Ross County moved to the top of League One with an emphatic 8-0 victory over Queen of the South in Dingwall on Tuesday. The Staggies were relentless from the start, scoring twice inside the opening eight minutes and adding six more after the break in a performance that underlined their title credentials.
Chris Hamilton opened the scoring after just six minutes, finishing from Kieran Phillips's delivery. Brian Graham doubled the lead two minutes later, converting from Lewis Strapp's cross. Hamilton grabbed his second a minute into the second half before Graham added a penalty on 56 minutes. Phillips then scored twice, either side of a Richard Chin strike, and captain Jamie Lindsay completed the scoring in the 89th minute.
Hamilton and Graham lead the charge
The early double from Hamilton and Graham set the tone for a one-sided evening. Hamilton's brace from midfield showed his attacking threat, while Graham's penalty took his tally for the season into double figures. The pair's understanding was central to County's fluid attacking play, which Queen of the South simply could not contain. Manager Don Cowie used his full allocation of substitutes in the second half, giving minutes to the likes of Adam Emslie and Caleb Goldie as the game was put to bed.
Deniz Mehmet in goal had a quiet night, protected by a back line including Connor Randall and Ross Docherty. The clean sheet was County's fourth in six league games this term, a foundation upon which their table-topping position is built. They now sit first with 16 points from six matches, having scored 20 goals and conceded just four.
This result provided the perfect response to a 3-0 defeat to Hibernian in the League Cup just three days earlier. That loss at Easter Road saw goals from T. Klidje, A. Mayor and A. Suto, but County quickly refocused on league business. Their recent form over the last five games in all competitions reads two wins, one draw and two defeats. The comprehensive nature of this win sends a clear message to their promotion rivals.
Attention now turns to maintaining this momentum. The Staggies' next fixture is at home to Peterhead on 7 November. Peterhead currently occupy seventh place, and County will be expected to continue their strong home form. With the squad showing such depth and firepower, the challenge is to build on this statement victory and consolidate their position at the summit.
The original report is at ross-shirejournal.co.uk
