Ross County 0-0 Kilmarnock: Staggies make it 39 games unbeaten with entertaining draw

Bookings: Ross County - Munro, Boyd, Quinn, Vigurs, McMenamin. Kilmarnock - Kelly, Fowler.

Attendance: 4006

A 0-0 draw with Kilmarnock, while uninspiring at times, took the home side’s unbeaten league run to a quite staggering 39 games. In five SPL matches so far, the Staggies have leaked only one goal – the best record of any top-flight team.

Derek Adams’ newcomers discovered on Tuesday night against Raith Rovers just what it was like to be an SPL representative scalped by a team from the league below.

Only one part of that sentence, though, really matters to those of a County hue: Ross County are an SPL club – in reality and, increasingly, in stature and perception.

It was back to normal business in the league yesterday with another solid show.

Kenny Shiels, the Kilmarnock manager, was less than complimentary regarding the occasion afterwards, however.

“I think both teams should be deducted points for that because it was poor,” the Northern Irishman opined. “It was not what I came to Scotland for. It was like anti-football. But we had an excuse because we had a skeleton team with so many key players missing.

“To come here and get a point, you have to be satisfied against a team that hasn’t lost for a year. That wasn’t us today. I’m hurting, because I want us to pass the ball and be inventive.”

Notably, County’s midweek cup defeat had come against a backdrop of nine first-team changes, eight of which were reversed yesterday. The only surprise was the introduction of Alex Cooper, son of Aberdeen great and former County manager Neale, for a bright league debut.

Killie brought back Liam Kelly after injury and the lively midfielder was immediately a buzzing midfield presence prompting colleagues.

The Dingwall side hadn’t racked up 38 games unbeaten for nothing, though, and absorbed the best of Killie’s energetic start. For all the energy, there was little penetration or concrete threat to Michael Fraser’s goal.

It was the hosts’ ability to hit on the break that was striking early on. Killie, scalped themselves by Stenhousemuir during the week, survived an Iain Vigurs’ lash just wide from 20 yards. Vigurs’ early corner was also knocked down by Ross Tokely’s head in the box before Cooper nodded over.

Killie’s ability on the ball is always refreshing but the threat of Rory McKeown, James Dayton and Borja Perez was subdued.

County’s Rocco Quinn caused repeated danger with deliveries from the right and there were soon signs of frustration from Killie.

Perez fired lamely over from distance in the visitors’ first attempt on goal after 34 minutes.

A flurry of County pressure followed. Richard Brittain’s dig from outside the area was saved by goalkeeper Kyle Letheren but squirted for a corner.

One Quinn cross found Marc Fitz

patrick in the Killie box and his stab at goal had to be cleared off the line by James Fowler.

Before the break, a Perez strike carried more venom but was pushed for a corner by Fraser.

Killie needed to up their game and Kelly saw an acrobatic effort deflect wide after the restart.

Scott Boyd, already booked, had a lucky escape after 52 minutes. The home defender seemed to trip Rory McKenzie on the edge of the box but referee Beaton waved play on.

It was anyone’s game entering the last third of a match crying out for a flash of inspiration. It almost came for County with a Quinn cross missed by everybody before eluding Vigurs at the back post after 75 minutes.

Immediately, Killie’s McKenzie drove through and forced a save from the outstretched leg of Fraser with a low strike. The match remained aggressively competitive but fizzled out creatively.

Reacting to Shiels’ assessment, Adams said: “I’ll just comment on the game and let other people have their own opinions. In saying that, we tried to pass the ball today and what I do feel is every time we did try to pass, we were stopped.

“I thought it was us who were trying to play the football and they came to try and stop us.”

Ross County: Fraser; Tokely, Munro, Boyd, Fitzpatrick; Quinn, Kettlewell, Brittain, Vigurs; McMenamin, Cooper.

Subs: Scott for Brittain, Morrow for Cooper

Subs not used: Brown, Duncan, Kovacevic, MacPhee, Ross

Kilmarnock: Letheren; Fowler, Nelson, O’Leary, McKeown; Racchi, Kelly, Borja; McKenzie, Pascali.

Subs: Boulding for Racchi, Gros for Borja

Subs not used: Jaakkola, Johnson, Pursehouse, Winchester, O’Hara.

Referee: J Beaton