Don Cowie hails strong team performance as Ross County snap Dundee’s unbeaten streak to record first Premiership win of the season
Ross County manager Don Cowie was delighted to see his team overcome Dundee 2-0 and keep their first home league clean sheet since December.
Akil Wright got the Staggies off to a strong start by heading in Noah Chilvers’ corner, while Jordan White converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time that had been awarded by VAR.
Put under pressure by Dundee after the restart, though, it took a show of resilience in the second half to ensure that County would claim all three points by the time the final whistle was blown.
That was a particularly pleasing element of the performance for Cowie, who snapped a 10-match unbeaten run for Dundee across all competition to record their first Premiership win of the campaign.
“It was a good three points and a good team performance,” Cowie explained.
“We were really solid and clinical when we got our opportunities to score, and I’m absolutely delighted with how we defended our box.
“It was a case of thinking we had been good at home, so trying to play on the front foot even against a very good team.
“We need to be a better threat at set plays, and Akil’s goal gave the whole team confidence. We looked in control after that.
“The penalty was a massive boost just before half time too, and I thought we saw the game out really well in the second half.
“When we got to the end of last season we were delighted to stay in the Premiership, but we knew there were aspects we had to improve on.
“We are a very honest group, and we conceded too many goals. This season, barring the Rangers game, we have been really solid and tough to play against.
”We want to play good football, but the foundation has to be built on being hard to play against.”
Cowie was forced into an early tactical change as George Harmon was forced off with injury, and he went to hospital after the match to get his ankle seen.
With no Josh Reid on the bench after the homegrown talent picked up a knock in training earlier this week, it meant a re-shuffle with Ryan Leak coming off the bench and Eli Campbell, making his first start, moving out to left wing back.
That did not seem to affect County’s defensive performance though, and Cowie was proud of how his side as a whole coped with those changes.
“We could see Kacper Lopata’s organisational skills and how demanding he was of his teammates against Aberdeen, and we saw that again today,” Cowie added.
“I thought they handled Dundee really well. They made a lot of changed to try and get a foothold in the game, but we stood up to everything.
“Akil’s goal was a bonus, but you saw his physicality and mobility in the game, so we’re delighted to have him in the club.
“That was Noah Chilvers’ first start, and we saw in spells what he can add to the group. He is behind fitness-wise, so he managed to get minutes that will stand him in good stead.
“Josh Nisbet put in a really solid performance, and Ronan Hale is always a threat.
“Yes we can get better, but we spoke after the Rangers game about being harder to play against, and we have shown that.”
