Ross County crash to home defeat against resurgent Hibs
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Ross County (0) 0 Hibs (0) 2
Att 4,244
(Scorers: Porteous 46, Boyle 81)
Ross County crashed to a fifth Premiership defeat of the season at the Global Energy Stadium after finding themselves unable to resist the attacking threat of a much-improved Hibs.
The Tartan Army’s new hero Ryan Porteous completed a fine week in his football career with a scrambled opener 25 seconds into the second half and Martin Boyle put the contest beyond doubt with nine minutes remaining.
County’s best threat came from wide man Owura Edwards, but he was unable to find the spark to hurt the Hibees.
Defeat left County still third bottom in the Premiership table and with only one league win from eight so far this season.
After restorative home victories over Aberdeen and Kilmarnock before the international break, Hibs came north intent on making it three straight wins for the first time since December last year.
Unchanged from the Dons’ game before the international break, they drew a significant pre-match boost from the inclusion of Kyle Magennis on the bench.
It was the Scotland under 21 cap’s first involvement since suffering a serious groin injury just over 12 months ago, before undergoing knee surgery in April this year.
Edwards, on-loan from Bristol City, earned a first start since mid-August among three County changes from their scoreless draw at St Johnstone.
The fast, athletic and cultured winger would provide County’s main counter-attacking threat and outlet in a first half where they repeatedly ceded territory to Hibs.
Hibs first threatened with Josh Campbell striking powerfully at goal and home keeper Ross Laidlaw parrying for a corner.
After a couple of fruitless home corners, County’s David Cancola first dispossessed Boyle outside his own penalty area then lost the ball to the same attacker, bringing him down 22 yards out.
Porteous swerved the free-kick around the wall but just wide of Laidlaw’s left hand post.
Porteous was adventurous and granted plenty of space to probe deep into County territory, distributing some clever passes and, once, drawing a strong save from Laidlaw.
The developing pattern saw County hemmed into their own half, unable to make much stick in Hibs territory and, increasingly, prone to mistakes in possession.
Hibs were not immune to similar.
Some sloppiness after 27 minutes allowed William Akio to feed Ross Callachan for a blocked attempt, before Edwards thrashed the follow-up against David Marshall’s legs and to safety.
Laidlaw’s assurance was proving vital against his former club and he was also sharp to clutch a Paul Hanlon header down low.
Both managers must have craved a greater spark of invention for the second period. Somehow, it felt inevitable that it would come from the boot of Porteous after his special week, just 25 second after the restart.
Joe Newell launched a long throw into the home penalty box and, amid a rabble of flailing legs, Porteous was calm enough to swivel into position six yards out and beat Laidlaw with a finish low into the right side of the net.
There was an incredible miss for Hibs after Newell swept the ball across the face of goal but Boyle, sliding in, failed to connect from a few yards.
Mykola Kukharevych also went agonisingly close for Hibs from eight yards.
Hibs seemed untroubled into the final 15 minutes, but the lead remained slender until Martin Boyle thrashed in the second from 12 yards after a ball across from the right from Chris Cadden.
Hibs’ happy day on the Highlands was complete as Magennis made his late entry to end a year of injury woe.
A diving one-handed save from Laidlaw prevented worse damage after another Boyle blast. County clung on by their fingernails to avoid worse damage.
Ross County (4-2-3-1): Laidlaw 7; Johnson 6 (Watson 57, ), Baldwin 7, Iacovitti 6, Purrington 6; Cancola 5 (Dhanda 46, 6 ), Paton 6; Akio 5 (Olaigbe 57, 6), Callachan 6, Edwards 7 (Sims 74, 4); White 6 (Hiwula, 68, 5). Subs: Eastwood, Samuel, Loturi, Tillson.
Booked: Cancola 33
Hibernian (4-2-3-1): Marshall 6; Cadden 6, Porteous 8, Hanlon 7, Cabraja 6; Newell 7 (Henderson 86, 2), Kenna 7; Boyle 8, Campbell 7, Youan 6 (McKirdy 55, 5); Kukharevych 6 (Magennis 82, 3). Subs: Schofield, Miller,Tavares, Stevenson, McKirdy, McGregor, Fish.
Referee: Alan Muir 7
