Saving County from the drop will require huge effort from Hughes
THE facts make grim reading for the Ross County players and underline the magnitude of the task facing John Hughes on his return to the Highlands. More than three months without a win, ten defeats and just two points from their last 12 league matches, offers a stark snapshot of the Staggies’ decline. A season that began with so much promise, sharing top spot in the Premiership after successive wins over Motherwell and Hamilton, has developed into a fight for survival. Whether Hughes can work some magic and conjure up another great escape for the bottom side remains to be seen. But, on the evidence of recent results, if he succeeds in saving County from relegation it will constitute an achievement at least the equal of what he did for near-neighbours Inverness. Hughes is assured of his place in Highland football folklore after guiding Caley Thistle into Europe, by dint of securing third place in a season further hallmarked by Scottish Cup glory. County’s situation is in stark contrast to the success enjoyed by the team from the other side of the Kessock Bridge five years ago. Hughes, who played for Hibs and Celtic, amongst others, acquired a reputation as a hard-man centre-half who never offered any quarter. But even he must be concerned by County’s disciplinary record after teenager Josh Reid and the experienced Ross Draper took the team’s red-card count this season to five. While excuses can be offered for Reid — the 18-year-old was a shade unfortunate with the caution for his initial challenge on Kyle McAllister — none can be made for Draper. As Hughes himself pointed out, when a player lifts his hands, as Draper did after a yellow for his tackle on Ethan Erhahon, he makes it easy for the ref. Having lost Reid after 36 minutes, County might have clung on to salvage a point with ten men but, reduced to nine, it was only a matter of time before St Mirren prevailed. In the event, ex-County captain Marcus Fraser struck the opening goal with 14 minutes
left before sub Kristian Dennis twisted the knife five minutes from time. While the hosts showed plenty of fight and determination, defender Callum Morris admitted: ‘We’ve got to turn any positives into points on the board. We can’t keep saying we’ve done well but got nothing from it. ‘There’s no hiding from the fact we’re bottom of the table and haven’t won in God knows how long.’ Morris, who felt County were the better team when it was 11 versus 11, reflected: ‘The red cards changed the game, but the goals we lost were disappointing. We should have dealt with both after the hard work we had put in. ‘They were always going to get chances but the second was a free header and I don’t care if you’ve got nine men, two men or whatever, you can’t allow the opposition that inside the six-yard box. That’s a basic we have to look at.’ Fraser sympathised with his former team-mates’ plight but still savoured netting his first goal in a St Mirren shirt. ‘I don’t often score, so when you see the ball in the back of the net it’s a good feeling, especially as the game was in the balance,’ he said. ‘But I want to see County push up the table and I believe they’re capable of getting out of trouble. ‘I know their character, the new manager will give them a bit of a bounce and knowing the chairman, there might be recruitment in January.’ Fraser’s main focus is on Saints as they chase a top-six spot and League Cup success, adding: ‘The manager stressed that good teams always bounce back. We were unfortunate to lose to Hibs in midweek, but it shows the character of this team that we’ve come to a tough venue and won. Albeit they had two men sent off, we still had to get the job done. ‘Now we need to keep doing that and working well as a unit.’
ROSS COUNTY (4-4-2): Laidlaw 7; Watson 6 (McKay 82), Morris 6, Iacovitti 6, Reid 4; Vigurs 6 (Tremarco 39, Donaldson 82), Kelly 6, Draper 4, Paton 6; Hylton 6 (Tillson 65), Shaw 6. Subs not used: Doohan, Wright, Williamson. Booked: Reid, Draper. Sent off: Reid, Draper. ST MIRREN (4-4-2): Alnwick 6; Fraser 7 (Flynn 86), McCarthy 6, Shaughnessy 6, Tait 6; K McAllister 6 (Durmus 57), McGrath 6 (MacPherson 65), Doyle-Hayes 6, Erhahon 6 (Dennis 65); Morias 6, Erwin 5 (Obika 57). Subs not used: Lyness, Foley, Connolly, Jamieson. Booked: Alnwick. Man of the match: Marcus Fraser. Referee: Colin Steven.