The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
County come from behind to gain lift-off in top flight
Ross County had to come from behind against St Mirren to secure a muchneeded victory which backs up their recent improvement.
Although County were on top against the Buddies, it looked like it could have been another tale of woe when Jordan White’s early opener was cancelled out by strikes by Ryan Strain and Mark O’Hara.
But County turned the game after the break courtesy of Jordan Tillson and George Harmon, who netted their first goals for the Dingwall outfit.
It lifted the Staggies off the foot of the Premiership table and they are now level on points with Kilmarnock.
The home side took the lead in just 10 minutes following a corner. After Edwards’ delivery had been cleared to Loturi on the edge of the box, the midfielder showed excellent vision to produce a whipped ball into the middle to lay it on a plate for White to fire home.
It was a second goal in as many games for White but the Buddies equalised just three minutes later.
After Jack Baldwin had fouled Jonah Ayunga 25 yards from goal, Strain stepped up to power a curling free-kick into Ross Laidlaw’s top-right corner.
It was a sweet strike by the Australian, although Laidlaw got a strong enough hand on it to feel he could perhaps have kept it out.
Baldwin’s involvement was to come to an end however, as he failed to shake off a knock he picked up early in the match, with Keith Watson brought on to replace him.
County pushed to regain their lead before the break, with White seeing a flick towards goal blocked by Curtis Main after Watson had nodded Dhanda’s corner back across the box.
White was presented with another opportunity on 34 minutes following a neat lay-off by Dhanda, with the attacker unable to keep his effort down.
It had been a thoroughly dominant first-half display by the hosts, but St Mirren inflicted a severe blow by taking the lead in first-half added time.
Ethan Erhahon’s corner was partially headed clear by Jordan Tillson, but O’Hara followed up with a looping header which crept over the line off the underside of the crossbar.
It was an identical halftime position to the one which County had faced six days previously against Hearts, in being forced to chase a game which they had taken early control of.
The outcome was to prove different on this occasion however, with County turning the game on its head within 15 minutes of the restart.
Their leveller came on 56 minutes through an unlikely source, with
Tillson opening his Staggies account on his 92nd appearance.
With that considered it was an excellent finish from the Englishman, who was on hand to drill home from just inside the box after Edwards’ cross had been flicked into his path by White.
Summer signing Harmon did not have to wait quite as long to get off the mark, as he restored his side’s lead just four minutes later.
Edwards was again the provider with a lofted cross from the right, which Harmon was able to send into the far corner with a guided header.
The Buddies piled on the pressure in the dying minutes, with Laidlaw coming to County’s rescue when he blocked an Alex Greive effort with his legs after a ricochet off Tillson had inadvertently sent the striker clean through.
But the Dingwall men held on for the win – which comes as a major boost to the Staggies, who will now look to their next two matches in their efforts to end on a high before the World Cup break.