Ronan Hale was at the double, and Connor Randall added a third as Ross County ran out to a 3-0 rout over Motherwell at Fir Park.
Hale struck twice on either side of half-time, and Randall’s goal on the cusp of full-time gave Ross County all three points as Don Cowie celebrated his birthday with another away victory. The boos at full-time were loud as Motherwell slipped to a fifth straight defeat in a game where they never looked like scoring.
Interim boss Stevie Frail made the bold call to start Tony Watt in attack alongside Luke Armstrong, leaving top-scorer Tawanda Maswanhise on the bench. Lennon Miller returned for his first start of the year, making his return from injury.
Don Cowie, however, did opt for his top-scorer. Ronan Hale was on the bench for their trip to Ibrox, but he led the Staggies as they searched for a fourth away win in their last five trips away from Dingwall after going more than a year without one.
First 45′
Both teams made a lightning start to the game, Watt almost repaid the faith shown in him by Stevie Frail. He created a yard of space inside the Staggies box and smashed it across the goal only for the ball to crash off the inside of the post, and Staggies keeper Jordan Amissah quickly collected the rebound.
Ronan Hale looked to catch Ellery Balcombe out from around 40 yards from goal, but the Well keeper did well to scramble back in time.
Ross County seemed to move through the gears. Nohan Kenneh and Kieran Phillips both had efforts that tested Balcombe, but Motherwell was beginning to look blunter in attack.
Hale would finally make Motherwell pay; Chilvers had it at his feet, but when Miller thought he had dispossessed him, the ball fell to Hale. He took a touch and then struck it past Balcombe for his seventh league goal of the season to give County a deserved lead just after the half-hour.
The boos rang out inside Fir Park when the half-time whistle blew. Fans were deeply unhappy with the performance being put on show, and there was a clear appetite for Maswanhise to be brought on. Despite this, Frail made zero changes to the team that failed to register a shot on target inside the first 45.
Second 45′
Ross County started the second half well, and Hale doubled his tally just before the hour. Good work from Tomkinson down the right-hand channel found Chilvers on the inside; his ball completely separated the Motherwell defence, and Hale swept it past Balcombe to give County a 2-0 lead.
With the atmosphere inside Fir Park turning toxic, Frail finally made a double switch, but still no Maswanhise resulted in even more anger for the Well support. Finally, on the 70th minute, the Zimbabwean would enter the fray as Well searched for a way to get back into the game.
Motherwell did begin to show brief signs of threatening a comeback, Callum Slattery had a free-kick that went just over the bar, but Well continued to look out of ideas. They were urged on by Frail to get themselves further up the pitch, but each time they tried to drive forward, County looked to pick them off on the counterattack.
Which is exactly what they did when Connor Randall added a third just before the full-time whistle. His low strike from distance seemed to catch Balcombe sleeping as he was far too slow at getting down and across as the ball went past his outstretched hands.
That goal was enough for the Well fans to begin to stream out of Fir Park as the County fans behind the goal began to party their way home to Dingwall.
FULL-TIME: MOTHERWELL 0 – 3 ROSS COUNTY
Teams:
Motherwell: Balcombe (GK); O’Donnell, Gordon, Balmer, Sparrow (Maswanhise 70’), Slattery (Nicholson 78′), Halliday (Plange 63’), Thompson (Wilson 63’), Armstrong, Watt, Miller
Ross County: Amissah (GK); Tomkinson, Lopata, Campbell, Wright, Kenneh (Nisbet 85′), Chilvers (Grieves 85′), Randall, Harmon (Ashworth 72’), Phillips (White 65’), Hale (Robesten 72’)