| Date | Wednesday, 21 July 2021 |
|---|---|
| Competition | Scottish League Cup |
| Fixture/Score | Brora Rangers 0:1 Ross County |
| Venue | Dudgeon Park |
| Attendance | 237 |
| Referee | Euan Anderson |
| Comments | Match Report Report by Alasdair Fraser for the Ross-shire Journal Brora Rangers 0 Ross County 1 Alex Iacovitti set the Malky Mackay era rolling at Ross County with a powerful headed winner away to Brora Rangers. The former Notts Forest and Oldham defender struck early in the second half of a fiercely competitive Group C clash. The Staggies were always in control in what was the first meeting of the two sides since they both held Highland League status 27 years ago. The Premiership side were also playing their first competitive fixture under manager Mackay, with group matches against Forfar and Dundee having fallen to Covid-19. Brora, completing their group campaign, were searching for a first League Cup point - and goal - but both proved elusive. The Highland League champions, without a win in seven games since that historic Scottish Cup triumph against Hearts in March, held their own comfortably for the first 20 minutes. Soon after, Connor Randall drew a strong save from ex-County goalkeeper Joe Malin having found space to strike from the right side of the box. Despite a dearth of goalmouth action, it was feisty stuff with County’s Jordan Tillson taking a yellow card for a clattering challenge on Brora’s Andrew Macrae. County took a firm grip on play towards half-time and Iacovitti flashed a header just wide from Southampton loanee Jake Vokins’ dangerous corner. But the same combination came good in similar circumstances just six minutes into the second half. Vokins swept another corner in high from the right and this time Iacovitti’s connection, leaping high with Brora’s Jordan Macrae, was deadly as it rattled in off the top of the left hand inside post. The top-flight side remained comfortably in control throughout the second half, but couldn’t add to their tally. With six minutes left, Andrew Macrae wound into space on a rare Brora foray forward, but cut his left foot attempt wide from 15 yards. |
| Ross County | |
| Manager | Malcolm (Malky) Mackay |
| Starting 11 | 1: Ross Laidlaw, 2: Connor Randall, 3: Jake Vokins, 7: Blair Spittal, 8: Ross Callachan, 9: Oliver Shaw, 10: Dominic Samuel, 15: Keith Watson, 16: Alexander Iacovitti 1, 22: Jordon Tillson, 25: Coll Donaldson 1 |
| Bench | 21: Ross Munro, 11: Alexander Robertson, 26: Jordan White, 30: Matthew Wright, 33: Ben Williamson, 34: Ryan MacLeman |
| Brora Rangers | |
| Manager | Steven Mackay |
| Starting 11 | Joe Malin, Ally Macdonald, Mark Nicolson 1, James Wallace 1, Martin Maclean, Jordan Macrae, Andrew Macrae, Ali Sutherland, Tom Kelly, Gregor Macdonald, Millar Gamble 1 |
| Bench | Dale Gillespie, Steven Mackay, Josh Meekings, Jamie Stephen |