Regan Charles-Cook winner sees Ross County move off the foot of the Premiership table with three points over Dundee in Dingwall
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Ross County 3 (Samuel, Baldwin, Charles-Cook)
Dundee 2 (McCowan x2)
Ross County picked up their second win over Dundee this season in an enthralling contest in Dingwall.
The visitors took the lead twice through Luke McCowan's goals either side of Dominic Samuel's equaliser, but the Staggies came back into it after half time.
Jack Baldwin levelled things up for a second time, before Regan Charles-Cook popped up with an all-important winner with 12 minutes left to play.
Dundee came into the match having played more recently, and also with the more settled side, as James McPake only made one change bringing Max Anderson into his starting line-up in place of Christie Elliot.
The Staggies, meanwhile, made three changes – some enforced and some not. Alex Iacovitti missed out through injury, leading to Keith Watson taking his place in the heart of defence, while Harry Clarke returned on the right side of defence after serving his one-match suspension. Regan Charles-Cook, who scored twice when the sides met at Dens Park earlier in the season, also started in place of Blair Spittal.
McPake was forced into an early change when captain Charlie Adam was forced off with an injury just 12 minutes in, with the veteran midfielder being replaced by Jordan McGhee.
That did not disrupt their flow of play too much though, as they were moving the ball about quickly without really threatening Ashley Maynard-Brewer in the home goal.
It made sense, then, that a set-piece led to the opening goal and it went the way of the visitors.
Paul McMullan's chipped ball into the County penalty area was met by Liam Fontaine, who headed it down across to the other side of the box where Luke McCowan struck it sweetly towards the near post, and despite getting a hand to it Maynard-Brewer could not keep it out.
With Dundee winning the territory battle with their intensity on the ball, it was also logical that County's best chance of hitting back would come on the counter attack.
That is exactly how it happened, with Harry Paton charging up the pitch to get into Dundee's final third, before passing the ball off to Charles-Cook on the left.
His cross went in towards Dominic Samuel, whose header looked to have been stopped by Adam Legzdins only to rebound back off the striker and over the line to make it 1–1 in the 22nd minute.
From there the game became a bit scrappy, although both sides did win corner kicks that came to nothing.
There would be another twist in the tale before half time though, as McCowan grabbed his second of the afternoon to restore Dundee's lead after some impressive work from Jordan Marshall down the left.
He nearly got a hat trick after the interval when he latched on to Jack Baldwin's attempted pass across his own defence. Bearing down on goal, though, he was denied by Maynard-Brewer, with Baldwin recovering to make the eventual clearance afterwards.
Where Baldwin nearly cost his team a goal, though, he got County back on level terms for the second time in the 64th minute.
Legdzins went under a Joe Hungbo corner, allowing the Staggies defender to tap in at the back post to make it 2–2.
Dundee went close to taking their third lead of the afternoon when Danny Mullen made a near-post run to connect with McCowan's low cross in, but he could only see the ball ricochet back off the woodwork to safety.
It really was end-to-end stuff with both sides searching for a winner, and Ryan Sweeney had to make a clearance on his own goal line to keep Harry Clarke's header out.
County would finally take the lead in the 78th minute, though, through Charles-Cook.
Dundee's attempted clearance inside their own box was sliced high into the air, and though Jordan White felt he was pushed as he tried to win it and wanted a penalty, Charles-Cook capitalised to convert.
That was the last goal to speak of, as Ross County claimed an all-important three points that – coupled with St Johnstone's defeat against Aberdeen – saw them move off the bottom of the Premiership table for the first time since October.
Ross County: Maynard-Brewer, Randall (Vokins 21), Cancola (Spittal 74), Baldwin, Paton (White 46), Callachan, Samuel, Watson, Charles-Cook, Clarke, Hungbo.
Subs not used: Laidlaw, Burroughs, Tillson, Donaldson.
Dundee: Legzdins, Kerr, Marshall, Fontaine (Cummings 88), Sweeney, Mullen, McGowan (Griffiths 68), McCowan, McMullan, Anderson, Adam (McGhee 12).
Subs not used: Lawlow, Jakubiak, Elliot, Panter.
Referee: Bobby Madden
Attendance: 3122 (485 away)
Yellow cards: Dundee – Anderson (45), Fontaine (87), Kerr (89).
