Ross County Database

DateSaturday, 23 February 2019
CompetitionScottish Championship
Fixture/ScorePartick Thistle 2:4 Ross County
VenueEnergy Check Stadium
Attendance3,007
RefereeGavin Duncan
CommentsMatch Report
Report by Brian McLauchlin for the BBC.
Partick Thistle 2 Ross County 4
Ross County pulled off a dramatic comeback from two goals down to stun Partick Thistle and extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Championship to five points.
Thistle's Aiden Fitzpatrick opened the scoring before Christie Elliott doubled the hosts' lead three minutes later.
Ross Stewart started a second-half comeback, Jamie Lindsay levelled, while Stewart netted again to put County up.
Billy McKay added a fourth from the spot after Stewart was fouled.
The penalty kick rounded off a terrific win for the Highland side who took advantage of Ayr United's slip up at home to Dunfermline Athletic and Falkirk holding Dundee United.
For Gary Caldwell's side, their seven-match unbeaten run is over as they sit bottom of the Championship on goal difference.
Partick Thistle manager Gary Caldwell: "It shows if you don't run, if you don't do the simple things and win your individual battles then you'll get punished.
"We got complacent in the second half and didn't do what we did in the first.
"I thought, first half, we were outstanding - by far the best we have played since I took over - and I warned them at half-time that the next 10 minutes are going to be big and they are going to come out and throw everything and, if they get something, it will galvanise them.
"I don't like being right, but I was right. Whenever you think you've cracked it in this game, you get punished and I think it is a wake-up call for the players. The players said it was embarrassing."
Ross County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell: "There was a slight tweak in terms of shape in the second half, but I've said it before this season that out players come up with the answers in the dressing-room.
"When the players believed what they were capable of in the second half, and we started doing all the things we've been doing for the majority of the season, you can see the performance we put in.
"As soon as Partick Thistle scored, we gave them too much respect and we let them get on top of us.
"But, when you've got Ross Stewart in the kind of form we found him in particularly in the second half then you're always going to have a chance of scoring a goal."
Ross County
ManagerSteven Ferguson Stuart Kettlewell
Starting 111: Scott Fox, 2: Marcus Fraser, 7: Michael Gardyne, 8: Jamie Lindsay 1, 9: Billy Mckay 1 (1 pen), 12: Andrew Boyle, 14: Joshua Mullin 1, 15: Keith Watson 1, 16: Lewis Spence 1, 27: Ross Stewart 2, 28: Kenny Van der Weg
Bench21: Ross Munro, 19: Brian Graham, 24: Harrison Paton, 26: Don Cowie (SNR), 31: Daniel Armstrong, 43: James Wallace, 44: Tom Grivosti
Partick Thistle
ManagerGary Caldwell
Starting 11Conor Hazard, Christie Elliott 1 1, James Penrice, Steven Anderson 1, Jack McMillan 1, Blair Spittal, Stuart Bannigan 1, Gary Harkins, Craig Slater, Aidan Fitzpatrick 1 1, Kris Doolan
BenchJamie Sneddon, Sean McGinty, Scott McDonald, Souleymane Coulibaly, Lewis Mansell, Steven Saunders, Alistair Roy