Ross County 1-2 Hearts: Huge victory in Dingwall pushes Tynecastle side up the league as fans rejoice

A victory which returns Hearts to the Premiership’s top six, and keeps them just three points behind third place, should not be underestimated at this point in the season. Winning 2-1 in the Dingwall rain with a patched-up team is a useful achievement for the Edinburgh club.

There were 1960 boisterous travelling supporters loudly acclaiming a second success in three days following a midweek European triumph over RFS by the same scoreline. Jordan White gave Ross County an early lead before a rapid Hearts reaction put them ahead by the 20th minute, Lawrence Shankland and Andy Halliday the goalscorers. They refused to relinquish the three points and consequently climbed into the league’s top half as County remain bottom.

This could not be described as a vintage Hearts performance, however they were without first-team regulars like Stephen Kingsley, Cammy Devlin, Stephen Humphrys, Peter Haring, Craig Halkett, Kye Rowles, Liam Boyce, Nathaniel Atkinson, Gary Mackay-Steven and Beni Baningime through injury. All things considered, it was a vital result.

Following Thursday’s invigorating Europa Conference League win, Hearts needed to find some extra energy. Midfielder Connor Smith, 20, started a game under Robbie Neilson for the first time perhaps for that very reason. He imposed himself in central midfield and got forward to support attackers. He also produced the cross which led to his team’s equaliser.

Selection was a major challenge for Neilson in Dingwall with so many injuries. Jorge Grant overcame illness to travel north earlier in the day and take a seat on the substitutes’ bench. County’s attacking midfield trio of Jordy Hiwula, Yan Dhanda and Owura Edwards enured they offered plenty creative threat.

Hiwula’s roaring early strike was disallowed for offside after the Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon had saved Callum Johnson’s shot. The opening goal transpired only moments later when Dhanda’s low right-sided cross was forced home by White at the front post. The hosts looked confident, however the advantage was quickly overturned by a resilient response from the visitors.

They drew level just a few minutes later on the quarter-hour mark. Shankland’s initial right-footed attempt from young Smith’s cutback was blocked, and the striker promptly drove the rebound into the County net with his left. Then came Hearts’ second only five minutes later. Halliday rose to meet Robert Snodgrass’ corner for a terrific header which hit the net via the underside of the crossbar, leaving goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw static.

There was no relenting in the pace of this fixture as Gordon made another useful stop from Edwards. Holding a 2-1 interval advantage, this game was Hearts’ to lose at that stage. Ross County required a reaction on an increasingly rain-sodden surface. Johnson found space for two attempts at converting Jack Baldwin’s cross on 61 minutes, the second a header which landed too high. An offside flag then denied Shankland another goal – after a VAR check – from a deflected shot.

Lawrence Shankland celebrates scoring for Hearts against Ross County.

Tension grew in the closing stages but Hearts saw out a critical victory ahead of Thursday’s trip to Istanbul.

Ross County: (4-2-3-1): Laidlaw; Johnson, Baldwin, Iacovitti, Harmon (Sims 82); Tillson (Samuel 82), Cancola (Loturi 55); Hiwula (Olaigbe 75), Dhanda, Edwards (Watson 82); White.

Hearts (4-1-4-1): Gordon; M Smith, Sibbick, Cochrane, Halliday (Neilson 60); Kiomourtzoglou; Ginnelly (Grant 60), C Smith (Forrest 60), Snodgrass, McKay (Henderson 75); Shankland.

Referee: David Dickinson.

Attendance: 4,438.