Date	Saturday, 08 October 1988
Competition	Highland League
Fixture/Score	Ross County 3:1 Rothes
Venue	Victoria Park
Referee
Ross County
Manager	Robert (Bobby) Wilson
Starting 11	1: John Sutter, 2: Christopher (Chris) Somerville, 3: Scott Lemmon, 4: David MacRae, 5: Dave Bellshaw, 6: Don Cowie (SNR) 1 (1 pen), 7: Keith (Billy) Ferries, 8: Cameron Robertson, 9: Alex (Nero) McDonald 1, 10: Gordon Connelly 1, 11: John MacDonald
Bench	0: Davie Jackson, 0: Alan Gair
Attendance
Match Report	Report from the Ross-shire Journal. Ross County 3 Rothes 1 ROSS COUNTY have made a good start to their League programme this year, and are presently commanding fourth place in the title race with 16 point: from eight games — five wins one draw and two defeats. They have scored 15 goals and lost 12 Nota bad situation at this time of the year! Inverness Thistle, Huntly and Peterhead share top billing with 17 points from 8,9, and 7 game: respectively. Rothes caused no panic in the ranks, at Victoria Park, although it took County some 33 minutes to open their score. Perhaps their most difficult task was combating the 10-man Rothes team in the second half. It is not too easy at times to play against ten men, for usually the full-strength team becomes over-confident and perhaps a bit complacent, while their opponents, niggled by the fact they have lost a player, somehow raise their game to considerable heights, and benefit as a consequence. So it was on Saturday. Early in the first half, Rothes defender Anderson had his name taken for a tackle. One minute into the second half, with his keeper out of position, and the ball from Connelly going straight and true in to goal, he dived to his right and punched it away. It would have been even more spectacular if Anderson had got his head to the ball and, with a diving header, turned it round the post. But there it was he had committed his second bookable offence, and he must go. At that point County were leading by two goals. Don Cowie converted the penalty kick, and gave them a three-goal cushion. However, that was all the scoring they were to do. Five minutes later, Rothes scored their only goal. Try as they might over the remaining period of the game, Ross County could not turn their domination into goals. Keeper, Arris defied them stubbornly, and if he was not available his colleagues were on hand to clear. In the opening stages, County were more prominent in attack, and on two occasions Arris made brilliant saves from Ferries and A Macdonald. At the other end Grant cut through to the by-line and placed the ball at the feet of an unmarked Slater, who balooned it over the bar. In the 33rd minute, County took the lead. Chris Somerville pushed a ball into Connelly, and he crashed it home. County were showing better understanding, and attacks were being firmly and quickly backed up by defenders. It was in one such instance, in the 42nd minute, that Nero Macdonald scored the second goal — a brilliant diving header from a perfectly placed cross from defender Scott Lemmon, on the edge of the box. One minute into the second half, Don Cowie converted the penalty kick, and in the 51st minute, Derek Thompson scored for Rothes, after Suttar had pushed out a high ball, and it fell to his feet. One of the best chances in the latter stages of the game came to Cammie Robertson, whose powerful dropping shot was just tipped over the bar by Arris.