County hit four past plucky Montrose
CHELSEA goalkeeper Nathan Baxter’s loan deal at Ross County is in serious doubt after an injury blow for the Premiership returnees.
The talented 20-year-old missed yesterday’s 4-1 League Cup hammering of Montrose after flying back to London for treatment on a shoulder injury.
County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell said no decision had been taken yet, but it looks like the Championship title-winners could be forced to think again and find another keeper to challenge Ross Laidlaw.
Kettlewell said: “Nathan sustained an injury the other day. We just have to pick up the pieces of that one and see how it pans out over the next couple of days.
“He has gone back to Chelsea for now, given the severity of the injury. It looks as if it could keep him out for a period of time.
“It would be silly to say right now it will go one way or another. We need to make sure, first and foremost, the player is taken care of, which he will be through Chelsea.
“And we obviously need to see what’s best for us, to make sure that area of the pitch is as strong as it can be.”
Kettlewell, barring a sloppily lost goal, was pleased with progress and added:
“We tasked the players with winning the game and we’ve obviously done that.
“We had several opportunities and a lot of the ball, so we take huge positives from it.”
County started three of five summer signings, with debuts for ex-hibs goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw, ex-caley Thistle midfielder Joe Chalmers and ex-partick attacker Blair Spittal.
The Dingwall team wasted no time in asserting superiority.
Inside seven minutes, Jamie Lindsay’s penetrating run from deep took him all the way to the edge of the away penalty area before slipping a pass to Josh Mullin.
The winger, from just inside the Montrose penalty area, lifted a tremendous right foot strike over keeper Aaron Lennox from 18 yards.
Ross Stewart’s solo run six minutes later tore through the League One side’s defences before an angled finish.
Montrose, beaten in the Championship play-offs last season, steadied themselves. Striker Josh Skelly began to posed County problems.
Skelly cut wide after 32 minutes and then found space for a first-time strike that keeper Laidlaw parried.
Straight from the re-start, Mullin’s cross from deep right was powered into the net by the head of Stewart.
But Montrose hit back with Matty Allan’s deflected shot skewing past Laidlaw off Liam Fontaine for a consolation.
Billy Mckay then opened his account for the season, clipping a neat finish over the keeper from Spittal’s pass.
Montrose boss Stewart Petrie said: “It was very encouraging. We were a wee bit naive with the two goals we lost, but, against Premiership sides, you will make mistakes and be punished.”