Ross County suffered their first adversity of the season by relinquishing their advantage against Dundee United to suffer defeat for the first time this term.
The Staggies had taken a well-earned first-half lead through Coll Donaldson, whose stunning goal against his former club looked to have put the Dingwall side on course to maintain their fine start to the campaign.
County were unable to hold on until half-time, however, with Peter Pawlett’s scrappy leveller before the interval setting the tone for United to take command.
Nicky Clark’s late winner punished a below-par second-half performance from the Staggies, leaving County manager Stuart Kettlewell ruing a missed opportunity to build upon the Staggies’ best Premiership start.
Kettlewell said: “The biggest frustration is letting the game slip away after completely dominating for 40 minutes.
“We had the better chances, the better possession and the chances fell to the correct players.
“Coll Donaldson took his goal exceptionally well, but we conceded a poor goal and that’s when things went wrong for us.
“That’s when we were looking for our leaders and our personalities to step forward, but it didn’t happen.
“We looked a shadow of what we’ve been over the last three-and-a-half games.”
Kettlewell made two changes from the side which had struck late to salvage a 2-2 draw with Kilmarnock in midweek, with Regan Charles-Cook and Josh Mullin making way for Harry Paton and Billy Mckay.
There was little to separate the sides in an evenly-matched opening 20 minute period, with United winger Luke Bolton registering the first attempt when his volley was blocked behind by Josh Reid following Adrian Sporle’s delivery.
The Staggies were incensed at not being awarded a penalty on 21 minutes when Harry Paton went to ground after running at United defender Mark Connolly. Referee Craig Napier showed the Canadian midfielder a yellow card for diving, much to the dismay of Kettlewell, who said: “It was a stonewall penalty. I’ve seen it back and the referee has assured us it wasn’t a penalty.
“I had a chat with him at half-time. We asked the question, he guaranteed us it wasn’t, but if it was he was going to apologise to us.
“I’ve not had my apology yet. Kilmarnock claimed in midweek for two stonewall penalties – but that one trumps them.”
The hosts began to enjoy a prominent flurry of attacking play from the midway point in the first half, with Michael Gardyne cutting in from the left flank before testing the palms of Benjamin Siegrist.
The resulting corner led to County’s breakthrough on 29 minutes. The ball was worked back to Iain Vigurs after his initial delivery from the left had been cleared, with Ross Stewart involved in teeing up Donaldson to rifle a crisp volley past Siegrist from the edge of the box.
The Staggies’ confidence was plain to see, but they were left to rue spurning a glorious chance to double their advantage on 35 minutes when Gardyne’s delivery picked out Stewart, who took the ball down, but thrashed his effort over from 10 yards.
It was to prove a costly miss, with United restoring parity five minutes later when Sporle’s low drive kindly ricocheted into the path of Pawlett, who turned the ball home from six yards.
The visitors looked buoyed by their leveller as they made a fine start to the second half, with Ian Harkes driving a shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box.
Kettlewell made his first change on 58 minutes when he brought Lee Erwin on for Gardyne, and the attacker nearly made an immediate impact when a driving run from the right set up Paton, but he struck a powerful effort just over.
United were denied by Ross Laidlaw moments later, with Bolton sent through by Louis Appere but seeing his shot blocked by the legs of the Staggies keeper. Stewart had another excellent chance on 75 minutes when Erwin played him through with a deft pass, but the striker drilled his first-time effort wide, while Donaldson struck wide after the ball broke to him following a Mullin corner.
United turned the game on its head four minutes later, with substitute Cammy Smith picking out Clark to rifle a low drive past Laidlaw.
County had found themselves in a similar position against Kilmarnock in midweek, but there was to be no late rally on this occasion, with United coming closest to scoring as Clark shot into the side-netting and Laidlaw had a fine save to thwart Pawlett’s shot.
Fan view: United should have been killed off before equaliser
Ross County should have had a comfortable margin before Dundee United’s first-half equaliser.
It was a scrappy opening quarter before County’s best passing interchange culminated in Harry Paton going one against one with Mark Connelly. The United defender dangled out a leg over, which Paton fell within the box, but the ref wrongly judged the Canadian to have dived.
Seven minutes later, the Staggies celebrated Coll Donaldson getting his first goal for the side, a strike on the bounce from a range that anyone in the squad would have been proud of.
Had County gone 2-0 up when Ross Stewart volleyed over, I’m not sure United would have come back in the way they did.
Micky Mellon’s side equalised before half-time, but came out after the break with a higher tempo and had the better of the territory and penetration.
It wasn’t a match of the greatest quality in terms of build-up play from either team, with possession turning over more readily than we’ve been used to early this season.
In the end, the substitutions had the final say, with Nicky Clark’s sharp shot across Ross Laidlaw’s goal a show of clinical finishing the home side couldn’t execute.
Lee Erwin made an impressive contribution off the bench and created a couple of very good chances.
Taking only a point from the last two matches is disappointing, but County’s good start keeps them in a decent position.
