Ross County made light of their numerical disadvantage to claim their first Premiership victory of the season against Kilmarnock.
The match looked to have been headed for a goalless stalemate but Killie were handed a boost on 81 minutes when Ross Callachan was dismissed.
That did not stop County from claiming the victory with substitute Owura Edwards prodding home the winner with just four minutes remaining.
It was a valuable victory which gets the Staggies off the mark for the campaign, much to the delight of manager Malky Mackay.
Both sides were aiming to clock up their first victory of the season, with the Staggies going into the game as the only side in the league yet to register a point.
The Staggies made two changes from the side which went down 1-0 to St Mirren, with Owura Edwards and Dominic Samuel making way for Yan Dhanda and Kazeem Olaigbe, who both made their first league starts.
Olaigbe provided the Staggies with a lively outlet down the left flank in the early stages, and was the first to offer a goal threat with a powerful low drive which was well held by Sam Walker.
County carved out another opportunity on 18 minutes, when Jack Baldwin’s deliver was neatly flicked on by Callum Johnson to tee up Jordy Hiwula, but his snapshot was comfortably claimed by Walker.
The home side claimed for a penalty on 24 minutes when Hiwula’s pass released Josh Sims, who went down under the close attention of Lewis Mayo but referee David Munro was unmoved.
Killie quickly looked to hit on the break, with Liam Polworth’s through ball setting up a chance for former Staggie Oli Shaw, whose effort was straight at Ross Laidlaw.
It was a tight contest but it was County who continued to find more glimpses at goal, with another Baldwin delivery setting up Johnson who could not direct his header far enough away from Walker.
Derek McInnes was incensed on 39 minutes when Ross Callachan cynically stopped winger Ryan Alebiosu in his tracks as he went to break upfield, with the Killie boss adamant the midfielder should have received a more severe punishment than the yellow card he was given.
Killie striker Kyle Lafferty followed Callachan into the book shortly afterwards for catching Baldwin, with the Northern Irishman subsequently withdrawn by his manager and replaced by Innes Cameron.
Killie showed signs of threat towards the interval, with a dangerous low Shaw delivery well cut out by Baldwin.
The visitors also made a bright start to the second period, with Shaw nodding over from a Kerr McInroy corner.
Shaw had a similar chance moments later from open play, this time forcing Laidlaw to claw his header behind.
Mackay freshened up his forward line just before the hour mark, with Sims and Hiwula being replaced by Edwards and Jordan White.
The Staggies were initially struggling to create clear-cut chances but their play picked up, with Dhanda producing their first attempt of the second half with a low strike from distance which was blocked on its path to goal.
County’s substitutes combined on 67 minutes, with a menacing ball by Edwards carving out an opportunity for White which he was unable to direct on target.
Callachan was next to threaten, with a header from another Edwards delivery lacking enough power to trouble Walker.
The midfielder would not see out the full match with Munro showing him a second yellow nine minutes from time for a challenge on Joe Wright.
That forced County to regroup, with Mackay shoring his side up by replacing Olaigbe and Dhanda with Jordan Tillson and Keith Watson.
Killie looked to capitalise, with substitute Deji Sotona blazing an effort over on the turn.
The 10-man Staggies would go on to have the final say however. Laidlaw’s free-kick from a deep position was aimed towards White, and as the Staggies appealed for a handball by Ash Taylor inside the box the ball broke for Edwards who composed himself before slotting home.
ROSS COUNTY (4-2-3-1) – Laidlaw 7; Johnson 7, Baldwin 7, Iacovitti 7, Purrington 6; Callachan 6, Cancola 6; Sims 5 (Edwards 57), Dhanda 6 (Watson 84), Olaigbe 6 (Tillson 82); Hiwula 5 (White 57). Subs not used – Eastwood, D Samuel, Loturi, Harmon, Paton.
KILMARNOCK (3-5-2) – Walker 6; Wright 6, Taylor 6, Mayo 6 (Donnelly 84); Alebiosu 7, Polworth 6, Power 6 (Armstrong 84), McKenzie 6, McInroy 7; Lafferty 5, Shaw 5 (Sotona 74). Subs not used – Woods, Alston, Sanders, Murray, Waters.
Referee – David Munro 6
Attendance – 3,133
Man of the match: Jack Baldwin
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