Ross County produced a statement performance to beat Queen of the South 8-0 in League One's third round of fixtures on Tuesday evening. The hosts dominated from the opening whistle, scoring within six minutes and never allowing their visitors any respite. It was a comprehensive victory that left the visitors searching for answers.
And here's the thing about the opening exchanges — C. Hamilton and B. Graham had the net bulging inside the first eight minutes. Two quick goals set the tone for what followed, stretching the back line and forcing the visitors to chase shadows. Queen of the South tried to dig in but found themselves pinned back.
By then the visitors were already down to a defensive shell, with L. Smith picking up a booking in the 32nd minute. Hamilton added another yellow card before the break, while two more bookings arrived in the 50th minute — one to Docherty. Graham then converted a penalty in the 56th minute, ending a barren spell and making it four.
K. Phillips brought up a brace, tapping in at 66 and 79 minutes, while Chin and Lindsay added goals in the final 10 minutes. Substitutions came thick and fast, with Docherty, Hamilton, McCarvel, Johnstone, Ellis, Strapp, Graham, Want, Young and Smith all involved. The visitors simply could not cope with the pace.
The statistics tell a stark story. Ross County registered 11 shots on target against just one for the visitors, with a 58 per cent accuracy rate. Possession split evenly at 50-50, but the quality of chances told a different tale. The hosts created nothing labelled as big chances, yet converted ruthlessly.
The result keeps Ross County top of the table with 16 points from six games, unbeaten with five wins and a draw. Queen of the South remain in 10th place with just four points from seven games. The hosts have certainly shown they are not the same side that lost 3-0 to Hibernian last week.
