Ross County 0 - 1 Aberdeen

A magnificent penalty save from Dimitar Mitov and a first Aberdeen goal for Kevin Nisbet deep into added time sent the Dons top of the Premiership table as they completed a battling 1-0 win in Dingwall.

Following the 2-0 win over Kilmarnock at Pittodrie last Sunday, Jimmy Thelin named an unchanged starting XI and bench for the trip to Dingwall.

After Ross County lost 6-0 at Ibrox last Saturday, they made five changes with James Brown, Ryan Leak, Kacper Lopata, Josh Nisbet and Eamon Brophy replacing Will Nightingale, Michee Efete, Victor Loturi, Jack Grieves and Jordan White.

The game got underway in ideal conditions, and it was nearly an ideal start for the hosts, Nisbet threading the ball through for Brophy, but Gavin Molloy was there with a fine tackle to snuff out the danger after five minutes. Randall was in the book two minutes later, chopping down Ester Sokler on the halfway line.

Jamie McGrath had the goalkeeper scrambling in the ninth minute, a diagonal ball into the box from Slobodan Rubezic picking the Irishman out, but his header was saved by Laidlaw at the foot of the post.

Topi Keskinen was next to try his luck, his shot from 20 yards to the right of the D deflected wide. Keskinen was away down the left on the quarter hour, firing the ball into the near post, Laidlaw shovelling the ball behind as the Dons continued to dictate matters.

But it was County who were seemingly in front after 17 minutes, very much against the run of play. The hosts played the ball down the left and Brophy got away from Rubezic to pull it back across goal. Molloy half cleared only for Brophy to come onto the loose ball and fire at goal. It cannoned off Molloy, hit Hale and flew in for 1-0. Thankfully, three minutes later, it was 0-0 again after the goal was ruled out by a VAR offside decision.

The game was stopped on the half hour after a clash of heads that required both medical teams to administer lengthy assistance to Lopata and McGrath. The County man recovered but McGrath could not continue, Nisbet replacing him as McGrath was helped off with a lump like a golf ball already appearing on the side of his forehead in a concussion substitution. The Dons went 4-4-2 after the change.

Back in the game, Lopata was booked on 36 minutes for a lunging tackle on Sokler. Jack MacKenzie’s name joined in him there on 42 minutes for a foul on Denholm. Hale was next to get a yellow card three minutes into added time for an ugly looking challenge on Molloy who needed the tender care of the physio in the wake of it.

HALF-TIME: ROSS COUNTY 0 ABERDEEN 0

Vicente Besuijen joined the fray at the break, replacing Sokler as the Dons reverted to their starting formation.

Mitov had to be sharp in the 49th minute, a County free-kick from deep getting Hale on the run at inside-right, his low shot across the face of goal well held by the goalkeeper.

Aberdeen were apparently a goal to the good a minute later. Winning a free-kick 30 yards out on the left edge of the box, Besuijen bent a superb free-kick over the wall and against the bar. It bounced down onto the line and looped up and across goal. Rubezic was following in and his header hit the bar and bounced down, the referee giving the goal. There was then another lengthy VAR check before the goal was ruled out for offside against Rubezic.

White replaced Brophy for the Staggies after 61 minutes. He had an immediate impact, slinging in a cross to Harmon who drilled a first time effort at goal from the edge of the box. Nicky Devlin handled the ball as he deflected it wide of goal, VAR sending the referee to the monitor to award the penalty kick. Hale had the responsibility, putting it right in the bottom corner, only to find that Mitov had got there first to push the ball around the post, a terrific save.

Nisbet nearly had a first Aberdeen goal on 70 minutes, his diving header flashing across goal and going wide of the target. Almost immediately, Loturi replaced Denholm for the home side, then Shayden Morris and Peter Ambrose were introduced, Keskinen and Pape Gueye making way. Campbell, Grieves and Chilvers came on for Lopata, Nisbet and Hale after 80 minutes.

The Dons camped themselves in the County half after Mitov’s penalty save but were unable to fashion a clear opportunity, to their growing frustration as we headed into nine minutes of added time, particularly when Devlin went on a driving run forward only to be tripped and get no free-kick.

The frustration ended on 98 minutes though. Another surging run from Devlin opened the County defence up before playing the ball wide to Morris who accelerated away from the defender and cut the ball back. Devlin stepped over it and coming in behind him was Nisbet to tuck the ball away.

In the aftermath, Devlin had to come off injured, replaced by Jack Milne. There was time for Chilvers to fire oat goal from 20 yards, but the save was comfortable for Mitov. The Dons had reached September with the season’s 100% record still intact.

6 minutes added at end 1st half.
9+3 minutes added at end 2nd half.