Ross County 0 Queen’s Park 1 – Match Hub

QUEEN’S PARK did the Dingwall double with a Matty Shiels header lifting the Spiders off the bottom of the Championship.

 Just 11 days after County took three points at The city Stadium, the Spiders moved eighth with two games in hand over their relegation rivals.

They started brightly and finished loudly as the Queen’s Park fans roared the team off at The Global Energy Stadium for the second time this season.

Less than four minutes in Carlo Pignatiello battled into the box, but couldn’t pull the trigger as he was smothered by the Staggies defence.

It was a bright start for the visitors, whose pre-match was disrupted by Ricki Lamie dropping out of the starting line-up for Magnus Mackenzie.

They had claims for a penalty too with a Louis Longridge drive blocked and the Spiders wanted a handball call from ref Sean Murdoch.

County cleared their lines and had brief respite before another scramble in the home penalty area, conjured up by Aidan Connolly after release up the right from Pignatiello.

Somehow Queen’s Park couldn’t connect with various loose balls to test Trevor Carson.

Calum Ferrie did have a save to make on 16 minutes, gathering an unmarked Alex Iacovitti header but a header at the other side, by Nikolay Todorov released Aidan Connolly and though his strike was blocked after stealing in behind the Staggies defence.

Carlo Pignatiello’s follow-up was deflected just wide in another visiting attack.

Queen’s Park were the better side in this first half, but with seven minutes left play paused after a clash of heads between Todorov and Levis left the Spiders man covered in blood and needing a head bandage and further treatment for the home defender.

That didn’t curtail the Spiders attack though and when Seb Drozd hit the by-line and fired the ball across goal all it needed was a touch.

That came from Callum Smith but off his shoulder and bounced over.

Drozd raced clear in the final minute of the half but was chopped down by Dylan Smith who followed Louis Longridge into the book. The set-piece was floated in to the backpost and re-worked to the left wing. Aidan Connolly clipped another cross to the back post and Matty Shiels headed in the opener on the stroke of the interval.

It was just reward for a positive first half.

But 10 minutes after the restart Pignatiello was penalised for a handball but Jamie Lindsay’s free-kick hit the wall.

Queen’s Park saw off the home side, forcing Stuart Kettlewell to pitch his last game-winner Uche Ikpeazu in shortly after the hour.

Still the Spiders’ make-shift defence held firm with the giant front pairing of the sub and Jordan White up top.

Goal hero Matty Sheils needed some treatment after challenging Ikpeazu for a header.

With a quarter of an hour left County lifted the pressure, Jay Henderson shooting narrowly wide from distance and and boss Kettlewell went into ref Murdoch’s book.

Sean Crighton restored Michael ruth to the first-team fray for the final 12 minutes, and the striker almost had an instant impact, shooting narrowly wide, on the turn from the edge of the area.

Ruth had scored a double for the under-19s in midweek as he worked his way back from a hip problem and he registered another win.

But only after a late scare when Dylan Reid headed a corner off the outside of the post with seven minutes to play but the Spiders, especially in the first half, were well worth their win and move eighth.