Ross County struck late to secure a valuable first win since September – with the victory over St Mirren moving them up to eighth in the Premiership table.
It looked like Derek Adams was heading for a second successive goalless stalemate against the third-placed Buddies, after replacing Malky Mackay last week.
But Jordan White’s header five minutes from time reacquainted the Dingwall men with the winning feeling following 10 matches without a triumph.
Adams will hope the result can kick start the Staggies’ campaign, with a trip to bottom-placed Livingston next up on Saturday.
The match was rearranged from October, when it was postponed due to Storm Babet. It was the first of two matches between the sides in quick succession, with County making the trip to Paisley a week on Saturday.
Adams made one change from the side which had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Kilmarnock three days previously. Josh Sims was not included in the squad due to illness, with White drafted back into the side to partner Simon Murray up front.
Prior to kick-off both teams observed a minute’s silence for the late Tommy ‘Tucker’ Thomson, who was part of the Staggies’ side which won the club’s first Highland League title in 1967.
County started with intent, with Yan Dhanda’s attempted cross from the left turned behind by Keanu Baccus within the opening minute.
The Staggies’ first attempt came on four minutes when White was able to capitalise on a loose header by Marcus Fraser, with his effort from the edge of the box gathered by Zach Hemming.
Scott Allardice was next to threaten from a similar distance, with a powerful strike which was deflected behind.
Although the home side were on top during the early stages, St Mirren showed threat on the counter attack without putting any meaningful pressure on Ross Laidlaw’s goal.
The Staggies looked to carve out an opening on the half hour mark when Dhanda fed Simon Murray down the right flank, with Alex Gogic getting an important header in to deny White.
County also had to be alert at the back, with Baldwin making a strong block to deny Alex Greive after the ball fell to him following a Scott Tanser cross.
The Buddies upped their threat as the half wore on, with Gogic sending a header wide at the back post after reaching a Greg Kiltie corner.
Continuing on from the theme of Saturday’s draw against Killie there was precious little to separate the sides in the opening 45 minutes however.
The Staggies looked to start strongly, with White twice not far away from getting on the end of menacing Dhanda deliveries from the right in quick succession.
County came the closest to breaking the deadlock on 55 minutes, with White receiving a through ball from skipper Jack Baldwin before teeing up Connor Randall, whose low effort came back off Hemming’s right-hand post.
Randall was handed an even better chance on the hour mark after Murray’s flick put him clean through on goal, but with only Hemming to beat he blazed his left-footed shot harmlessly over.
Despite the missed opportunities the Staggies knew they had to keep the pressure up, knowing they ran the risk of going on to rue them later in the match.
Hemming was unable to get close to a Ben Purrington corner on 69 minutes, however Allardice could not keep his effort down after the ball dropped to him on the edge of the box.
The Buddies had seldom threatened in the second half but Randall was required to make a good defensive intervention to turn behind a cutback from substitute Kudus Ayunga.
Adams made his first substitution on 74 minutes, with Dhanda making way for Kyle Turner in a like-for-like change.
County looked to have missed another gilt-edged chance on 78 minutes when Purrington was denied by Hemming after meeting Murray’s cutback, only for a late offside flag to go up in any case.
At the other end Laidlaw was forced to make his first meaningful save three minutes later, doing well to tip a Conor McMenamin effort from the edge of the box past the post.
Just as the match looked destined for a stalemate, the Staggies netted a winner from a set-piece five minutes from time. There were major questions to be asked of the visitors’ marking as James Brown’s corner reached White unmarked at the far post, and he had the simple task of guiding the ball home.
Player Ratings
ROSS COUNTY (3-4-2-1): Laidlaw 6; Nightingale 7, Baldwin 7, Leak 7; Brown 6, Randall 6, Allardice 7, Purrington 7; Dhanda 6 (Turner 74); Murray 6 (Samuel 83), White 7.
Subs not used: Munro, Sheaf, Loturi, Harmon, Smith, Reid.
ST MIRREN (3-5-2): Hemming 6; Fraser 7, Gogic 7, Dunne 7; McMenamin 6, Baccus 6 (Boyd-Munce 82), O’Hara 6, Kiltie 6 (Flynn 82), Tanser 6; Grieve 6 (Nahmani 73), Mandron 6 (Ayunga 60).
Subs not used: Urminsky, Bolton, Small, Olusanya, Jamieson.
Referee: Willie Collum
Attendance: 3,758
Star Man: Jordan White
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