to carve open spaces with determined running and inventive use of the ball, only for his side to be caught with a sucker-punch.
Scott Boyd's careless pass allowed Niall McGinn to flight in a dangerous cross and as recent signing Quinn went to make the clearance, under pressure from Rooney, he could
only smack a header past his own goalkeeper. Buoyed and buzzing, Aberdeen then sought to capitalise further and a cut back from Mark Reynolds was side-footed over the crossbar by Andrew Considine just moments later.
Lewis Toshney then committed a clumsy foul on Hayes to the left of the box as the Aberdeen winger slalomed towards the bye-line. Hayes directed the resulting free-kick hard and low across goal, but with no takers. The hosts were clinging on by their fingertips as Peter Pawlett grazed the angle of bar and post from just inside the area as County breathed yet another sigh of relief.
Still, Jim McIntyre was positive, with the County manager making his third substitution inside 68 minutes as striker Liam Boyce was introduced to join fellow substitute Jake Jervis in attack. Boyce skied an early shot in front of goal while, at the other end,
it was turning into shooting practise as McInnes' men queued up to add a second goal. Adding to County woes, Darren Barr took a hefty knock, hobbling back into action after a few minutes' treatment.
Boyd made amends for his earlier error with a fine double block to thwart Hayes, but the red tide kept flowing towards the 600-strong away support. Hayes' energy never ebbed and even as stoppage time beckoned he was still toying with jaded County.
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