County keep climbing after sinking Killie to stretch play-off gap
ROSS COUNTY must be wondering where the next leg of their remarkable journey of rediscovery will take them after stretching their unbeaten Premiership run to six matches.
A fourth consecutive home win after just two victories all season in their previous 24 matches extended their advantage over bottom side St Mirren to seven points after it had seemed just a few weeks ago that they were about to be given the last rites.
They were made to sweat out the closing moments after Kilmarnock pulled a goal back with a Lee Ashcroft header two minutes from time.
But goals in each half from Michael Gardyne and Craig Curran got the job done in the end and boosted County’s hopes of maybe even avoiding the play-offs.
Defeat also put a dent in Killie’s bid to clinch a top-six spot after their unbeaten seven-match run was halted in the Highlands.
But County’s margin of success did not offer an accurate reflection of their superiority after they squandered several chances to record their biggest win of the season.
Coincidentally, that was a threegoal victory at Rugby Park. County could so easily have surpassed that total but for a combination of slack finishing and some outstanding shot-stopping by Craig Samson.
County manager Jim McIntyre, who never lost faith in his players’ ability to turn their season around, said: ‘It was very pleasing. For 80 minutes we were exceptional.
‘The only criticism I have is that we don’t have more goals to show for some excellent play, the way we got ourselves into some great areas. But Big Sammy also had some great saves.
‘Kilmarnock had been on a good run and they had nothing to lose. We went deeper and deeper and lost a goal to make for a nervous ending.
‘But it shouldn’t have been anywhere like that after winning most of the individual battles.
‘Wins breed confidence and the players have a real self-belief without being over-confident. They know what it’s going to take to keep it going.’
Counterpart Gary Locke added afterwards: ‘We didn’t start the game well enough. Ross County are fighting for their lives and early on we were second best all over the pitch.
‘But the boys responded well in the second half and I thought we finished the game really strongly. On another day we maybe could have snatched a draw.
‘But we’ve been on a great run and the players deserve enormous credit. It’s important that we respond.’
Gardyne took advantage of Manuel Pascali having been given the slip by Liam Boyce in the 23rd minute and executed a powerful finish from 12 yards into the top-left corner.
When Gardyne delivered a low cross from the right in the 59th minute, Samson was unable to get to Curran’s cool finish from close range that gave McIntyre’s men a cushion.
County, who also survived a shot from substitute Greg Kiltie that hit the post prior to Ashcroft scoring, had to do without the services of their talented young full-back Marcus Fraser who was withdrawn due to a hamstring injury.
Fraser will also miss Scotland’s Under-21 match against Hungary in Budapest this coming midweek after earning his first international call-up.