Date	Saturday, 05 March 2022
Competition	Scottish Premiership
Fixture/Score	Ross County 1:0 Saint Mirren
Venue	Global Energy Stadium at Victoria Park
Attendance	3,229
Referee	David Dickinson
Comments	Match Report Report by Jack Herrall for the BBC. Ross County 1 Saint Mirren 0 Ross County boss Malky Mackay refused to set any targets for his side despite victory over St Mirren moving them into the top six with three games until the Scottish Premiership splits. Joseph Hungbo second penalty winner in successive matches secured a 1-0 win over St Mirren in Dingwall as County moved to within a point of fourth place. Their visitors remain in ninth. "We've just got to take the next three games as they are and see where we fall at the break," said Mackay, whose side have won three in a row. "It was a terrific win today. To have three games in a week and get three wins gives us real good momentum." There wasn't much to report on from the opening 45 minutes. Both sides showed attacking impetus at times but there was only one recorded shot on target and no clear-cut opportunities. The second half took all of four minutes to eclipse it. Jordan White flicked on a long throw-in that ping-ponged around the box before eventually landing for Regan Charles-Cook, who was clumsily barged down by Alex Gogic. Hungbo converted his second penalty in as many games as he lashed in off the underside of the bar, with a gasp of relief coming from the home fans as it bounced on the right side of the line. St Mirren didn't limp to defeat, though, with a handful of chances simply needing a more clinical touch. Jordan Jones stumbled his way to the byeline and managed to dig out a cutback to Eamonn Brophy. The striker reversed his shot back towards goal well and called Ross Laidlaw into his first piece of action to palm it past a post. A superb St Mirren corner then went begging as no one attacked it, allowing Laidlaw to gather the bouncing ball in the middle of the box unchallenged. County did not surrender their grip on the game despite St Mirren's stirring second-half revival as they defended resolutely as the pressure from the visitors grew. No one in the league will want to play County now. They've only lost two of their last 10 games and even when Regan Charles-Cook - the league's top scorer - isn't firing on all cylinders, there are plenty of others ready to step up. Whisper it, but might passports be getting looked out as they continue to climb the table? St Mirren changed to 4-3-3 in the second half and it would be a surprise if they don't try it more often. Brophy was a nuisance for County in nearly every attack his side launched, perhaps with a point to prove to a still somewhat new manager that he should be his focal point going forward. Ross County manager Malky Mackay: "I'm really pleased about the spine of the team. I thought our centre backs and our midfielders and our centre forward really kept that strength together when it's needed. "Great credit to young Joe [Hungbo] because the confidence now from the boy who walked in at the start of the season to the man that's beginning to grow - I'm delighted. He's a terrific young lad." St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "It's very disappointing. I've come in and tried to just go along with what was there but now I have to go and try to put my stamp on it. "I've tried to keep people happy and keep going along with a team that had a chance to get in the top six — and still do because things change very quickly in football — but we've got three games now we must get points from, simple as that."
Ross County
Manager	Malcolm (Malky) Mackay
Starting 11	1: Ross Laidlaw, 2: Connor Randall, 5: Jack Baldwin, 6: Harrison Paton, 8: Ross Callachan, 16: Alexander Iacovitti, 17: Regan Charles-Cook, 19: Kayne Ramsay, 22: Jordon Tillson, 23: Joseph Hungbo 1 (1 pen), 26: Jordan White
Bench	21: Ross Munro, 3: Jake Vokins, 7: Blair Spittal, 10: Dominic Samuel, 18: Jack Burroughs, 20: Declan Drysdale, 24: Benjamin Paton, 30: Matthew Wright, 32: Adam Mackinnon
Saint Mirren
Manager	Steven Robinson
Starting 11	Dean Lyness, Richard Tait, Scott Tanser, Joe Shaughnessy, Conor McCarthy, Charles Dunne, Alan Power, Jordan Jones, Greg Kiltie, Alexander Gogic, Alex Greive
Bench	Ryan Flynn, Eamonn Brophy, Curtis Main, Jay Henderson, Ethan Erhahon 1, Marcus Fraser, Peter Urminsky, Kenzie Smith