THANK YOU WIN AND ALL
Yogi dedicates victory to chairman & staff
Thrilled John Hughes dedicated Ross County’s stunning win to chairman Roy MacGregor and the staff who have warmly welcomed him to Dingwall.
The Staggies hoisted themselves off the bottom of the table with this trouncing of Aberdeen.
It was their first home triumph in the league since they beat Motherwell on the opening day of the season more than five months ago.
Oli Shaw’s lethal double and further goals from Charlie Lakin and Jermaine Hylton did the damage.
Dons could only muster an own goal from Alex Iacovitti on half-time as they slipped behind Hibs into fourth.
Former Caley Thistle boss Hughes said: “Since I’ve come to the club I’ve been made very welcome.
“I’ve seen what it means to a lot of people and my chairman. He’s in there pushing, every day, saying ‘ What do you need?’ or ‘How can I help?’
“So it is about time I dedicate this victory to Roy.
“Getting off to a fantastic start certainly helped us – and that’s something we’ve been looking for.
“Somebody just mentioned our home record and I hadn’t realised it was as poor in the league.
“But I have said we need to make this stadium a fortress and start picking up results.
“Tactically, I felt we got it spot on, with the three attackers who had plenty of pace in them.
“We gambled, we sucked it in and hit Aberdeen on the counter and we played it over the top of them – and it worked for us a treat.”
Two- goal striker Shaw was a stand-out and Hughes added: “We’re asking him to do something that’s a little bit alien. Ideally, he needs a partner up there with him.
“It’s the same with Billy Mckay. If you give him a partner with physical presence up there, these guys thrive.
“In the meantime, it is all hands on deck so Oli’s up there on his own.
“We had a real threat today with Hylton, Shaw and Regan Charles-Cook all looking good. I’m delighted it worked for us.”
In wind and icy rain, with a difficult surface, County made a sublime start.
Iain Vigurs found Hylton to the left of the box and the wide man worked it into the danger area for Shaw.
The former Hibs man wasted no time in placing a wonderfully cool first-time strike from 15 yards into the bottom left corner of the net, with only 36 seconds on the watch.
Aberdeen enjoyed some pressure in the aftermath of that shock to the system.
However, a low Sam Cosgrove attempt from distance after 16 minutes was their first on target and easily dealt with by home keeper Ross Laidlaw. Four minutes later, the hosts were 2- 0 ahead – with Aberdeen’s defence woefully exposed.
The home side’s build-up play was slick, as Hylton threatened on the right, but there was far too much space granted by the Dons as Harry Paton’s cross from the right found Lakin in the box unchallenged.
The young former Stevenage midfielder had plenty of time to take a touch and fire a low w drive past Joe Lewis s from a 10-yard angle.
The Dons’ troubles s were mounting on the e half-hour as injured Ash h Taylor was taken off, f, replaced by Shay Logan, n, with Ross McCrorie also exiting with a bad injury much later on.
Home keeper Laidlaw made a couple of important saves from Matt Kennedy and Rangers’ target Scott Wright.
But County’s hopes of carrying a two- goal cushion into the break were dashed right in first-half stoppage time. From Jonny Hayes’ corner, Thomas Hoban hammered h a header goalward g from just a few yards y inside the home penalty area. The ball took a sharp veer in direction and into the net with television footage suggesting it would go down as an own goal for Iacovitti after his desperate touch accidentally deceived the keeper.
But there was a lack of creative spark from the Dons and the killer third came for County six minutes from time.
Vigurs swung in a long corner from the right and, on the far side of the box, substitute Ross Draper thumped a powerful header back across.
The ball fell perfectly for Shaw, who swept the ball home with ease from seven yards.
The Dons’ late collapse continued as Hylton tore on to a long ball, forced his way past slipping keeper Lewis and rolled into an empty net.