Clinical Charles-Cook propels County closer to Premiership survival
REGAN Charles-Cook enhanced his burgeoning reputation as Scottish football’s leading marksman with a deadly double to dump St Johnstone and move Ross County closer to Premiership survival.
The 25-year-old winger transformed what was a classic six-pointer after Saints had threatened to take complete charge, earning a standing ovation into the bargain when he was substituted five minutes from time.
Former Arsenal youth player Charles-Cook took his tally for the season to 13 as the Staggies consigned their 10-match winless run at the start of the campaign to the dustbin of history.
County now have a sevenpoint cushion over Saints, a nine-point advantage over bottom club Dundee and are just four shy of Livingston in sixth spot.
It took a while for the match to come to life and it was only after the Perth side took the lead in 24 minutes that it turned into an engrossing encounter.
Thomas Sang’s cross from the left hung in the air and Callum Hendry was first to make contact, sending a looping header beyond Ross Laidlaw’s reach into the net from around eight yards.
The play immediately opened up and it then became a question of resolve. Would St Johnstone have the mental toughness to build on their advantage or would County respond positively to the challenge they had been set?
The answer came in the shape of an equalising goal of genuine quality in the 35 minutes when Charles-Cook displayed the flair that has made him a target for several bigger clubs.
When the ball broke off Jacob Butterfield it fell for Harry Paton to provide a neat lay-off to Charles-Cook. The latter took a quick glance up before curling the sweetest of finishes wide of Elliot Parish from 20 yards.
Charles-Cook was also at the heart of affairs within seconds of the restart when
he chased to reach Joseph Hungbo’s probing cross from the left to the far post in an attempt to catch the opposition cold and just failed to get a touch on the ball.
It soon became apparent that County had acquired a much sharper edge to their play on the back of Charles-Cook’s goal and his importance to the team was highlighted when he fired County ahead on 53 minutes.
Jack Baldwin’s long throwin bobbled about the centre of the penalty box and it was Charles-Cook who reacted quickest from close range when he looped the ball over the goalkeeper from the edge of the six yard box.
St Johnstone looked to be suffering from a crisis of confidence by the time County increased their lead after 66 minutes.
Hungbo was first to react to a loose clearance out of defence and his left-foot finish from the edge of the 18-yard box gave Parish no chance to retrieve the situation.
County assistant manager Don Cowie praised his players for their tough mindset after they fought their way back into the match.
He said: ‘Even when we conceded the first goal, heads didn’t go down. We just kept going and built our way back into the game.
‘Once we got the equaliser, that gave us real momentum and we started the second half really well.
‘It’s a massive three points and the result allows us to join the group that are fighting for the top six.’
He also lavished praise on match-winner Charles-Cook, who endured a difficult first season in Dingwall due largely to homesickness.
Cowie added: ‘He’s built on what he did at the start of the season. His goals are obviously great, but it’s what he adds to us as a team.
‘Regan works ever so hard for a wide player, as they can be renowned sometimes for switching off defensively.
‘But it’s not something he does and we are delighted with what he is producing, and for Joseph to get in on the act as well.
‘We would love Regan to stay. He’s a breath of fresh air. He comes in everyday smiling and happy. So, anything he gets, he deserves.’
Dejected St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson confessed: ‘That is probably the lowest I’ve felt this season. Probably what disappointed me most was the way we reacted to losing a goal.
‘I don’t know whether it is fragile confidence. But in the second half we were a shadow of ourselves and how we’ve been.
‘We should not have been fragile after the Hearts victory. Performances have been good. At times, we’ve had poor refereeing decisions, but today we couldn’t blame that at all.’