Ross County slump to defeat against Dundee United in Dingwall
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Ross County 0 Dundee United 2
Scorers - Shankland (62) Edwards (75
Ross County remain in the relegation play-off zone as Dundee United’s eight game run without a win finally came to an end as goals from Lawrence Shankland and Ryan Edwards gave them victory in Dingwall.
Both goals came midway through the second half to earn Micky Mellon’s team their first win since December 23 to move them eight points clear of the Staggies.
Ross County failed to stretch the four-point gap above bottom of the table Hamilton Academical who have three games in hand on the Staggies.
Ross County had a decent start to the match with Carl Tremarco’s free kick finding Leo Hjelde in the box in the opening minutes.
But his header was saved comfortably by goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist.
Buoyed on by an encouraging start to the game, Jermaine Hylton fired a thunderous effort from 25 yards out which forced the Swiss goalkeeper to stretch to stop the ball finding the top right corner of the net.
Dundee United responded when Hjelde’s mistake of a short back pass was pounced on by Shankland and he charged towards the box unchallenged.
But goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw forced the striker wide and Shankland was unable to control the ball to fire towards goal.
Laidlaw was alert again when Shankland beat the offside trap to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper. But the striker again failed to make the chance count as Laidlaw snatched the ball from his feet before he could release a shot.
The Staggies had a great chance to take the lead on the half hour mark when Jordan White played through Tony Andreu with only the goalkeeper to beat.
But from the edge of the box, the French midfielder fired his shot wide of the left post.
After a quiet start after the break, United broke the deadlock midway through the second half in the 62nd minute to take the lead.
Liam Smith's pass from the left wing found Shankland in the box and he managed to send a low drive past County’s central defenders and goalkeeper Laidlaw from 12 yards to give them the lead.
United sealed all three points with 15 minutes to go when Edwards rose highest to reach Peter Pawlett’s corner kick and unchallenged from six-yards out nodded the ball past Laidlaw.
Ross County rarely threatened to pull one back as John Hughes’ team trotted off the park they could not climb out of the relegation play-off zone.
Ross County - Laidlaw, Tremarco (Iacovitti 76), Hjelde, Morris, McKay (Shaw 69) Hylton (Gardyne 69), Kelly (Draper 76) Naismith, Paton (Lakin 69) White, Andreu.
Subs (Unused) Hilton, Draper, Watson, Charles-Cook,Tillson.
Dundee United _ Siegrist, Smith, Sprole (Bolton 75), Reynolds Pawlett, McNulty, Edwards, Robson, Butcher (Powers 81), Shankland, Fuchs (Harkes 79).
Subs (Unused) – Mehmet, Powers, Clark, Fotheringham, Mochrie, Appere, Smith.
Referee Grant Smith
