Despair for Dundee as Staggies run riot
DUNDEE 0 ROSS COUNTY 5 Clarke 18, Callachan 27, Hungbo 34, Charles-Cook 40, 71
BY the end of this hellish horror show four days before Hallowe’en, James McPake resembled a man who had seen a ghost.
The ashen-faced Dens Park manager could certainly hear screaming. It was coming from the furious Dundee fans who had bothered to stay to the bitter end of his side’s pitiful fright night.
Before kick-off, Ross County had not won a league match all season.
Their only victories came back in July in the League Cup against Brora Rangers and Montrose.
But Malky Mackay’s five star side plunged the knife into Dundee four times in 22 remarkable and ruthless first-half minutes.
Harry Clarke and Ross Callachan netted as the visitors powered into an unlikely 2-0 lead before a sensational 35-yard free-kick from Joseph Hungbo made it three.
Regan Charles-Cook with a goal either side of the break completed the scoring as Dens Park descended into fury.
‘It’s the worst night I’ve had in football,’ sighed McPake.
‘It’s a really sobering result for the football club. We were second all over the pitch.
‘From myself all the way down, we let the football club down tonight.
‘There have been results and performances over the last two-and-a-bit years that have been really poor, but tonight tops any of them.
‘It’s nowhere near good enough.
‘Tonight all over the pitch the attitude after the first goal looked like they felt sorry for themselves.
‘I can’t say they gave up because most of them I’ve had for a while and some I’ve played with.
‘But they will look in the mirror. We all will. We need to come up with answers because it’s a massive game now at St Mirren on Saturday.’
Before kick-off there was an impeccably-observed minute’s silence for the late Walter Smith.
one of Smith’s former Rangers players, Charlie Adam, was the first to liven up this match.
The veteran midfielder’s left-foot half-volley deflected off Paul McMullan but that was saved by Ashley Maynard-Brewer.
But soon after County took a shock lead when Clarke robbed Jordan Marshall on the right wing before bending a fine finish past
Adam Legzdins with the outside of his right foot. County were 2-0 ahead when Lee Ashcroft played a poor backpass towards Legzdins. The Dundee keeper kicked the ball off Jordan White and Callachan fired into the net. Incredibly, it was soon 3-0. There seemed little danger when Hungbo stood over a free-kick 35 yards out. But he crashed a wonderful shot into the top-right corner of the net for a goal-of-the-month contender. McPake swiftly made a change by putting on Danny Mullen for Paul McMullan, whose dark mood matched that of the home crowd. McMullan initially went to storm off towards the tunnel before deciding against it and walked back to the dugout. As he did that, Dundee fans chanted at McPake: ‘You don’t know what you’re doing!’
But the change made no difference as County scored again.
Callachan’s thumping shot was pushed away by Legzdins. But Connor Randall was there to put the ball on a plate for CharlesCook to net from six yards.
The half-time whistle brought fresh jeers from Dundee fans, who informed McPake in no uncertain terms as he walked to the tunnel that his team were an ‘embarrassment’ and ‘a disgrace.’
When Charles-Cook fired in a fifth after the break, more home fans started to stream for the exits.
In stark contrast to McPake’s torment at full time, Mackay (left) was grinning from ear to ear as he dissected this devastating demolition of Dundee.
If the 49-year-old had been under pressure after a poor start to the season, what better way to ease it by masterminding County’s biggest-ever top-flight victory. ‘I’m delighted,’ beamed Mackay.
‘I’m pleased with the whole team’s performance, but especially my back four and my goalie because Dundee had Cillian Sheridan, Jason Cummings and Leigh Griffiths — guys who have scored a lot of goals — but we kept them out.
‘I’m really proud to be the manager of this football club.’
DUNDEE (4-4-2): Legzdins 3; Kerr 4, Ashcroft 4, Sweeney 4, Marshall 4; McMullan 5 (Mullen 38), McGowan 4 (Sheridan 57), Adam 4, McGhee 4; Griffiths 4, Cummings 4 (McCowan 57). Subs not used: Lawlor, Fontaine, Elliot, Panter. Booked: Sweeney, Sheridan. ROSS COUNTY (4-2-3-1): Maynard-Brewer 7; Clarke 9, Baldwin 7, Iacovitti 7, Randall 7 (B Paton 76); Tillson 7, H Paton 7; Hungbo 8 (Spittal 65), Callachan 7 Charles-Cook 8 (Burroughs 76); White 7. Subs not used: Laidlaw, Samuel, Robertson, Watson. Booked: H Paton. Man of the Match: Harry Clarke. Referee: David Dickinson. Attendance: 4,883.