Ross County Database

DateWednesday, 15 April 1992
CompetitionHighland League
Fixture/ScoreHuntly 4:3 Ross County
VenueChristie Park
RefereeSandy Roy
Ross County
ManagerRobert (Bobby) Wilson
Starting 111: Stephen Hutchison, 2: Christopher (Chris) Somerville, 3: Alexander (Sandy) MacLeod, 4: Robert (Robbie) Williamson, 5: Johnston Bellshaw, 6: Cameron Robertson, 7: Andrew (Andy) MacLeod, 8: Brian Grant 1, 9: Alan Duff 1, 10: Gordon Connelly 1, 11: Barry Wilson
Bench0: Jamie MacPherson, 0: Kevin Craig
Attendance600
Match ReportMatch Report
Report by Mike Tremlett for the Press & Journal.
Huntly 4 Ross County 3
Huntly dealt a blow to Ross County's hopes of retaining the TSB Highland League championship and put themselves back in the race with a thrilling 4-3 win over the Dingwall men in an engrossing battle at Christie Park last night.
County started the better, CONNELLY putting County ahead with a point-blank header into an empty net in 16 minutes when Gardiner misjudged a cross from Wilson. However, their lead lasted just seven minutes.
Fired-up Huntly came roaring back in 23 minutes, Brian THOMSON punishing slack defending with a terrific angled right-foot shot from 15 yards which whistled past Hutcheson into the roof of the net.
Within a minute County were back in front. Connelly burst down the left bye line and cut the ball back for Brian GRANT, who rattled home his 43rd goal of the season to give County a 2-1 lead.
By half-time Huntly had squared the game again. Eddie Copland rifled in a low 18-yard drive from the corner of the box which was turned into his own net by young County left back Sandy MACLEOD.
Two minutes into the second half, Huntly went ahead for the first time when DUNSIRE latched on to a short pass-back from Sandy MacLeod to stroke the ball past the on-rushing County keeper from 12 yards.
And on the hour COPLAND coolly put Huntly 4-2 in front, taking a long through ball from Thomson to the edge of the area to leave the County keeper helpless for the second time in the match.
Copland missed an identical chance eight minutes later when Hutcheson stood his ground 10 yards off his line to pluck the Huntly players' shot out of the air. With play raging from end to end Gardiner had to block a point-blank effort from Duff with his legs.
With Jamie McPherson on as a substitute for left back MacLeod to add fire power, County began to press to try and get back into the game.
Duff sent a header just wide and Brian Grant drew a fine save from Gardiner in 80 minutes, DUFF tucking the ball away at the second attempt a minute from time.
In the end, County paid the price for slack defending in a thrilling game played at break-neck speed on a gluepot of a surface and they now face a real test of their nerve against Caley in Dingwall on Saturday.