COUNTY REFUSE TO LET INJURY SHOCKER SPOIL OPENING WIN

CHELSEA goalkeeper Nathan Baxter’s loan deal at Ross County is in doubt after he had to fly back to London for treatment to a shoulder injury.

The 20-year-old, who joined the Staggies last month, missed their emphatic League Cup win over Montrose yesterday and no decision has been taken yet on continuation of the loan.

County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell said: ‘We just have to pick up the pieces of that one but it looks as if the injury may keep him out for some time.’

Kettlewell, barring a sloppily lost goal, was pleased with his team. ‘We tasked the players with winning the game and we did that. We had several chances, so we take huge positives,’ he said.

The Dingwall team wasted no time in asserting their superiority and after seven minutes, Jamie Lindsay’s 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 box, lifted a tremendous right-foot strike over visiting goalkeeper Aaron Lennox.

Six minutes later, Ross Stewart set off on a solo run which led to him cutting home an angled finish to give his side a two-goal lead at the break.

The game was over as contest a minute after the restart when Mullin’s cross from the right was headed home by Stewart.

Montrose hit back when Matty Allan’s deflected shot skewed past Staggies’ No1 Ross Laidlaw off Liam Fontaine to make it 3-1.

County remained in control and Billy Mckay got off the mark for the season in the 85th minute by rounding off the scoring with a neat clipped finish over Lennox.