| Date | Saturday, 03 May 1997 |
|---|---|
| Competition | Scottish League Division 3 |
| Fixture/Score | Queen's Park 1:2 Ross County |
| Venue | Hampden Park |
| Attendance | 906 |
| Referee | Alan Gemmill |
| Comments | Match Report Report by Matthew Lindsay for the Press & Journal. Queen's Park 1 Ross County 2 John Hewitt has scored some memorable goals, but his equaliser for Queen's Park at Hampden ranks alongside his most spectacular. With just 10 minutes remaining, the former Aberdeen player unleashed a powerful free kick into the top right corner of the net with his left foot. The quality and importance of this effort from the substitute prompted unstinting praise from relieved County manager Neale Cooper. He said: "That was the John Hewitt of old. What a great strike. What a lift it gave the side." County produced an equally-stunning winning goal in the final minute. The tireless Billy Ferries played a precise cross from the right wing and Derek Adams drilled a volley past Queen's Park goalkeeper. That secured three points and sustained County's Division 3 promotion challenge. It was not a performance for their large travelling support to savour, but at this critical stage of the season the result is all that matters. Cooper was upset that his side had again started shakily. After only four minutes the host team took the lead when Kenny Kennedy headed home a David King free kick. Cooper said: "The boys showed a lot of bottle to come back from that. They fought to the death. They gave it their all." |
| Ross County | |
| Manager | Neale Cooper |
| Starting 11 | 1: Kevin Morgan, 2: William Furphy, 3: Robert (Robbie) Williamson, 4: William (Billy) Herd 1, 5: Steven Ferguson, 6: Kenneth Gilbert, 7: Roy McBain, 8: Garry Wood 1, 9: Keith (Billy) Ferries, 10: Derek Adams 1, 11: Andrew (Andy) MacLeod |
| Bench | 0: Johnston Bellshaw 1, 0: Richard Hart, 0: John Hewitt 1 |
| Queen's Park | |
| Manager | David Hunter/Andy McGlennan |
| Starting 11 | Starr, Derek Wilson, David Graham, Graeme Elder, Ross Caven, David King, Mark Smith, David Arbuckle, Iain Fitzpatrick, Kenneth Kennedy 1, Paul Ferguson |
| Bench | Danny Ferry, Martin McLauchlin, Martin Hardie |