Ross County claimed their first points of the new season with a comfortable 2-0 victory at home to Hamilton Accies, with Craig Curran’s double the difference.
Curran’s two opportunist goals came in a first-half the Staggies dominated, but only after goalkeeper Scott Fox had saved Accies midfielder Ali Crawford’s early penalty.
County made two changes from the side defeated 2-0 by Celtic in last weekend’s Premiership opener at Parkhead, with midfielders Rocco Quinn and Stewart Murdoch dropping out, in place of Raffaele De Vita and last season’s top scorer Liam Boyce. Accies, meanwhile, stuck with the same team that opened the campaign with a 0-0 draw against Partick Thistle last Saturday.
County got off to a slow start, and just as they did last week, conceded a penalty just three minutes in, when goalkeeper Scott Fox bundled forward Christian Nade to the ground inside the box. However, unlike last weekend, County survived the scare as Fox turned Ali Crawford’s spot-kick away, redeeming himself for the foul.
The Staggies took advantage of the let-off, by grabbing the lead on 10 minutes. De Vita’s corner was initially met by the head of Jackson Irvine, before Curran emerged from the goalmouth scramble to prod home from six yards.
County took control of the match following their opener, and it was no surprise when Curran’s second doubled their advantage four minutes before the break. Full back Marcus Fraser darted to the byline after being released by Irvine, before pulling back for Curran to tap into the empty net for a deserved two-goal lead.
The hosts remained relatively comfortable after the break, without applying much pressure on the Hamilton goal, their closest attempt coming when Irvine sliced Michael Gardyne’s cross just wide.
County were forced to make a change between the sticks midway through the second-half, with Scott Fox hobbling off and being replaced by debutant Daniel Bachmann, on loan from Stoke City.
However, the Austrian was untroubled, with the Staggies easing the match to a comfortable conclusion.