Ross County continued their stellar start to the season to move further ahead of Hamilton at the top of the Scottish League one table.
The opening exchanges were open, with both sides having spells of possession, but neither side able to create any chances of note.
A good spell of possession from the hosts led to the first shot on target of the evening after twenty minutes. Thomas’ deflected strike was easily saved by Suman.
Minutes later, McKinstry cut in on his right foot and had a shot, but his effort from inside the box was blazed over the top.
On twenty-five minutes, the visitors were awarded a spot kick after Docherty felt contact and went down. Graham stepped up and, as expected, found the back of the net to net his twenty-first goal of the campaign and put the visitors in front.
On thirty minutes, the Accies found the leveller. A ball over the top from Smutek was not dealt with by either Reid or Suman. Ryan got on the end of it and lofted the ball over Suman and into the back of the net to give the hosts a deserved equaliser.
Kieran Phillips met Randall’s cross from the right-hand side, but his headed effort was headed clear.
On sixty-six minutes, County should have found the net. Diack met a cross from a well-worked free kick and, from close range, headed wide.
With just under twenty minutes to go, Ryan spotted Suman off his goal line and went for the spectacular, and had Suman worried, but his ambitious effort went onto the roof of the net.
With just under a quarter of an hour remaining, Diack cut onto his left foot and played a perfect cross into the box towards Phillips, who made no mistake with his effort, heading home from close range to give the Staggies the advantage going into the closing stages.
Phillips’ decisive goal means Stuart Kettlewell’s Ross County move eight points clear at the top of the table.
Hamilton: Lyness (6), Comrie (6), Smutek (7), Gallacher (6), Hendrie (6), Blues (6), Bannigan (6), Thomas (6), Ryan (7), McKinstry (6), MacDonald (6)
Substitutes: Crawford (6), Crookston (6), Eadie, Lane, McGowan, McKay (6), Morgan, Orsi (6), Shiels
Ross County: Suman (4), Strapp (7), Reid (6), Wright (7), Randall (7), McCarvel (6), Hamilton (6), Docherty (7), Emslie (6), Graham (7), Phillips (8)
Substitutes: Cornelius, Diack (7), Forrester, Jamieson (6), Linsday (6), Reid, Reid, Turner, Williamson
