Ross helps County past Dons

Steven Ross scored a superb second-half strike as Ross County beat Aberdeen 2-1 in the Scottish Premier League at Victoria Park.

A Mark Reynolds own goal from a Richard Brittain free-kick gave County the lead 10 minutes from the break before a fantastic Ross effort early in the second half doubled the home side's advantage. The Dons got one back when Niall McGinn knocked in his sixth goal in consecutive league games to break a 20-year record for the club with 14 minutes remaining. But despite constant pressure from the visitors County held out for all three points. An Iain Vigurs free-kick wide on the left in the third minute bounced invitingly in the Aberdeen box but there were no takers as the ball trundled out harmlessly for a goal kick. But most of the action was at the other end, with Aberdeen looking a real threat going forward. Dons' winger Ryan Fraser was in full flight when he was clipped from the back by Rocco Quinn, who was booked by referee Craig Thomson. In a rare County attack in the 14th minute Richard Brittain let rip from 25 yards but his shot just dipped over the crossbar. Stuart Kettlewell was the next County player in the referee's book for a challenge on Isaac Osbourne. The home side were coming more into the match and after Vigurs released Rocco Quinn on the right but Fotheringham did not get enough purchase on the cross and Jamie Langfield gathered easily. But County had a great chance to go ahead in the 25th minute when Langfield made a hash of a Russell Anderson back-pass under pressure from Ross and Quinn's header looked to be going in until the Dons keeper recovered to fingertip it over the bar. The home side took the lead in the 35th minute when a deep free-kick from Brittain took a deflection off the head of Mark Reynolds and into his own net. The Dons should have been back on level terms three minutes later when County defender Mark Fitzpatrick was wayward with a pass out of the box but Gavin Rae, with only Michael Fraser to beat, cracked a shot off the underside of the crossbar. The visitors came close again in their next attack when Scott Vernon flashed a shot narrowly past the far post. There was no let-up in the pace of the match after the break and County doubled their lead in a breakaway move. Ross raced on to a though-ball from Rocco Quinn, shrugged off the attentions of Reynolds and blasted an angled drive into the far corner of the net. Vernon had a header on target in the 63rd minute when he got on the end of a Chris Clark free-kick but it was comfortable for Michael Fraser. The Dons brought on Jonny Hayes for Vernon in the 70th minute in an attempt to pep up their attack. The move paid dividends six minutes later when Hayes nutmegged Fitzpatrick on the right and his cut-back was swept into the net from close range by McGinn. County made a double substitution in the 80th minute with Colin McMenamin and Alex Cooper on for Ross and Vigurs. Right at the death Rae flashed a header wide of Fraser's left-hand post, but County held out for a historic win.