County plot to make life hard for themselves
THE Ross County players developed a late attack of the jitters after threatening to annihilate League Cup finalists Motherwell at the Global Energy Stadium.
A first-half double from Michael Gardyne and a goal from Davis Keillor-Dunn looked to have secured a comfortable win for Owen Coyle’s side.
But when Motherwell hit back with an early second-half strike from substitute Ryan Bowman and another from Louis Moult 11 minutes from time, the Staggies suddenly found themselves on the back foot.
And Coyle admitted: ‘We could have managed to game a bit better when we were three-nil up, but all credit to Motherwell for fighting back.
‘They are a good side and we knew we would have to battle to earn the right to play. We had a few nervous moments which could have been avoided.
‘But we scored some wonderful goals, and we have kicked on from winning my first game at Kilmarnock and we have to keep that up. We are progressing, but there is still more to come from us and that will take time.’
Motherwell struggled to suppress the speed and movement of Gardyne and Keillor-Dunn, to the extent that they were completely undone by the wide men in the first half.
After Craig Tanner had squandered an early chance and Charles Dunne had struck the top of the crossbar with a looping header, the visitors went behind in the 13th minute when Gardyne finished off an assist from Andrew Davies.
Keillor-Dunn made it two in the 26th minute when he took a pass from Gardyne and fired a left-foot shot into the right corner of the net from the edge of the 18-yard box.
Then, with three minutes of the half remaining, Cedric Kipre’s headed goal-line clearance from Jim O’Brien landed at Gardyne’s feet and the winger had time to compose himself before picking his spot.
Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson effected change at the interval by sending on Bowman and Elliot Frear for Andrew Rose and Dunne. And when Bowman headed Frear’s cross past Aaron McCarey within three minutes of the restart, it was game on.
But Moult’s headed goal from Chris Cadden’s cross in the 79th minute came too late to enable Motherwell to complete their revival and salvage a result.
Assistant manager Keith Lasley said: ‘We could have nicked a draw but when you defend the way we did at set-pieces in this division you are going to have a hard time winning games.
‘There will be positives from the second half, but we got beat and we hate losing. We are trying to instil that into the players as we want winners in the dressing room, so, regardless of the fightback, we aren’t happy.’