Ross County have put themselves in a firmly commanding position to progress from their Premier Sports Cup group following victory over Raith Rovers.
The Staggies struck late through George Harmon to triumph 2-1, at a point when the game looked set for penalties after Callum Smith had cancelled out Jordan White’s third goal of the season.
County’s win saw them overcome the hardest test in their Group H section, against a Rovers side they defeated emphatically in the Premiership play-off last season.
They are level on six points with Raith, who have played one game more than the Staggies.
With another Championship opponent next up on Tuesday, in the trip to Hamilton Accies, before finishing at home to League Two side Stirling Albion next Saturday, Don Cowie’s men remain on course to come through the section with maximum points.
Cowie said: “I’m delighted we’ve won the game.
“There were aspects that we can do better and improve, but we found a way to win the football match, and that’s what it’s all about
“Credit to Raith, we know they are a really good team and they caused us a lot of problems, but we stayed in the game at 1-1 and we always believe we can create an opportunity.
“George was very clinical at the end, so I’m delighted to have two wins in two games, and it sets us up nicely for the next two.
“There are many different ways to win a football match.
“It’s good to win football matches, it’s a good habit to get into no matter how they come.
“Yes, we want to be better, but it’s still really early and we’re still bedding new signings in and transitioning the squad.
“We’re sitting on six points, and now we can get ready for another really tough game on Tuesday away to Hamilton.”
Cowie made five changes from the side which opened the group section with victory over Stranraer. Ross Laidlaw took his place back in goals, with Dylan Smith, Charlie Telfer, George Harmon and Connor Randall, who skippered the side, coming in.
Jack Hamilton, Ryan Leak, Scott Allardice, Andrew Macleod and Josh Reid were left out of the starting line-up, and among the substitutes.
The Staggies applied early pressure to the visitors, with Eamonn Brophy nodding wide from a James Brown delivery, while Charlie Telfer saw a dangerous cross well cut out by Scott Brown.
Raith’s first glimpse of goal came when Kieran Freeman picked out Dylan Easton, but he was unable to direct his header on target.
The Staggies were not to be denied on 29 minutes, when Brown’s cross was inch-perfect for White to guide a header past Kevin Dabrowski into the far corner.
Raith looked to find a response before the interval, with Smith forced to make an excellent clearance to thwart a menacing cross by Easton.
From the resulting corner, Euan Murray was presented with a free header but directed his effort straight at Laidlaw.
Callum Smith was unable to find the target with a header across goal, while Easton saw an effort from a tight angle well gathered by Laidlaw.
White had an opportunity to double his tally when he was picked out by Harmon’s cross, but this time Dabrowski was equal to it.
Encouraged by a promising end to the first half, Raith equalised just five minutes after the restart when Lewis Stevenson picked out Smith from the left, with the striker perfectly timing his header into Laidlaw’s far corner from 14 yards.
County could have regained their lead on 55 minutes, with White twice unable to hit the target with headers in quick succession, the second of which came from six yards out after Harmon had nodded the ball into his path.
Harmon was next to threaten when he got on the end of a cross from fellow wing back Brown, but Dabrowski turned his volley past the near post.
Both sides pushed for a winner in the dying stages, with Brown and Easton narrowly off target with efforts for Rovers.
It was the Staggies who came up with the decisive moment, with Brown swinging the ball in for Harmon, who drilled home a crisp left-footed effort at the second attempt.
Player Ratings
ROSS COUNTY (3-4-1-2): Laidlaw 6; Wright 7, Smith 6 (Efete 61), Lamie 6; Brown 7, Randall 6 (Allardice 75), Telfer 7 (Samuel 61), Harmon 8; Loturi 6; White 7, Brophy 6 (Macleod 81).
Subs not used: Hamilton, Leak, Ewan, Williamson, Reid.
RAITH ROVERS (4-2-3-1): Dabrowski 6; Freeman 6, Fordyce 6, Murray 6 (Gibson 87), Stevenson 6; Brown 7 (Matthews 83), Byrne 6; Connolly 6 (Mullin 69), Stanton 6, Easton 6; Smith 7 (Hamilton 83).
Subs not used: McNeil, Dick, Montagu, Nicholson.
Referee: Euan Anderson
Attendance: 1,228
Man of the Match: George Harmon
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