Ross County thrashed as Motherwell run riot in Dingwall
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Scottish Premiership
Ross County 0
Motherwell 5
Scorers: Van Veen (25, 51, 88) Slattery (52) Efford (59)
Motherwell ran riot against hapless Ross County as they cruised to victory in a one-sided contest in Dingwall.
Kevin Van Veen scored a hat-trick with Callum Slattery and Joe Efford also finding the net for the Staggies.
Ross County have now gone six games without a win with only one victory to their name all campaign.
Ross County made two changes to the team that was beat 2–0 by Hibernian on Saturday.
Josh Sims was brought into the right wing to replace William Akio with Jordan Tillson back in defence replacing the dropped David Cancola.
Motherwell also made two changes to the team that lost 2–1 to Celtic.
Callum Slattery and Joe Efford came in for Barry Maguire and Dean Cornelius who were both dropped to the bench.
Motherwell had the first chance of the game midway through the first half when Jack Baldwin brought down Kevin Van Veen on the edge of the box.
Sean Goss went for power, but his shot crashed against the defensive wall in what summed up a quiet first quarter of the match.
But Motherwell were awarded a penalty in the 25th minute when Ross Callachan was guilty of bringing down Efford and was booked.
Van Veen kept his composure to slot the penalty past Ross Laidlaw into the back of the net.
Callachan looked to make amends for his foul and did well to run through the Motherwell defence charging into the box to find Josh Sims six yards from goal.
But the midfielder saw his shot take a deflection off the Motherwell defence to go inches past the left post.
Van Veen should have doubled Motherwell's advantage at the start of the second half when Connor Shields did well to hold the ball off the Staggies defence and lay up the Dutchman.
But he blasted wide eight yards from goal.
Motherwell went 2–0 up five minutes into the second half after goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw blocked Efford's shot.
But the rebound found its way to Callum Slattery who fired a powerul low drive into the back of the net.
The game was killed off a minute later when Efford's cross into the box passed through a tired looking Ross County defence to find Van Veen to score his ninth of the season in all competitions.
Motherwell continued to pile on the misery as Efford made it four in the 59th minute.
He connected with a cross from the left wing from Matthew Penney and drilled a thunderous drive into the back of the net from 18-yards out.
Van Veen then secured his hat-trick two minutes from time when he burst into the box to connect with a cross from the left wing and fire home from close range to cap off an excellent night for the visitors.
Ross County: Laidlaw, Johnson, Baldwin, Iacovitti, Purrington, Tillson, Paton (Hiwula 45), Callachan (Cancola 57), Sims (Akio 59), Owura (Olaigbe 76), White (Samuel 45).
Subs (Unused) Eastwood, Dhanda, Loturi, Watson.
Motherwell: Kelly, McGinn (O'Donnell 61), Solholm, Lamie, Penney, Goss, Slattery (Cornelius 78), Spittal (Tierney 69), Shields (Moult 69), Efford (McKinstry 69), Van Veen.
Subs (Unused) Oxborough,Mugabi, Maguire, Morris.
Referee Chris Graham.
