Ross County Secure Late Victory Over Montrose
Ross County maintained their winning start to the League One season with a late goal against Montrose at the Global Energy Stadium. The Staggies secured a 2-1 victory, with Brian Graham scoring his seventh goal of the season in the 86th minute.
What happened?
Ross County left it late but maintained their winning start to the League One campaign with victory over Montrose at the Global Energy Stadium. Lewis Strapp gave Ross County the lead but Gary Oliver’s penalty levelled the game at the stroke of half time. However, Brian Graham scored his seventh goal of the season in the 86th minute to give County all three points.
Why it matters for Ross County
County were unchanged from the team that defeated Peterhead 1-0 at Balmoor last weekend as they aimed to continue their winning start to the campaign. Despite the victory, Kettlewell says he was looking for an improved performance from the previous weekend.
What comes next?
Ross County's next fixture is against Peterhead at home on November 7, 2026. The team will look to continue their winning start to the season and build momentum heading into the next match.
Ross County could have taken the lead within just three minutes when Jamie Lindsay found himself unchallenged in the centre of the box to meet Dylan Smith’s cross from the right wing. But he nodded inches wide of the left post to the relief of Montrose goalkeeper Cammy Gill. County were knocking at the door again when Brian Graham received the ball from Ross Docherty’s cross into the box. He turned his defender and managed to unleash a powerful low drive which was well parried away by Bell.
The deadlock was broken nine minutes before half time when Graham’s header hit the crossbar after Bell tipped the ball onto the woodwork. It bounced on the line and Strapp was the first to react to the rebound and bundled the ball over the line to give County the lead. Montrose won a free kick when Brian Graham fouled Gary Oliver on the right wing of the box. Graham Webster was unchallenged to nod a powerful header towards goal that well saved by Cammy Gill and was parried away for a corner.
But the resultant corner kick resulted in a penalty when Jack Turner was found guilty of fouling Aidan Quinn in the box. Gary Oliver sent then fired a shot into the bottom left corner on the stroke of half time to make the scoreline level. County could have restored their lead three minutes into the second half when a nice passage of play saw Strapp’s cross from the left wing find Lindsay unchallenged in the box, but fired wide of the right post.
Mintues later, Ross Docherty then went close when his shot from 12-yards out was kicked off the line by Sean McGinty before being cleared for a corner kick. Montrose then had a great chance to take the lead when the ball fell to Kieran Freeman 12 yards out but he fired inches wide of the left post. County searched for their second goal and came close when Lewis Reid’s header from close range was parried out by Gill for a corner kick.
The Staggies were pressing to retake the lead and Graham came close again when he connected with a cross from Richard Chin and fired a low drive that was well saved by Gill. But Ross County got the winner four minutes from time when Lewis Jamieson sent a cross into Graham whose diving header from close range proved to be the winner. Montrose almost got an equaliser in injury time when McGinty’s header hit the crossbar, but County held on for all three points.
