Date	Saturday, 23 August 1930
Competition	Highland League
Fixture/Score	Ross County 4:2 Elgin City
Venue	Victoria Park
Referee	Mr Tom Maclean
Ross County
Manager	Johnny Hart
Starting 11	1: Peter Brett, 2: Roddie Munro, 3: Ackie Urquhart, 4: Dick Traill, 5: Johnny Hart, 6: Paulo Grant, 7: J Morrison, 8: ??? Montgomery 1, 9: Ian Aird 2, 10: A Kerr, 11: Charlie Cameron 1
Bench
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the Ross-shire Journal. Ross County 4 Elgin City 2 Ross County followed up their decisive victory against Clachnacuddin the previous week by accounting for Elgin City at Victoria Park, Dingwall, on Saturday by 4 goals to 2, thus meantime heading the Highland Football League. It was a hard and sprightly encounter, started off with a bang at a pace maintained with little modification when the final whistle sounded. The Elgin City team is a smart lot, nippy, alert and trained to last the pace. Ross County also, however, has been putting in some useful training and coaching under Johnny Hart, and they stood up well. In particular, they met and countered the impetus of the City attack which started right away. Against the Citadel a fortnight earlier, the same team, more or less, was overwhelmed by similar tactics and never quite recovered. It was an exciting game to watch, and Ross County gave of their best, a best that is likely to improve as the season goes on. Hart expressed his leadership quietly and effectively, and by concentrating mainly on attack and leaving defensive tactics for emergency occasions, helped his men to a well-won victory. His opposite, Maclachlan, ex-Aberdeen, was leading the City brilliantly and playing unsparingly, but the City attack, when it shook off the County half-backs, found a stonewall defence in a brilliant pair of backs and a confident and quick-acting goalkeeper. It was late in the game until Aird got the ground passes that to him so often mean a goal. Charlie Cameron and Kerr work to one another admirably. Morrison's early crosses were exceptionally fine and Montgomery took to himself much of the shock tactics which the City employed. Trail and Grant at half-back played strongly and judiciously. In a hot game, very little disagreeable temper was shown, but there were incidents that do not come under the description of sportsmanship, and when Neish was sent to the pavilion, he was not the culprit that the crowd would have selected! A word of praise is due to Mr Tom Maclean, Inverness, whose fairness in refereeing was a feature of the game. Had there been a less efficient man officiating, the game might easily have turned into a dog fight at one period, but Mr Maclean stood for no nonsense from either side and ruled the game firmly and to everybody's satisfaction. The pity is that there are no more men of Mr Maclean's calibre in Highland football. Ross County for the first time head the Highland League table. Long may they hold that exalted position! If they can keep up the standard of play shown in their last two matches, the hope will not be a vain one. Nine goals against three in two matches goes to prove the sterling worth of the forwards—especially Aird—as goal-getters, and the defence as a sound combination. Elgin City’s visit to Dingwall on Saturday was keenly looked forward to by the County spectators, but though hopes ran high for a County victory, few were confident of the ultimate result favouring the homesters. Right away, a daring Elgin attack shook the faith of the home faithfuls, but a break through by Morrison and a fine parting shot from the winger, which Parle did well to get down to, restored confidence. Bain, the City centre-forward, from Keith, had a commendable solo effort and was all but through when held up by Roddie Munro. Morrison, from a pass by Hart, got away again and Anderson was lucky to head the resultant cross over for a corner. County pressed hard but could not get past Parle. Paterson cleared by punting up field, and Bain was very clever in turning the ball goalwards, but Brett handled a tricky ball confidently. Constantly pressing, the County had their reward when Bert Maclachlan fouled Aird just outside the penalty box. Trail took the kick and judiciously passed to Montgomery, who shoved the ball out of reach of the goalkeeper. Elgin retaliated and Brett had to be very smart to clear from Bain. Bert Maclachlan was dominating the game, and although at times a little robust, his play was outstanding, especially his head work. Maclachlan sustained an injury, and the County set about taking full advantage of the big centre-half’s absence, but the opposing defence prevailed until Maclachlan resumed. Playing a good combined game, Elgin made headway, and Rothnie, outside left, broke through, but Urquhart was his master and robbed him when he was on the point of shooting. Maclachlan kept forcing the pace and the County forwards got little chance. Aird was never in the picture, Bert holding him in a firm grip, and intercepting every ball going the centre-forward's way. Seldom has such a fast game been witnessed in Victoria Park, and the pace was visibly telling on Maclachlan, so much so that the game veered round in the County favour and to this the credit in no small measure was due to Urquhart's brilliant play and Munro's fine punting and tackling. Nearing the close of the first half, Kerr, who was the most dangerous forward afield, received a bad knock and had to be attended to. County were certainly worthy of their one-goal lead at half-time. The second half opened with Elgin confidently aggressive, but Hart had taken the measure of his opposition, and soon had his forwards in action. Again Maclachlan was penalised and from the free kick Johnny Hart was unlucky not to count. The point, however, was not long in coming, Cameron beating Parle all ends up from a cross by Montgomery. Back came Elgin and Brett had to lie on top of the ball with a crowd of players round him, before he ultimately got the ball away to Trail, who tricked Rothnie and let Morrison away. Although two goals down, Elgin did not lose confidence, and Maclachlan kept his men on the offensive. From a melee in front of the County goal, Maclachlan picked up a stray ball. Studying the position, the centre-half shot goalward with Brett unsighted, and the ball sailed into the net. Greatly encouraged, new life was infused into the attack, and Brett again had to admit defeat, Rothnie beating him with a splendid shot. Bad temper began to show itself, and after Charlie Cameron was carried off badly hurt, the referee ordered Neish to the pavilion for a double infringement against the same player. Pressing confidently, Elgin looked the more likely side to score, but both County halves were on their mettle and bottled up the wing play which consequently nipped in the bud many fine forward movements. For the County, Aird, in an open field, brought off a typical Aird dash-between-the-backs movement and gloriously crowned it by scoring with his parting shot. It was the scorer of the goal more than the goal itself that pleased the crowd. It was Aird's first real chance and he took it. Johnny Hart kept pushing his advantage home and he himself was unfortunate in shooting over on two occasions when well placed. Both shots were identical and taken from the same place, and Hart's lapse can be accounted for by the bumpy nature of the ground. His disgust was apparent! Crowding on sail, Elgin bore down on the home goal, but Bain, at centre-forward, was off his game, and Hart had him well under control. Excitement grew apace and play ranged from end to end. Montgomery picked up a ball from Trail and running out on the wing, sent over a lovely cross which Aird met with his head and flicked into the net. This goal was the Elgin death knell, and though they never lay down, the hurdle was too big to surmount and the game ended as hotly contested as it had started. The Ross County team on Saturday was composed of eleven 100 per cent players, and well was that so, because in Elgin City they had as the opposition if not the most dangerous team in the league, at least one of the foremost. Brett did his job efficiently and with a confidence that radiated out to his fellow players. Munro was a sturdy little defender, tackling sans ceremony, and kicking a fine lengthy ball. Urquhart was superb, and the outstanding man of the twenty-two. Seldom, if ever, has such a fine display of back play been given in Dingwall. Trail again thoroughly demonstrated the mistake too often made last year when he was played as a forward. Up against Rothnie, the best outside left in the league, he had a difficult proposition, but he more than held the clever winger and purveyed well to Morrison and Montgomery, especially in the first half. Johnny Hart has won his way into the hearts of the crowd and is an established firm favourite. Not sparing himself, he extracted the best out of his players, and kept such a firm grip on Bain, the notorious goal scorer, that he never was in the picture. Johnny's value to the County comes from his coaching. He is a coach first, and in his case, the familiar term, "player-coach," can be reversed to "coach-player." Paul Grant, as left half, shone throughout as he always does. On occasions, Paul can make the ball all but speak and it takes a master winger to wound him. Morrison struck his form right at the start of the game, and if the team needed any confidence, they got it from his first breakthrough in the opening minutes. He showed that the Elgin defence were not impregnable, and when given the chance kept on demonstrating the ability to penetrate Elgin territory. Montgomery comes on apace. His height and weight are invaluable, and his passes are always of the kind that can be easily gathered by either winger or centre in a minimum of time. Aird was starved in the first half. Maclachlan saw to that, and Ian has but to thank his great reputation as a goal scorer for this extra attention he always receives. However, he did get through as his two goals show, and when once out on his own with the ball, it is all over bar the shouting with the opposing defence. Kerr was the revelation of the match. It is not in Kerr to be anything but forceful, but on Saturday he combined his usual forceful game with an individual cleverness which had the Elgin defence on the jump continually, and time and again out-generalled the wily old veteran Maclachlan, with whom he had many stirring encounters. Charlie Cameron, up to the time of his injury, was the clever little winger who won the hearts of both friend and foe alike last year. His goal was a beauty, and helped Charlie regain his old confidence. With a splendid team, a passable enclosure, and the rosiest of prospects for the coming season, it is rather a pity that something is not being done in connection with the Pavilion. In the dressing rooms, there is scarcely room to move and the heat both at half-time and full time was stifling, while the sanitary arrangements are of the crudest. Water should be laid on. Is the old Victoria shed to be allowed to go to wreck and ruin? Surely its removal and replacement is not an overwhelming problem.