Date	Saturday, 22 November 1997
Competition	Scottish League Division 3
Fixture/Score	Ross County 8:1 Montrose
Venue	Victoria Park
Attendance	1,434
Referee	Sandy Roy
Comments	Match Report Report from the Daily Record. Ross County 8 Montrose 1 Derek Adams cried tears of frustration last May as County agonisingly missed out on promotion through goal difference. But he hasn't stopped smiling this season as gaffer Neale Cooped and his team-mates keep him in stitches behind the scenes. Adams is convinced that laugh-a-minute attitude is the reason County are three points clear at the top of the Third Division. And after a superb hat-trick in this eight-some reel the former Aberdeen and Burnley hitman took a swipe back at Albion Rovers gaffer Vinnie Moore who earlier this month slated the Highlanders for their laid-back attitude. Adams said: "Vinnie Moore criticised us for having a laugh and a joke but I think that is one of the keys to our success. "Everyone gets on brilliantly. There's no fighting among the players and no big-time Charlies, either. The manager gets involved in the crack, too, and I don't see anything wrong with that. It doesn't detract from our respect for him in any way." Adams, returning after suspension for being sent off against Albion, added: "I think this result has been on the cards for a while. "We've been creating that level of scoring opportunities but not putting them away. "I think we can see now that missing out on promotion was probably a blessing in disguise last season. "It hurt at the time but if we can do it this time we will be better equipped for the Second Division. Adam's hat-trick took his tally to 13 for the season while Steve Ferguson, Willie Furphy, Gary Wood, Roy McBain and Gerry Farrell were also on target. Gary Higgins grabbed Montrose's goal--but that was of no consolation on a day they will want to forget. Shell-shocked boss Tommy Campbell moaned: "At 2-1 down I still we had a good chance but you saw the quality of their finishing--it was devastating."
Ross County
Manager	Neale Cooper
Starting 11	1: Joseph (Nicky) Walker, 2: William Furphy 1, 3: William (Billy) Herd, 4: David MacKay, 5: Gerard Farrell 1, 6: Alexander Taylor 1, 7: Steven Ferguson 1, 8: Roy McBain 1, 9: Richard Hart, 10: Garry Wood 1, 11: Derek Adams 3
Bench	0: Thomas Callaghan, 0: Connor Campbell, 0: Neil Tarrant
Montrose
Manager	Tommy Campbell
Starting 11	David Larter, Rod Wylie 1, Jim Watt, Mark Craib, Craig Mailer, Benny Andrew 1, Jim Henry, Innes MacDonald, Dougie Coulston, Gary Higgins 1, Colin McGlashan
Bench	Stefan Winiarski, Scott Taylor, Trialist