Date	Tuesday, 16 August 1988
Competition	Highland League Cup
Fixture/Score	Inverness Clachnacuddin 0:3 Ross County
Venue	Kingsmills
Referee
Ross County
Manager	Robert (Bobby) Wilson
Starting 11	1: John Sutter, 2: Christopher (Chris) Somerville, 3: Scott Lemmon, 4: Cameron Robertson, 5: Dave Bellshaw, 6: David MacRae, 7: Keith (Billy) Ferries, 8: Davie Jackson 1, 9: Alex (Nero) McDonald 1, 10: Gordon Connelly 1, 11: Alan Gair
Bench	0: John MacDonald, 0: Martin MacKay
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the North Star. Ross County 3 Inverness Clachnacuddin 0 BOBBY WILSON'S Ross County secured their place in the semi-finals of the Tennents Highland League Cup on Tuesday night after a resounding 3-0 victory over Inverness Clach at Kingsmills Park, Inverness. Indeed, it was County who provided most of the play throughout, with midfield dynamo Gordon Connolly giving a great display of talent and scoring the first goal — a cracking free kick! Clach had no answer to County’s sheer pace and style in attack, even with assistant manager Alex Caldwell marshalling the defence on the back line with all his long experience to the fore. The Lilywhites gave up their record of being the only TSB League club not to concede a goal in 13 minutes after Ferries was pulled down by Caldwell on the edge of the box. That man Connolly hit a cracking drive to the left-hand post, to leave the in-form Derek Rudkin no chance of attempting the stop. County had their tails up after the early goal and made regular trips into Clach territory, their midfielders and forwards looking very quick off the mark. They almost scored number two in the 30th minute, but had to be content to see an effort drift high and wide. New signing Nero MacDonald was in good form at the front, just shooting over the bar, but the ex-Caley man was off balance. A composed County knocked in their second five minutes from half-time. A Ferries waltzing run down the left wing saw an exposing pass come to Jackson, and the number eight had no trouble in picking his spot to lash the ball in. Nero MacDonald came close a minute after the re-start when his chipped attempt almost caught ’keeper Rudkin unawares, but the ball just bounced past the left-hand post. The match was end-to-end stuff during the middle period of the second half. Clach went all out for their elusive goal, Keith McLeod doing a lot of work in the midfield area, backed up by Alex Caldwell. Workhorse Ferries was the player behind County’s third goal. He ran down the right wing, and his cross — after a goal-mouth scramble — was met by Gair who nodded it on to MacDonald, who had no compunction in heading it in for goal number three. ’Keeper Rudkin was in fine form, producing some timely saves denying County the chance to further increase their lead — and it could have happened as County attacked for long spells.