Date	Saturday, 05 August 2017
Competition	Scottish Premiership
Fixture/Score	Dundee 1:2 Ross County
Venue	Dens Park
Attendance	5,032
Referee	William Collum
Comments	Match Report Report by Brian McLauchlin for the BBC. Dundee 1 Ross County 2 Ross County opened their Scottish Premiership campaign with victory away to Dundee. Jamie Lindsay volleyed County ahead after a positive start from the Highlanders. And, after Dundee lost striker Sofien Moussa to injury, Christopher Routis headed the visitors' second. Jack Hendry nodded home from Scott Allan's corner to reduce Dundee's deficit but it proved only to be consolation. County were without an opening-day victory since 2010 but Jim McIntyre's side looked determined to set that record straight from the opening whistle. Playing an offensive formation with the width of Michael Gardyne and Ryan Dow supporting Alex Schalk, the visitors put the Dundee defence under the cosh early on. The opening goal was well worked with Andrew Davies knocking the ball down for Lindsay to strike low beyond Scott Bain. The lead should have been doubled on the stroke of half-time but a lack of composure by Routis with the goal gaping allowed the Dundee defence to clear. With six new players in their starting XI, Dundee's play was laboured. Randy Wolters, Roarie Deacon and Moussa were unable to find their stride and Allan was snuffed out of the game until late on. Number two for the visitors will again give cause for concern for Dundee fans. A corner was floated in from the right and Routis - all alone six yards out - had a simple task in knocking the ball into the bottom corner. Dundee have been fairly impressive in the League Cup, with much expected from the strike force of Moussa and Deacon. However, apart from a couple of snap shots from Mark O'Hara and Deacon, there was little for Scott Fox to worry about in the Staggies goal in the first half. The introduction of Moussa's replacement Faissal El Bakhtauoi and Paul McGowan, who came on for Wolters, gave the home side enough of a spark to get them back into the game. And it was another substitute, Hendry, who gave the home fans hope. His header lifted the Dens Park faithful but despite piling on late pressure there was to be no equaliser. Darren O'Dea came closest, but his left-foot shot drifted just over the crossbar. Dundee manager Neil McCann: "I felt we started okay and looked a threat and the latter part we did well. "The bit in between was not good enough and Ross County dominated us in the middle of the pitch, which is disappointing as we have two combative players in there. "We looked hesitant going forward and I'm also disappointed with losing two goals from set pieces. "Overall, I am disappointed with the start of the campaign and will be looking for a reaction come Wednesday." Ross County manager Jim McIntyre: "I thought first half we were excellent and should have hit the net at least once more. "It was nervous close to the end and it was like the Alamo. "But the boys dug in and threw their bodies on the line. "We spoke about getting more goals from the middle of the park and two guys from the middle scored today."
Ross County
Manager	Jim McIntyre
Starting 11	1: Scott Fox, 2: Marcus Fraser, 3: Jason Naismith, 4: Christopher Routis 1, 6: Sean Kelly, 7: Michael Gardyne 1, 8: Timothy Chow 1, 9: Ryan Dow, 10: Alex Schalk, 15: Andrew Davies, 18: Jamie Lindsay 1
Bench	31: Aaron McCarey, 19: Thomas Mikkelsen, 28: Kenny Van der Weg, 40: Davis Keillor-Dunn, 42: Reghan Tumilty, 43: Blair Malcolm, 44: Russell Dingwall
Dundee
Manager	Neil McCann
Starting 11	Scott Bain, Cameron Kerr, Kevin Holt 1, Darren O'Dea, Kerr Waddell, Glen Kamara, Scott Allan, Mark O'Hara, Roarie Deacon, Randy Wolters, Sofien Moussa
Bench	James Vincent, Danny Williams, Elliot Parish, Paul McGowan, Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Jack Hendry 1, Lewis Spence