Date	Wednesday, 07 October 2020
Competition	Scottish League Cup
Fixture/Score	Montrose 3:3 Ross County
Venue	Links Park
Attendance
Referee	Gavin Duncan
Comments	Match Report Report by Andrew Henderson for the Ross-shire Journal Montrose 3 Ross County 3 Win Extra Point 5-4 Penalties Played Behind Closed Doors Hawke and Webster linking up well for the hosts, some really nice touches creating some space, but so far they have not quite been able to earn enough space to get a clean strike in at goal. It has been a long nine months without a goal for Oli Shaw, but he's off the mark for Ross County now! Good build-up play down the left sees Paton drill a low cross into the box. It's not dealt with, and Mckay shoots – but Shaw is there to steer it into the net. Montrose want offside, but the goal stands. No question marks this time as Mckay gets on the scoresheet himself. Regan Charles-Cook made a driving run into the penalty area, and he was held up but not stopped before he had a crack at goal. The ball was deflected, but not clear and Mckay was left with a simple header into an empty net to double County's advantage and mark his 100th appearance for the club in style. Mckay is inches away from doubling his personal tally, sliding in but just short of Charles-Cook's low cross from the right. Cammy F Ballantyne goes close trying to curl one into the far corner from the edge of the box. The hosts nearly had one back in spectacular fashion, as Dillon tried to catch Laidlaw out with a free kick inside his own half. County's keeper was backpedalling furiously, but could not reach it – only to have his blushes spared by the woodwork. Really unlucky for Montrose here, as Ballantyne volleys the ball towards goal from about 25 yards. Laidlaw gets a hand on it, but it still goes through and hits the post before County can clear to safety. Callum Morris is not happy with the marking from his fellow defenders after Johnston is allowed a free header that he does not connect cleanly with. Ross County look confident, and that is backed up by the scoreline, but it has not been straightforward for them so far in Montrose. While they have probably had more possession, Fleming in the home goal has not had much to do other than pick the ball out of his net twice. The Staggies are trying to stretch the game and overload their lower-league opponents when going forward, but that leaves spaces for Montrose to exploit when they go forward too. After hitting the crossbar twice, they will feel that this match is not over yet, although fitness could become an issue in the latter stages of the tie. A really nice bit of quality from Regan Charles-Cook makes it 3–0 to Ross County. He took control of a loose ball out on the right flank, cut inside and almost effortlessly stroked the ball into the far corner with his left foot to increase the visitors' advantage. Martin Rennie was the man who delivered a cross for Webster to head past a motionless Laidlaw and pull one back for the hosts. Moments after making a quadruple substitution, one of them makes an impact to get Montrose off the mark! Mckay found himself through one-on-one with Fleming, and nicely lifted the ball over Montrose's goalkeeper – only to see the ball bounce back off the post. The Northern Ireland international seemed primed to knock in the rebound, but it was cleared off the line instead. The luck has definitely turned in this half, after Montrose were twice denied by the woodwork in the first half now they are only one goal behind thanks to a deflection. Ballantyne was the man with the shot from just outside the box, taking a deflection off Callum Morris that wrong-footed Laidlaw and the ball trickled into the net. Montrose's second goal will probably not go down as an own-goal, but Morris very nearly atoned for his part in it regardless as he hits the post at the right end with a header. With Montrose looking for an equaliser, County get the chance to counter and Mckay has plenty of space to shoot 20 yards out, but Fleming makes a good stop low to his right. Ross Stewart, who came off the bench earlier, gets a shapshot in at goal after linking up with Mckay, but it goes wide of the mark. What a comeback from the hosts here, as Andrew Steeves comes charging in to smash home and make it 3–3 after County's backline fails to clear the danger. Are we heading for penalties? County win 5–4 on penalties!
Ross County
Manager	Stuart (Ketts) Kettlewell
Starting 11	1: Ross Laidlaw, 3: Carl Tremarco, 5: Callum Morris, 8: Oliver Shaw 1, 9: Billy Mckay 1, 11: Iain Vigurs, 14: Jermaine Hylton, 15: Keith Watson, 16: Alexander Iacovitti, 17: Regan Charles-Cook 1, 24: Harrison Paton
Bench	41: Logan Ross, 7: Michael Gardyne, 10: Michael O'Connor, 12: Tom Grivosti, 19: Charlie Lakin, 22: Jordon Tillson, 27: Ross Stewart, 46: Ben Williamson, 47: Adam Mackinnon
Montrose
Manager	Stewart Petrie
Starting 11	Allan Fleming, Cammy Ballantyne, Matty Allan, Sean Dillon, Kerr Waddell, Graham Webster 1, Paul Watson, Lewis Hawke, Craig Johnston, Cammy F Ballantyne 1
Bench	Andrew Steeves 1, Ross Campbell, Iain Campbell, Aidan Quinn, Lewis Milne, Martin Rennie, Aaron Lennox