Ross County 0 (4) Hibs 0 (3)

Last updated : 21 July 2017 By Bill_Ted

C:WindowsTempphpD4CC.tmpRoss County picked up  a Scottish League  Cup bonus point after beating Hibs 4-3 on penalties tonight in Dingwall. The game ended 0-0 after 90 minutes and went to a shoot-out, with Scott Fox crucially keeping out a spot-kick from substitute Olly Shaw.  Michael Gardyne stepped up to seal the win for the Staggies, who are four points clear at the top of Group D.  County made two changes to the team that thumped Montrose 6-0, bringing in Fox and Marcus Fraser for Aaron McCarey and Kenny van der Weg.  Hibs beat the same opponents 4-0 last weekend and made four hanges, replacing David Gray, Ryan Porteous, Liam Fontaine and Fraser Murray with Steven Whittaker, Danny Swanson, Efe Ambrose and Marvin Bartley.

An early injury to Craig Curran, who scored three goals in two games, disrupted the hosts' plans, forcing Jim McIntyre to call on Thomas Mikkelsen just seven minutes in.  The visitors settled quicker and had much of the early play, with Fox forced into two saves by Dylan McGeouch and Simon Murray.  Staggies captain Andrew Davies drew a smart save out of Ofir Marciano, powering a header back across goal from Sean Kelly's corner, as County looked to draw first blood.  The game was developing an end-to-end feel, with Hibs straight down the other end and forcing a despairing block out of Tim Chow, to prevent Swanson getting his shot on target.

The start of the second half was markedly more tepid, with only Hibs looking like scoring. Murray rasped an effort over and John McGinn managed to sting the palms of Fox, who claimed at the second attempt.  New signing Jim O'Brien made his second Ross County debut as a late substitute but the battle of attrition was nearly won by Hibs, with only a reaction stop from Fox denying Martin Boyle a stoppage-time winner and then Darren McGregor heading against the frame of the goal.
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The tie went to penalties and Whittaker missed for Hibs, with Chris Routis going the same way and seeing his spot-kick kept out by Marciano.  McGinn and O'Brien both scored, as did Boyle and fortuitously Alex Schalk, with his penalty adjudged to have crossed the line after hitting the bar.  Fraser Murray and Fraser kept the shoot-out level, before Shaw saw his penalty repelled by Fox.  Gardyne coolly sent Marciano the wrong way from the spot to seal the bonus point for County.

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