Count on us being pushovers at your peril
ALASDAIR FRASER Stewart is out to ruffle feathers in top-flight
ROSS STEWART is warning top-flight rivals that Ross County will be anything but a onetrick pony this season. The Highlanders made a storming start to their Premiership campaign, taking the game to Hamilton with full-blown attacking intent after unfurling the Championship flag.
But Stewart, who set up one goal and netted another in a dominant performance, says County have more than enough capability to mix it up tactically.
indeed, he insisted the Highlanders will seamlessly switch from all-out assault to cautious, counter-attacking mode against the league’s big guns.
‘We know we’ve got a lot of legs and pace in the team,’ the striker said. ‘if there are going to be games where we need to sit in and counter this season, it suits us to go and do that.
‘We have got a lot of players who can get on the ball and play which i think we showed by scoring some really good goals.
‘it’s good to have different styles within the system that we can change to because we’ll need that this season.
‘it’s a great start. Being at home on the first day of the season, it was a game we wanted to start well in and we did that by getting two goals in the first half.
‘in the second half we could’ve scored more.
‘We know how strong a squad we have here. We’ve got targets, which we will keep in-house, but it was a game we felt was winnable in front of our home fans.
‘We wanted to give them something to get excited about.
‘At the same time — it’s only game one. These games are going to be tough and come fast.
‘We will be ready for them and this was a great start.’
As well as savouring their flag day, County took time to pay tribute to past greats with a halftime parade for the team club legend Bobby Wilson guided into
the national leagues 25 years ago. But for all the nostalgia, the day was about being back among Scottish football’s elite — and looking to the future with confidence. it was all a far cry from the scenes of despair that greeted relegation some 15 months before. Stewart, a lightning-paced, fleet-footed hitman, epitomises the energy and belief coursing through a talented squad. He is confident County can prosper, given their strength in depth. The 23 year-old said: ‘it’s a really strong squad and you want that competitiveness for places. That keeps everyone playing at the top of their game.
‘We know we’ve got players capable of coming on and doing a job, which big Brian Graham did when he came on. He was excellent.
‘it keeps everybody on their toes, there is no respite.
‘We are going to need everybody this season, it’s a long season with a lot of tough games. i’m sure everybody will be used.’
While it was bliss for County, it was a nightmare start for Brian Rice’s Accies, who looked unsettled from the off.
The breakthrough came on the half hour. Pressure had built and just before the opener, Joe Chalmers swerved a superb 22-yard attempt just wide.
Within 30 seconds, tenacity from Billy Mckay in retaining possession through a couple of challenges allowed him to feed the midfielder.
Chalmers responded with a beautifully low-swerved 20-yard strike buried past keeper Owain Fon Williams to his right.
The hosts surged in confidence and, after 36 minutes, Stewart dispossessed John Hunt and strode away on the right.
The big attacker’s low-driven cross found Mckay sliding in to score at the far post in trademark fashion.
Accies were dead and buried in 57 minutes.
Darian MacKinnon took a yellow for unceremoniously flattening County’s Michael Gardyne near the far left bye-line, with Mullin teeing up the free-kick.
The County winger planted a perfect cross onto the head of towering Stewart who smashed in a five-yard header with the minimum of fuss.
The rest of the match was a formality for the hosts. ROSS COUNTY: (4-4-2) Laidlaw 7; Fraser 7, Morris 7, Fontaine 7, Kelly 7; Mullin 7 (Paton 84), Vigurs 7, Chalmers 8, Gardyne 7 (Spittal 79); Stewart 8, Mckay 7 (Graham 74). Subs: Ruddy, Draper, Grivosti, Watson. HAMILTON ACCIES: (4-4-2) Fon Williams 6; McMann 6, Gogic 6, McKenna 2 (Fjortoft 16) McGowan 6; MacKinnon 5, Cunningham 5 (Smith 71), Alston 6, Hunt 5; Oakley 5 (Moyo 71), Ogboe 7. Subs: Southwood, Collar, Mimnaugh, Hamilton. Booked: McKenna, MacKinnon, Oakley. Man of the match: Ross Stewart. Referee: Alan Newlands. Attendance: 4,071.