ROSS COUNTY 0 ABERDEEN 1
SPFL Premiership
Saturday 5th April 2025
Global Energy Stadium
Ref: Lloyd Wilson
Attendance: 5,994 (2237 away support)
A magnificent goal from Shayden Morris and a late double save from Ross Doohan settled the game at Dingwall as the Dons made it 14 points from seven games to keep them right in the chase for third place in the table.
There was one change to the Dons side that beat Motherwell 4-1 last weekend, Shayden Morris coming in for Jeppe Okkels, who took his place on the bench. Peter Ambrose replaced Fletcher Boyd among the substitutes.
Ross County lost 1-0 at home to Dundee United last Sunday and made four changes with Josh Nisbet, George Harmon, Noah Chilvers and Alex Samuel replaced by James Brown, Jack Grieves, Jordan White and Nohan Kenneh.
The game kicked off with Dingwall bathed in sunshine but with a brisk wind making life awkward. The first chance came after a dozen minutes, Brown’s curling free-kick reaching White, but his header was straight into the hands of Ross Doohan.
Amissah had to find a magnificent save to deny Kevin Nisbet after 16 minutes. Leighton Clarkson’s diagonal pass got Nisbet free in the box and from a tight angle, his shot looked bound for the far corner until the County goalkeeper clawed the ball to safety, Alexander Jensen’s shot from the rebound well blocked by the Staggies’ defence.
The goalkeeper was in action again on 21, Topi Keskinen playing a good pass through into the run of Morris, but as he came to shoot, he found Amissah hurtling off his line to produce another excellent smothering save.
Shinnie was booked on 25 minutes for his first foul of the afternoon, the skipper rightly pointing out that Lopata had already given away several free-kicks without punishment. Shinnie’s arcing pass found Morris a couple of minutes later. From there, the winger rolled an inviting pass through the six yard box, but there were no takers.
Morris put an end to the goal of the season discussion on 33 minutes. He collected the ball from Nisbet just inside his own half and selected overdrive. Sprinting from there like prime Alan Wells, he left two County defenders calling for oxygen as they went trailing in his wake, before cutting inside and absolutely creaming a rising drive past Amissah and in off the bar.
Nisbet was booked for a foul on Randall as we went into added time.
HALF-TIME: ROSS COUNTY 0 ABERDEEN 1
The hosts made a sharp start to the second half, keeping Aberdeen penned in until Doohan had to make a low save at full stretch from Randall in the 47th minute.
Wright was booked for pulling back Keskinen on 57 minutes. Robesten replaced Grives for County in the 63rd minute. Mats Knoester took an awkward fall two minutes later and needed treatment from the physio before carrying on. Okkels replaced Morris in the 68th minute.
Amissah made another good save in the 68th minute. Okkels played in a dangerous low cross that reached the stretching Pape Gueye at the back post, but as he jabbed the ball goalwards, Amissah was down sharply to gather the shot. Ante Palaversa was booked moments later.
County made their second change after 74 minutes, Brown making way for Hale. Clarkson almost found a second goal for the Dons in the 76th minute. Collecting the ball 30 yards out, he feinted inside, but his shot from distance was just over the bar. Aberdeen were on the break four minutes later, Okkels chasing 80 yards forward, but his cross was snaffled by Amissah.
There was a double change for the Dons with Ester Sokler and Oday Dabbagh replacing Keskinen and Gueye in the 81st minute. County made their last switch three minutes later with Nisbet and Smith replacing Lopata and Kenneh.
A mazy run from Jensen opened up County as we headed into added time, but after he found Dabbagh with a pass, the striker was surrounded by defenders and couldn’t get a shot away.
Up the other end and Doohan had to produce an excellent double save, diving at the feet of Hale and then Smith to deny them both, before Hale dribbled a shot across goal and wide of the far post. It was a vital piece of work from the goalkeeper, sealing a big win for the Dons.
ROSS COUNTY: Amissah, Tomkinson, Lopata (Smith 84), Campbell, Wright, Randall, Brown (Hale 74), Grieves (Robesten 63), Phillips, White, Kenneh (Nisbet 84).
Subs not used: Laidlaw, Ashworth, Allardice, Harmon, Nightingale.
BOOKED: Wright
ABERDEEN: Doohan, Jensen, Dorrington, Knoester, Shinnie, Clarkson, Palaversa, Morris (Okkels 68), Keskinen (Sokler 81), Nisbet, Gueye (Dabbagh 81).
Subs not used: Ritchie, Milne, Devlin, MacKenzie, Polvara, Ambrose.
GOAL: Morris (33)
BOOKED: Shinnie, Nisbet, Palaversa
