Regan Charles-Cook goes from penalty zero to hero for Ross County as Premiership's top scorer claims winner against Dundee
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Dundee 1 (Rudden)
Ross County 2 (Hungbo, Charles-Cook)
Regan Charles-Cook was once again the match winner for Ross County as they claimed all three points against Dundee at Dens Park.
It had been the home side who went ahead in the first half through Zak Rudden, but a goal just before the interval from Joe Hungbo sparked the Staggies into life in the second half.
Regan Charles-Cook missed a penalty to give County the lead, but made up for it with the winning goal inside the final 10 minutes before their hosts were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time as Vontae Daley-Campbell saw red for a horrendous challenge on Harry Paton.
After their derby match midweek ended goalless, Dundee had an opportunity to find the net from the first whistle.
Having committed bodies forward at kick off, Ross County suddenly found themselves with a two-on-two situation to deal with at the back, as Niall McGinn fed in Paul McMullan who hit the bar from outside the box.
It was the hosts who generally seemed to be on the front foot, albeit without testing Ross Laidlaw too frequently, but when they did make the breakthrough it was s deserved one.
McMullan, always a threat with his pace and direct running out wide, this time elected to do something different by playing the ball into a central area early.
There, Jordan McGhee flicked the ball on into the path of Zak Rudden, who fired past Laidlaw to score his first goal for Dundee after moving on deadline day.
That took a lot of sting out of proceedings, with a lull in the action for a while thereafter.
Things kicked back into life minute before the break, though, when McMullan picked out Max Anderson in the middle around eight yards out, only for the youngster to hit his effort straight at the Staggies keeper.
County would get an equaliser right on the brink of half time, however, when Alex Iacovitti returned a cleared ball into the home box where Joe Hungbo controlled it.
The on-loan Watford winger's shot was not the most powerful, but it somehow found a way through Adam Legzdins and into the net to square the scorelines up ahead of the second half.
The Staggies did seem a little sharper off the ball coming out for the second half, but it remained tough to create clear cut opportunities to score.
Vontae Daley-Campbell kept them honest with his charges forward from right back for Dundee, but Regan Charles-Cook was doing the same at the other end as he left his marker for dead only to see his effort turned behind 10 minutes after the restart.
Charles-Cook had a golden opportunity to give County the lead when they were awarded a penalty in the 58th minute.
A nice, flowing move resulted in Connor Randall's cross being blocked by Cammy Kerr's hand, but Charles-Cook's spot kick was a weak one and Legzdins guessed right to make the save.
Even thereafter, it was County on the front foot while again struggling to get a clear sight of goal, and the final 10 minutes approached with the tie in the balance.
It was anyone's to grab by the scruff of the neck and it was the Staggies who took the lead in the 81st minute.
A mistake in the Dundee backline gave Jordan White time to pick out a pass, and he perfectly weighted a ball through for Charles-Cook, and the Premiership's top scorer made no mistake in beating Legzdins this time.
That set up a potentially frantic end to the match as Dundee desperately searched for an equaliser, and Laidlaw was needed around five minute from time to prevent Danny Mullen sliding in and finding the net at the back post.
County's cause was somewhat helped by a red card for their hosts in stoppage time, with Daley-Campbell clattering into Harry Paton and being sent off as a result.
That meant County were able to hold on and claim an important three points that puts clear daylight between them and the bottom of the table – and moves County close to touching distance of the top six.
Dundee: Legzdins, Kerr, Fontaine, Sweeney, McGhee, Byrne, McMullan, Rudden (Mullen 73), Daley-Campbell, Anderson (McCowan 64), McGinn (Adam 77).
Subs not used: Lawlor, McDaid, Chapman, Mulligan, Elliot, Robertson.
Ross County: Laidlaw, Randall, Vokins, Spittal (H Paton 81), Callachan, Watson, Iacovitti, Charles-Cook (Drysdale 87), Tillson, Hungbo (D Samuel 73), White.
Subs not used: Maynard-Brewer, A Samuel, B Paton, Wright, MacKinnon.
Referee: Don Robertson
Attendance: 4621 (112 away)
Yellow cards: Dundee – Byrne (25), Fontaine (77); Ross County – Callachan (22), Randall (62), Iacovitti (66), Paton (90).
Red card: Dundee – Daley-Campbell (90).
