Date	Saturday, 27 August 2005
Competition	Scottish League Division 1
Fixture/Score	Ross County 2:1 Stranraer
Venue	Victoria Park
Attendance	2,052
Referee	Alan Freeland
Comments	Match Report Report by Paul Third for the Press & Journal. Ross County 2 Stranaer 1 Alex Burke staked his claim for a regular run in Ross County team by scoring one goal and setting up the other at Victoria Park as County consolidated their position as First Division leaders with a fine over a high=flying Stranraer side who had just beaten Dundee. The former Queen of the South forward has been linked with a return to his former club and also with First Division rivals St Mirren, but manager John Robertson insists the forward will be an important part of his side this season. Robertson said: "Alex is a good player and we had a good chat this week about what we expect of him. There has been a lot of speculation, but if he can show that kind of form regularly he will be a big player for us." Burke admits a frank discussion with his manager last week has given him fresh impetus to re-establish himself as the No. 1 forward at Dingwall. He said: "I've been in and out of the side so far and it is good just to get a game. When I get a game it is up to me to prove I should stay in the team. I got my goal and it is up to me now to ensure the guys who are in front of me don't get back in. The manager spoke to me this week and told me he wants more and I think I responded today." Burke opened the scoring in the seventh minute when he turned Stranraer defender Murray Henderson twice before shooting past goalkeeper Barry John Corr from 16 yards. Chances were few and far between for both sides with defences on top, but a great one-two between Stuart Taylor and Burke midway through the second half opened up the visitors' defence, allowing Taylor to run clear on goal before beating Corr from 14 yards. Burke had the chance to put the game beyond Neil Watt's side when he beat the offside trap to run clear on goal, but Corr was equal to his shot. Stranraer pulled a goal back 12 minutes from time when Paul Walker crossed for David Hamilton to head past Stuart Garden in the County goal from close range.
Ross County
Manager	John Robertson
Starting 11	1: Stuart Garden, 2: David Cowan, 3: Sean Webb, 4: Lionel Djebi-Zadi, 5: Martin Canning, 6: John Rankin, 7: Mark McCulloch 1, 8: Stuart Taylor 1, 0: Steven McGarry 1, 0: Alexander Burke, 0: David Winters
Bench	0: Joseph Malin, 0: Fergus Tiernan, 0: Kevin McKinlay, 0: Craig Gunn, 0: Maciej Nuckowski
Stranraer
Manager	Neil Watt
Starting 11	Barry Corr, Stephen Swift, Alex Keddie, Craig Higgins, Murray Henderson 1, Allan Jenkins, David Hamilton 1, Derek Wingate, Andy Dowie, Leigh Hinds, Lee Sharp
Bench	Stephen Aitken, Alan Morrison, Kevin Gaughan, Paul Walker, Ian Ross