ROSS COUNTY were like a stuck record not so long ago, locked in a cycle of defeat, disappointment and self-recrimination.

Now they have the look of a long-player in the Premiership.

Jamie Reckord will happily take the vinyl similes, references to his unusual surname, so long as his newly-adopted club keep prospering so impressively as a label reborn in Scotland's hit parade.

It was a first club goal and, record-books suggest, a senior career first for the 22-year-old former Wolverhampton Wanderers left back.

County dominated and it was hard to reconcile this impression of confident solidity and unity with the group of players who, not so very long ago, were labouring in a 12-game run without a win. Confidence has been a scarce commodity in and around the Global Energy Stadium, but Reckord reckons three wins on the trot - a feat not achieved since February 2013 in County's debut top flight season - have changed all that.

The 22-year-old Englishman said: "It's a massive win for us and it's worth more than three points as it is three wins on the bounce for us now.

"We've been low on confidence but you can see the difference a few wins have made. Everyone is buzzing and we're on a run now. Hopefully we can keep it going.

"Personally, I feel as if we can get the three points from every game we go into now."

Surprise results elsewhere went against County, leaving them still locked in joint-bottom place, albeit in front of Motherwell and St Mirren on goal difference.

The Staggies were sharp, aggressive and dominant, with keeper Mark Brown having no serious saves to make. It was the new-found confidence on the ball that showed up most brightly, although the failure to tuck away big chances kept the home crowd on the edge of their seats to the very end.

Dundee brought an eight-game unbeaten league run north, but also a burden of injury troubles, with David Clarkson and Paul McGowan among the latest to pull out.

And the Tayside visitors were soon on the back foot and in the grip of a steady assault in a riveting but scrappy match. The chance of the half fell to County five minutes before the break. Liam Boyce won the ball from Konrad and slipped the ball into space inside the box. Michael Gardyne raced onto it, but smashed his shot just over the bar.

County pressure kept building into the second half, with another great chance passed up early after the break. Raffaele De Vita saw a corner returned to him on the right and the Italian's searching cross evaded the Dens' defence and found Scott Boyd free at the back post. The big defender controlled and steadied, but struck the close-range shot against keeper Scott Bain's legs for a corner.

County went even closer after 55 minutes with a bobbling Jackson Irvine snapshot from the edge of the area brilliantly touched onto the post by the diving Bain.

But the Staggies' big moment finally came in the 66th minute from an inspired move. Boyce took possession and fed Gardyne on the right and the County attacker proved too slippery for his marker. Everyone, including Bain, had forgotten to check the far area of the box and Reckord ghosted in unmarked to net with the easiest of finishes.

It should have been two with 13 minutes remaining but substitute Jake Jervis saw his header smack the crossbar after a great leap to meet De Vita's cross. There were nervy moments towards the end, as referee Andrew Dallas added four minutes. But County needn't have worried - this was a poor Dundee.

Bain, the Dundee goalkeeper, was the one object of sympathy in the visiting party after pulling off several blinding saves, only to run out a loser. The youngster, spotted by Hartley at Aberdeen and brought to Alloa and now Tayside, said: "It's hard to enjoy your own performance when you come away with nothing.

"We've lost our unbeaten run, but we have a fair number of injuries and we always knew it would be a tough game here with County fighting for their lives and scrapping for every ball.

"I think they won every second ball and we didn't really look quite at it.

"But I think, obviously, we've not got a big squad as it is, so having five or six injuries takes it's toll on us."