| Date | Saturday, 11 December 2004 |
|---|---|
| Competition | Scottish League Division 1 |
| Fixture/Score | Queen of the South 1:0 Ross County |
| Venue | Palmerston Park |
| Attendance | 1,588 |
| Referee | Craig Thomson |
| Comments | Match Report Published: Press & Journal 13/12/2004 Queen of the South 1 Ross County 0 Forward thrust is County's priority Ross County manager Alex Smith has admitted bringing a new forward to the club is his priority. The Stags missed some good chances during Saturday's defeat by Queen of the South at Palmerston Park as Derek Lyle's first-half goal proved to be the difference between the two sides. Despite enjoying plenty of possession, County just could not find a breakthrough and now sit only two points above the First Division relegation zone. Smith said: "I felt we had some good pressure in the first half, while the game was more evenly matched after the interval. "We put as much effort into the game as Queens did. We just couldn't make one of our chances count and that is becoming a problem. "When the transfer window opens next month, we will be definitely looking to bring in a forward who is not only a good finisher, but has a strong physical presence. "That is a top priority for me right now, and I'm also hoping we can bring in a central midfielder who will fit into our style of play and has good leadership qualities." After Paul Burns crashed a shot off a post for the Doonhamers in the seventh minute, County came close to the opening goal midway through the first half. David Winters collected the ball on the edge of the box and chipped in a shot which dropped just over the bar. But disaster struck for Ross County five minutes later when they fell behind as a result of some hopeless defending from Stuart Malcolm and Jim Lauchlan. The central-defensive duo made a mess of trying to clear a long ball and after clattering into each other, Lyle took advantage to fire the ball home. The visitors had a great chance to equalise a minute before half-time when Alex Burke shrugged off Jim Thomson, but the County striker curled a shot inches wide. Smith added: "The goal we lost was an absolute travesty. It was a bad one to lose and, ultimately, it was the deciding moment of the game," |
| Ross County | |
| Manager | Alexander (Alex) Smith |
| Starting 11 | 1: Colin Stewart, 2: Martin Canning, 3: James Lauchlan 1, 4: Stuart Malcolm 1, 5: John Rankin, 6: Mark McCulloch, 7: Don (JNR) Cowie 1, 8: Sean Kilgannon, 9: David Winters, 10: Alexander Burke, 11: Steven McGarry |
| Bench | 0: Stuart Garden, 0: Steven MacKay, 0: Jamie McCunnie, 0: Sean Higgins, 0: Gary McSwegan |
| Queen of the South | |
| Manager | Iain Scott |
| Starting 11 | Colin Scott, David Craig, Tom English, Eric Paton, Jim Thomson, Paul Burns, Steve Bowey, David Bagan, Willie Gibson, Derek Lyle 1, Brian McLaughlin |
| Bench | Richard Barnard, Brian McColligan, David McNiven, Emillio Jaconelli, Garry Wood |