Ross County’s hopes of making a quick start to the new season have been dashed by two defeats and it is clear time is manager Derek Adams’ biggest enemy as he bids to get his new-look team bedded in.
Partick Thistle got their season off to a great start with a deserved 4-0 victory against a Staggies team which is still trying to find its feet, both individually and collectively.
Adams’ summer spree has brought drastic changes to the squad but this team is not yet ready for the rigours of Scottish football, as he learned in painful fashion.
Adams kept faith with the starting 11 which lost 2-1 to St Johnstone at Victoria Park on Sunday.
Full back Steven Saunders, who was a substitute at the weekend, missed out due to injury – meaning there was just one change on the bench, summer signing Ben Frempah taking his place among the substitutes.
Partick manager Alan Archibald named new signing Dan Seaborne in his starting line-up for the Jags’ first game of the Scottish Premiership season.
Ryan Stevenson, a summer capture from relegated Hearts, and fellow newcomer Abdul Osman, were also named in the home side’s starting 11.
The Staggies’ last visit to Firhill was an enjoyable one as they beat Partick 3-2 on the final day of last season. In fact the home of the Jags has been a happy hunting ground for County as they arrived in Glasgow unbeaten on their last six visits to the ground.
With three wins and three draws, the visitors were in confident mood as the Jags chased their first home win against them since February 2010.
The home side dominated the possession in the early exchanges but struggled to test Antonio Reguero as County’s new-look defence dealt comfortably with the threat.
County’s solid start almost came undone, however, when a Tim Dreesen passback went straight to Kallum Higginbotham, who went sprawling in the box as he tried to round Reguero.
With the home side appealing for a penalty referee Andrew Dallas dismissed the claim and booked the Jags
player for diving.
It was one-way traffic towards the County goal and Jags went even closer through Gary Fraser whose volley from a Stephen O’Donnell cross struck Reguero’s right post before the Spaniard saved a 25-yard drive from Fraser.
County finally got on the ball and began to impose themselves in the final 15 minutes of the first half with Jake Jervis firing across goal but it proved to be a rare foray as the home side’s pressure paid off six minutes before the break.
Higginbotham was the creator with a fine slide pass to release Stuart Bannigan and the midfielder curled the ball beyond the advancing Reguero to give Partick a deserved lead.
It had taken Partick four attempts on target to take the lead.
County almost drew level with their first as Rocco Quinn’s netbound half volley was tipped over by Scott Fox.
Graham Carey then struck the crossbar with a stunning effort from 20 yards but Jags stood firm to take their lead into the interval.
Ben Frempah replaced Scott Boyd for the second half but the 18-year-old made an immediate impact for all the wrong reasons.
Gary Fraser’s ball sent Stephen O’Donnell clear down the right and the Partick full back’s low driven cross was turned into his own net by the County substitute as his sliding challenge succeeded in looping the ball over his goalkeeper in spectacular fashion.
County needed inspiration and quickly, and Adams made a double substitution, sending on Joe Cardle and Melvin de Leeuw.
Cardle almost provided the quick response required as he worked his way down the left before crossing to Jervis, but the Englishman saw his point blank effort blocked brilliantly by Fox.
With Staggies forced to commit men forward, the home side was content to soak up the pressure and break on the counter.
The tactic worked in devastating fashion as Partick put the game beyond County with a wonderful third goal.
A sublime backheel from Steven Lawless sent Christie Elliott racing into the box and he squared the ball Fraser who hammered the ball low past Reguero.
By this point County just wanted to hear the full-time whistle but the agony continued as O’Donnell ran at Uros Celcer before drilling the ball past Reguero to make it 4-0. Much work for County to do.