Hamilton Academical 1-3 Ross County
- Published
Two late goals ensured Ross County recorded a rare victory on the road against Hamilton Accies.
Hamilton took a first-half lead when Gramoz Kurtaj finished off a fine Accies move but County levelled through Craig Curran's low strike.
The visitors went ahead thanks to Stewart Murdoch's first County goal in off the underside of the crossbar.
And the icing on the cake was Liam Boyce's last-minute strike from Michael Gardyne's cut-back.
It sealed a first away victory in the Premiership since August for the Dingwall side and also lifts them above Accies to fifth in the league.
Hamilton's main shirt sponsor specialises in home improvements and it was exactly that Martin Canning's men wanted to achieve, with their previous win at New Douglas Park stretching as far back as September.
The Accies team these days is a blend of their usual home grown talent and some interesting signings from various corners of Europe and beyond.
One of those is Kosovo-born German Kurtaj, who had already tested County goalkeeper Scott Fox from a tight angle before he was on hand to put Hamilton in front.
It was a brilliantly worked move by Accies, with Dougie Imrie's pass to the left channel finding Carlton Morris, who in turn squared the ball across goal for Kurtaj to tap in from six yards.
The 24-year-old nearly had a second minutes later but Fox was able to turn that low effort one round the near post.
County boss Jim McIntyre's five starting XI changes and subsequent attacking formation failed to have any real impact until just before half-time, when Raffaele de Vita's looping header sailed comfortably wide.
Hamilton's Northern Irish goalkeeper Michael McGovern probably had enough spare time in the first half to think about who he hoped his country would get in the Euro 2016 draw, but he became busier after the break.
Jonathan Franks set up County team-mate Martin Woods for a 20-yard drive that McGovern tipped over well, then from the ensuing corner Accies' captain had to repel Andrew Davies' header.
The Dingwall side did eventually beat him, though. Another corner fell for midfielder Jackson Irvine to crack a shot off the underside of the crossbar and it rebounded nicely into the path of Curran for the Englishman to drill the visitors level.
Apart from a claim for a penalty when Hamilton midfielder Ali Crawford appeared to be fouled on the edge of the box by Irvine, it was County who were fruitful on the attack from there on in.
Former Falkirk and Fleetwood Town midfielder Murdoch was in the right place at the right time when the ball broke to him in the box to lash home County's crucial second.
Then Boyce netted his 14th goal of the season with a finish which found the net via a deflection off an Accies defender following good work down the right by Gardyne.
- Published7 June 2019
- Published20 June 2016