Ross County 1 Queen of the South 0

Last updated : 09 September 2006 By Footymad Previewer
Ross County held on for their first home win of the season thanks to a Don Cowie goal early in the second half.

Sean Higgins cut in from the right in the fifth minute but he overplayed his cross with the Queens defence exposed.

County kept the pressure on and Michael Gardyne threatened from the other flank and his final ball into the box was hooked behind for a corner by full-back Dermott McCaffrey.

At the other end Mike Mullen drove forward and let fly at goal from just outside the area but County keeper Craig Samson gathered easily.

Gardyne was proving to be a menace and his curler in the 18th minute was clutched out of the air by Barry-John Corr.

Queens were seeing a lot of the ball and a Neil Scally cross was met by Murray Henderson but Samson blocked his shot.

The visitors were on the front foot again when another Scally cross was controlled by John O'Neill but the midfielder's shot was smothered by Samson.

County had an effort on target in first-half injury-time when Higgins met a Kevin McKinlay cross but his header was weak.

O'Neil had another crack at goal in the 50th minute when David Niven and Andy Dowie got in each others way at the start of the second half but his shot flew wide.

But just as County were looking to bring on Craig Gunn, the home side took the lead in the 56th minute when a Gardyne cross was headed in at the far post by Cowie.

That lifted County and Higgins forced a fine fingertip save from Corr, then Derek Adams fired in a free-kick that was held by the Queens keeper.

The Doonhamers made a double substitution in a response to the goal with Jim Thomson and Andy Thomson replacing Eric Paton and Scott Robertson.

County brought on Martin Scott and Gunn to give them more options up front.

But it was another Queens substitute, Barry Callaghan, who made an impression when he struck Samson's left-hand post with a snap-shot seconds after coming on.

Queens were applying all the pressure at this stage and an Andy Thomson effort clipped the top of the crossbar as it was deflected over.