Half-timebust-upgot Staggiesbackontrack
dunfermline athletic 1 Anderson (40) ross county 2
Mckay (51), Gardyne (77)
Ross County fortified their narrow three-point lead at the top of the Championship but had to come from behind to beat a Bruce Andersoninspired Dunfermline Athletic.
County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell admitted his players were holding each other to account at half time before stepping in and making the changes required to turn the game around in the Highland club’s favour.
“When you’re dealing with men who want to win in sport there’s going to be a couple of arguments and things thrown at one another”, Kettlewell stated. “But it’s important you react to it.”
“We took off two players but potentially we could have made more changes, because nobody hit the heights in the first-half. We were poor, we were disorganised.
“We’re not going to win this league with it being all about one person. We’ve got to make sure everybody’s in it together. And it was a real show of character and togetherness today.”
County were the heavy favourites going into the match with the Pars undergoing a drought in front of goal, and the league leaders should have taken an early lead.
The superb reflexes of Ryan Scully were called into action with barely five minutes elapsed in the tussle.
A left-wing cross from Billy Mckay found Brian Graham in the six-yard box and the big striker sent a powerful header downwards that would have usually resulted in a goal, were it not for the acrobatics of the Pars keeper.
All Fife-based eyes were glued on loan signing Bruce Anderson making his debut and the Aberdeen forward looked lively. The striker could have enticed Calum Semple into an early bath but the defender was so outpaced, he could only flail with an ungainly leg in an attempt to bring down the forward. Anderson should have opened his account for the home side on the half hour mark as Faissal El Bakhtaoui played the striker clean through but the striker flashed his effort wide.
Ten minutes later and in an almost carbon copy, El Bakhtaoui sent his striking partner clean through again. This time the much-touted youngster made no mistake, slamming his effort under Scott Fox.
The Staggies pitched Michael Gardyne and Andy Boyle into the fray in the second half after a frank discussion at half-time with players expressing their opinions to management.
The tactical tinkering paid immediate dividends as a deflected Ross Draper shot
fell straight into the path of Billy Mckay. The home defence appeared to freeze, gazing longingly for assistant referee Craig Ferguson to raise the offside flag as Mckay tucked home his effort.
County did have the ball in the net again on the hour mark but Mckay’s effort was ruled offside much to the relief of a reeling Dunfermline.
The Pars withdrew both Anderson and El Bakhtaoui, seemingly content to settle for a point and this only emboldened their Highland opposition. County began to push men forward and it was a moment of inspiration from substitute Gardyne that pushed County in front. The midfielder dropped his shoulder to confuse his marker before rifling an unstoppable effort into the top corner.
Jamie Lindsay should have made it three for the Staggies as he burst into the box but Scully raced out to smother the midfielder’s effort.
Pars manager Stevie Crawford was disappointed with his team’s second half capitulation.
“The horrible side to it is after we lost that goal in the second half, you can see the confidence goes from us,” he said. “We’ll focus on the first half but we have to look over the second. The first half counts for nothing as we have come away with no points today.”