Date	Saturday, 04 October 1997
Competition	Scottish League Division 3
Fixture/Score	Ross County 2:4 Alloa Athletic
Venue	Victoria Park
Attendance	1,823
Referee	John Fleming
Comments	Match Report Report by Alasdair Fraser for the Daily Record. Ross County 2 Alloa Athletic 4 County are planning a shock raid for Aberdeen keeper Nicky Walker. And after Saturdays performance it's clear they need him. The Dingwall side were blown away by Alloa's whirlwind second-half goal blitz as Victoria Park was hit by a gale. It certainly put the wind up 19-year-old goalie Kevin Morgan who had a nightmare. Now County boss Neale Cooper is ready to stop the rot my moving for Walker. The 35-year-old veteran has been frozen out at Pittodrie since last season, with Jim Leighton's return sealing his fate. Cooper confirmed his interest but would only say: "We are always looking to strenghthen the team and there is interest." It will be tough to take for Morgan, who is a useful shot-stopper but only 5ft 8in tall. He had serious problems in the second half and Cooper admitted: "I was disappointed about a couple of things with Kevin, particularly their first goal. "He is small for a keeper but the ball wasn't high when it came across the box. He just wasn't there for it. "But he's been told and he knows you have to take the flak as well as the praise." Cooper whipped up a storm of his own in the changing room after Alloa knocked his side off top spot. He said: "I'm deeply disappointed--not with performance, because the game was an absolute lottery, but with the attitude of certain players. "There are some who have got to start showing the grit and determination to grind things out when it gets difficult." excuse the cliche but the raging gale really did make it a bizarre game of two halves, more resembling blow football with power hairdryers than the genuine article. Alloa, second to County in the table at kick-off, found themselves two goals down by half-time. Steve Ferguson nodded County ahead in the sixth minute when he met Mark Haro's long throw and beat keeper Mark Cairns from eight yards out. As Alloa's clearances blew back in their faces, Kenny Gilbert almost made it two with an amazing 40-yarder which caught the wind but was brilliantly turned over the bar by Cairns. When Derek Adams accidentally hoofed in a bizarre, bending 40-yard cross from County's right flank to make it 2-0 in 30 minutes, it was clear this was no ordinary game. Alloa's only serious attack came late in the first half with Paul Simpson almost splitting the crossbar before Morgan twice denied David Pew at close-range. With a change of ends came a complete a reversal of fortunes--and Alloa proved to be far better at harnessing the gale. Lloyd Haddow netted in 48 minutes in an action replay of Adams' goal, the ball dipping and bending like a Roberto Carlos free-kick. Just before the hour, Paul McAnenay headed home from Haddow's 35-yard free-kick for the equaliser. The real turning point, however, came when Stuart Golabek was sent off for swinging an arm at Stuart Wilson. County, a man short and buffeted back against their own goal, had no chance. In 76 minutes, Willie Irvine tapped in from close range after a vicious Haddow effort hit poor Morgan and then the bar. And County's misery was complete when Martin Cameron lobbed in the fourth for the Wasps. Alloa manager Tom Hendrie praised his side's fighting spirit. He said: "They showed a lot of character to take us top of the table. "I knew that, with the wind as it was, we were still in with a great chance at half-time even at 2-0 down. But it still took a lot of passion and hard work to take the points."
Ross County
Manager	Neale Cooper
Starting 11	1: Kevin Morgan, 2: Stuart Golabek 1, 3: Mark Haro, 4: William (Billy) Herd, 5: David MacKay, 6: Steven Ferguson 1, 7: Kenneth Gilbert 1, 8: Alexander Taylor, 9: Roy McBain, 10: Garry Wood, 11: Derek Adams 1
Bench	0: Thomas Callaghan, 0: Richard Hart, 0: Alexander (Sandy) Ross
Alloa Athletic
Manager	Tom Hendrie
Starting 11	Mark Cairns, Paul McAneny 1, Lloyd Haddow 1 1, Mark Nelson, Craig Valentine, Stuart McKay, David Pew, Stuart Wilson, William Irvine 1 1, Paul Simpson, Mark Cowan
Bench	Steve Ramsay, James Gilmour, Martin Cameron 1