Ross County lose first match in five games as Jake Doyle-Hayes double gives Hibernian victory in Edinburgh
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Scottish Premiership
Hibernian 2
Ross County 0
Scorer: Doyle-Hayes (50, 78)
Ross County lost for the first time in five Premiership matches as they went down to Hibernian at Easter Road.
Jake Doyle-Hayes scored in either half to give Hibernian all three points and consign Ross County to their first defeat since going down to Dundee United 2–1 on January 26.
Ross County made three changes to the team that drew 1–1 with Livingston in the previous game.
In came Jack Baldwin named as captain with Harry Paton and Dominic Samuel in the starting 11.
Joseph Hungbo was relegated to the bench with Blair Spittal and Keith Watson out of the squad.
Jordan White found himself booked after just seven minutes when he was harshly found guilty of simulation in the penalty box.
But County were asking questions of Hibernian early on, particularly down the left wing as a great ball by Jake Vokins found Jordan White who stayed onside and beat his marker as he charged into the box. But not enough power to trouble Matt Macey from 10 yards out.
That was as good as it got in the first half with little or no chances created by either team in a dull 45 minutes apart from Kevin Nisbet being booked for a challenge on Regan Charles-Cook.
But Hibs came storming out in the second half and took the lead five minutes after the break.
A cross to the edge of the box found Doyle-Hayes and his powerful strike stung the palms of Ross Laidlaw who couldn’t parry the ball away from the net.
Ross County attempted to respond with Ross Callachan firing a thunderous effort from 25-yards out which was devoid of any accuracy.
But Hibs began to stamp their authority on the game and should have doubled their advantage midway through the second half.
Jack Baldwin lost control of the ball and was pounced on by Sylvester Jasper who set up Ewan Henderson whose shot from eight yards was parried out by Laidlaw for a corner.
The goalkeeper then produced another great save from a Ryan Porteous header to keep the deficit at one.
But Hibernian killed off the game 12 minutes from time when they won a free kick at the edge of the box when Jack Baldwin fouled Josh Doig.
The free kick from Chris Mueller was cleared from the box only to find Doyle-Hayes who thundered the ball into the net from 20 yards out.
Hibs: Macey, Doig, Porteous, Nisbet (Scott 75), Stevenson, Jasper (Mueller 70), Doyle-Hayes, Cadden, Campbell (McGregor 88), Bushiri, Henderson (Wright 75).
Substitutes: Dabrowski, Doidge,Melkersen, Blaney, Macintyre.
Ross County: Laidlaw, Randall, Vokins, Baldwin, Paton, Callachan, D.Samuel (Hungbo 63), Iacovitti, Charles-Cook, Tilson (A. Samuel 83), White.
Substitutes: Maynard-Brewer, Samuel, Sims, Ramsay, Drysdale, Paton, Wright, Mackinnon.
Referee: Steven Maclean.
Attendance: 14,149
