Hibees frustrated as Staggies stand firm
Jack Ross knows Hibernian blew a chance to close in on Celtic and Aberdeen – but refused to view the Dingwall draw as a setback.
The Easter Road manager saw his team fail to strengthen their grip on third spot in the table as 10-man Ross County held strong in Dingwall.
The Staggies’ defence has taken criticism in the league and after shipping three goals against Montrose, but they were superb after resisting an early barrage.
There was some luck involved as a Kyle Magennis blast struck the post, but the hosts grew into the game and frustrated the European football hopefuls.
Even Connor Randall’s red card with 11 minutes left couldn’t weaken the home resolve.
Jack, though, remained upbeat. He said: “I was pleased with large aspects of the performance. We came away from home and kept a clean sheet and did that comfortably.
“I don’t think Ofir Marciano had any save of substance to make and we created a lot within the game.
“It is a strange one because the result is the be all and end all and we didn’t get the one we wanted, but there was a lot of good things about today.
“That’s 14 competitive games and we have only lost two and that is pretty good.”
Hibs welcomed back Scotland international trio Paul Hanlon, Paul Mcginn and Ryan Porteous, along with new Cyprus cap Alex Gogic, as they sought to build on a strong start to the Premiership campaign.
County were chasing only their second home victory of the campaign. But they were quickly up against it as Hibs carved out four good chances in the opening 15 minutes.
Martin Boyle, surging through from the right, fired just wide inside four minutes, and just a minute later Kyle Magennis smacked a powerful strike high off the inside of the right-hand post from the edge of the area.
County attacker Michael Gardyne offered their first threat with a teasing cross from the left that found no takers.
But it was Hibs who were setting the tempo and Boyle, from a long punt forward, found total freedom in the right side channel to close in on goal but cut his shot agonisingly wide.
With Hibs’ endeavours coming to nothing, County began to settle into the game with some neat movement.
Gardyne went close from 25 yards and, a couple of minutes later, wove superbly past a couple of challenges before Lakin hoisted a strike wildly over.
Eight minutes into the second half Hibs howled for a penalty, but referee Nick Walsh seemed to call it right in waving away the claim.
Kevin Nisbet had surged into a dangerous position on the right side of the box, but was taken out by a sliding Regan CharlesCook challenge that left him writhing in pain, but took the ball cleanly from his feet.
Hibs tried to reignite their threat after 68 minutes. On-loan Celtic keeper Ross Doohan did well to first block Christian Doidge as he burst on to a pass into the penalty area and then recover quickly to parry Nisbet’s follow-up strike wide. Stevie Mallan’s powerful strike drew another block from young Doohan.
County were reduced to 10 men 11 minutes from time when Connor Randall failed to deal with a high ball and took down Boyle as a last-man offence.
County felt they should have had a penalty when Gardyne’s surge forward ended with Ross Stewart tumbling under Paul Mcginn’s attentions.