Sizzling Staggies sweep to win at Kilmarnock
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ROSS County stunned Kilmarnock with a 4-0 Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership victory at Rugby Park on Saturday.
The Dingwall side's first half goal blitz left the host battered and bruised with their supporters furious at another below-par performance which leaves them rooted to the foot of the table.
In truth, home goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald pulled off a string of sparkling saves to prevent the scoreline being far worse from his team's point of view. Added to that they suffered a trio of first half injuries, it all made for a disastrous day for the Ayrshire team.
While Killie are being slammed for their second 4-0 home loss of the season, Jim McIntyre would have been thrilled to see his players turn on the style to move into fifth position.
Rampant Ross County were two goals in front within the opening four minutes and had completed the rout within 35 minutes, with Liam Boyce bagging two and new start Jonathan Franks and captain Andrew Davies also hitting the net.
The deadlock was broken after just 65 seconds.
Two former Kilmarnock loan players combined to spark the move which led the the first goal.
Jackson Irvine was in the mood and he was picked out by Michael Gardyne who then fed the ball to Craig Curran.
The forward then found strike partner Boyce and his shot deflected off Lee Ashcroft and beat MacDonald for a 1-0 lead.
Kilmarnock were reeling but just two minutes later they were 2-0 behind as clinical County picked them apart again.
Gardyne again was at the heart of it and he played through Boyce and the Belfast-born striker's drive was cleared off the line by Ashcroft but Franks was on hand to steer the ball into the net.
Skipper Mark Connelly then had to go off with an injury, being replaced by on-loan Celtic youngster Stuart Findlay.
County's pressure was relentless and MacDonald saved from Marcus Fraser then Curran and the visitors sought a third goal.
On 21 minutes, MacDonald saved a Curran effort before Darryl Westlake blocked the rebound.
Curran suffered a head knock in this incident and he needed bandaged up in order to carry on.
The third goal came on half an hour as Jamie Reckord delivery into the box was finished by Boyce.
Moments later it was four and the some home fans already headed home, venting their anger towards their team.
Gardyne whipped in a corner and Davies drilled the ball downwards and into the net.
In a rare attack from Killie, Kris Boyd crashed a free-kick goalwards but Scott Fox turned it on to the post.
Ex-Rangers skipper Lee McCulloch, on his Kilmarnock debut, then had to go off with a knock and was replaced by Arron Splaine as they day went from bad to worse for the hosts.
Rory McKenzie went close early in the second half for Killie but his lob finished just over the top.
Davies almost added a fifth for County too but missed from close range on a day where the pressure undoubtedly mounted on Killie manager Gary Locke.
Confident County kick off their Scottish League Cup charge on Tuesday night when Ian McCall's Ayr United visit Dingwall.
The League One side moved into fourth position at the weekend with a 2-1 win at Stranraer.
Kilmarnock: MacDonald, Westlake (Barbour 24), Connolly (Findlay 10), Ashcroft, Smith, Magennis, McCulloch (Splaine 43), O'Hara, Higginbotham, McKenzie, Boyd.
Ross County: Fox, Fraser, Davies, Robertson, Reckord, Franks (De Vita 73), Irvine, Quinn, Gardyne, Boyce (Murdoch 60), Curran (Graham 34).
Referee: Don Robertson.
Attendance: 3,604.
