Ross County 5-2 Dundee

Liam Boyce scores the third of his treble

Liam Boyce's hat-trick secured victory and a top-six Scottish Premiership placing for Ross County over Dundee.

The visitors had led twice through a double from Kane Hemmings - his fourth and fifth goals in two matches.

Boyce and Michael Gardyne twice levelled for Jim McIntyre's men.

And, after Jackson Irvine slid in to tap home from a corner to give the hosts the lead, Boyce struck a spectacular overhead kick and pounced again late on to seal victory.

Boyce's second hat-trick of the campaign takes the Northern Ireland international to 17 goals so far and consolidated his side's grip on fifth place.

With Dundee a mess in defence and their goal difference dented, the visitors dropped out of the top half, leapfrogged by Partick Thistle, who had their game called off.

County were first to go on the attack but Dundee soon got into their stride and Greg Stewart supplied Hemmings, who scored a hat-trick against Hamilton Academical last week, with a short but well-weighted though ball which he cracked home from a dozen yards.

However, Dundee were unable to repeat the whirlwind start which had put them 4-0 up against Accies by half-time, and, after some frantic early exchanges, the game settled down to provide what was still a steady 90 minutes of great entertainment.

With the ball moving freely inside the Dundee box, both Boyce and Craig Curran failed to connect for an equaliser before Stewart missed a chance for Dundee's second when Scott Fox pulled off a great save.

Just before the half hour mark Andrew Davies collected a goal kick and returned it up-field into the path of Boyce, who rolled it slowly into the Dundee net with keeper Scott Bain already committed.

Curran was upended just outside the Dundee box by Thomas Konrad, who was booked, but Martin Woods' free-kick went just past the right angle of the goal.

Boyce was taking the match ball home for the second time this season

Early in the second half, Stewart again provided the run and pass for Hemmings to restore Dundee's lead but there was an almost immediate response from County when Gardyne went down the left to find the net from a very tight angle.

Five minutes later, County were ahead for the first time when almost the first thing substitute Irvine did was to force the ball home amid claims that it had not crossed the line.

The game remained in the balance until Boyce set the home end alight with his second, an overhead effort from a narrow angle, as Dundee steadily declined as a threat.

Boyce completed his treble in the final five minutes, firing high into the net from Jamie Reckord's cross, finally putting the game beyond Paul Hartley's side.