Ross County’s Premiership survival hopes received a huge blow with a 2-0 defeat at Hamilton Accies.
In the first game since Stuart Kettlewell and Steven Ferguson were appointed permanent co-managers, a Dougie Imrie penalty and David Templeton’s second kept County bottom of the pile.
It pushes Accies further away from danger in ninth place – six points above County – and puts huge importance on the Staggies’ trip to Firhill to face Partick Thistle next Friday.
The Staggies made two changes from the 0-0 draw with Motherwell, as the injured Christopher Routis sat out and Michael Gardyne dropped to the bench, with Andrew Davies and Greg Tansey recalled.
Accies were dragged back into the relegation battle with their 2-1 defeat to Partick Thistle last weekend and they too made two switches, with Georgios Sarris and Darian Mackinnon coming in for Xavier Tomas and Rakish Bingham.
With both sides embroiled in the relegation battle, a free-flowing classic was never likely. But the opening 20 minutes resembled more of a demolition derby than a football match, with referee Bobby Madden allowing numerous heavy challenges go that set the tone for the rest of the half.
Liam Fontaine and Ross Draper flew into tackles, albeit winning the ball, and only the nimble feet of Jamie Lindsay prevented him taking a clattering from Shaun Want.
David Templeton was the most eye-catching player on the park when he got the ball to feet and his persistence brought their clearest opportunity, when his cross-field run was brought to an end illegally by Marcus Fraser. But much like the rest of the game, his delivery from the free-kick lacked quality and sailed over.
Alex Schalk and Jamie Lindsay both strikes from the edge of the box that went straight at their former goalkeeper Gary Woods but Templeton again was the one shining light, skipping inside on his right foot and curling an effort beyond Scott Fox’s far post.
The Staggies’ clearest sight of goal came four minutes from the interval when Schalk’s cross-shot looped up off an Accies defender and Lindsay emerged from a crowd of bodies to head goalwards, with Woods nervously parrying the ball away.
With nine minutes gone in the second half, Madden infuriated County by awarding Accies a spot-kick, seemingly for Fraser dragging down Lewis Ferguson. Draper and Fox protested furiously to no avail, with Imrie rolling the penalty down the middle for the lead.
The next goal needed to be County’s but they were made to pay again after failing to clear Mackinnon’s high ball. Danny Redmond had time to pick a pass and found the unmarked Templeton, who smashed past Fox at his near post.
Kettlewell and Ferguson threw on Craig Curran and Michael Gardyne but they still struggled to break down Hamilton, who take a huge step towards safety with the three points.