| Date | Saturday, 08 February 1997 |
|---|---|
| Competition | Scottish League Division 3 |
| Fixture/Score | Forfar Athletic 0:1 Ross County |
| Venue | Station Park |
| Attendance | 571 |
| Referee | John Rowbotham |
| Comments | Match Report Report by Derek McGregor for the Daily Record. Forfar Athletic 0 Ross County 1 Forfar's promotion push was left suffering a Highland Hart-ache after they lost out to high flying County. Teenage super-sub Richard Hart grabbed a last minute goal to let the visitors jump ahead of Forfar into second place. And the psychological damage inflicted on their Angus rivals at home can't be underestimated. Boss Neale Cooper jumped for joy as Hart slid a half volley past John Donegan to snatch victory. It was only the second first team appearance for the 19 year old who could keep his place for Wednesday's do-or-die derby with Caley Thistle. Within seconds of the strike ref John Rowbotham blew for time leaving Cooper ecstatic. He beamed: "If we go up that's exactly the kind of result we'll look back on and think of as crucial. "When you score a goal like that in the last minute you're delighted. "To come here and beat them 1-0 is a massive psychological boost and a real blow to Forfar. "Forfar are a strong side though and they'll be pushing all the way. But it was a great result for us. "I'm delighted for the young lad Richard Hart. He's a bright one for the future." Hart, one of only five true Highlanders in the 14, hopes he's done enough to retain his place. County face Caley Thistle mid-week knowing they Must win the Victoria Park Clash to claw back the seven point gulf between the two sides in the title charge. And Hart said: "There's still a couple of players out, so if I get my Chance hopefully I can take it." Boss Cooper Added: "Wednesday's Game against Caley Thistle is now a big one. They've beaten us twice this season, we want to turn that round." County had a bizarre goal chalked off just after the break so deserved their last minute winner. Willie Furphy appeared to deflect Sandy Ross' volley into the far corner with his Privates. But whistler John Rowbotham said the ball deflected off his hand and chalked it off. However looking at Furphy writhing on the deck, clutching his you-know-what's, there seemed No doubt where he was hit. Forfar almost snatched a draw when Paul Hannigan crashed a 25 yarder of the County bar. But gutted gaffer Ian McPhee blamed himself for the defeat. He admitted: "I sent up our centre-half Bobby Mann for a free-kick with a minute to go looking for the win. "County cleared, went up the park and scored. It was a mistake but I'll learn from it." |
| Ross County | |
| Manager | Neale Cooper |
| Starting 11 | 1: Stephen Hutchison, 2: William Furphy, 3: William (Billy) Herd 1, 4: David MacKay, 5: Johnston Bellshaw, 6: Julian Broddle, 7: Roy McBain, 8: Steven Ferguson 1, 9: Keith (Billy) Ferries, 10: Derek Adams, 11: Alexander (Sandy) Ross |
| Bench | 0: Robert (Robbie) Williamson, 0: Gerard Farrell, 0: Richard Hart 1 |
| Forfar Athletic | |
| Manager | Ian McPhee |
| Starting 11 | John Donegan, Mark Bowes 1, Douglas Craig, Jim Hamilton, Bobby Mann, Andy Cargill, Alan Morgan, Finnigan, Jamie Loney, Iain Lee, Ben Honeyman |
| Bench | Paul Roberts, Stuart Glennie, Brian Sexton |