We welcomed near neighbours Ross County to the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium this evening and as expected Manager Terry Butcher kept faith with the team that defeated Partick Thistle on Saturday to put us top of the lead. 

The first incident of note came in the 6th minute when Jonny Hayes picked up a yellow card from referee Scott MacDonald for a late challenge on defender Alex Keddie.

Two minutes later we had our first shot on goal when Richie Foran wriggled clear in the box and fired in a shot at the near post but Michael McGovern pushed the ball behind for a corner kick.

With 12 minutes played Ross County were reduced to ten men and we opened the scoring.  Lee Cox put Richie Foran in behind the County defence and as he was about to pull the trigger Alex Keddie was adjudged to have pulled him down just on the 18 yard line.  Keddie saw red for a last man challenge and from the resulting free kick Richie Foran's effort found the back of the net via a deflection.

Four minutes later and we had made it 2-0, Jonny Hayes skipped away from a couple of challenges and his delightful ball into the box was volleyed home by Eric Odhiambo from eight yards.

Five minutes before the break we made it three, Lee Cox caught Iain Vigurs in possession on the half-way line and he put Jonny Hayes through behind the County defence.  The Irishman ran 35 yards towards goal and then fired the ball past McGovern into the net.

Half-time score: ICT 3 (Foran 13 mins, Odhiambo 16 mins, Hayes 40 mins) - Ross County 0

On the 54th minute we nearly had number four, a David Proctor free kick into the box found Eric Odhiambo on the left but his clipped effort went just past Michael McGovern's goal.  Nine minutes later and we again threatened the County goal when a Richie Foran cross from the left dropped to the impressive Lee Cox at the edge of the box but McGovern gathered his curling effort on goal.

With 71 minutes gone we made our first change of the evening replacing goal scorer Eric Odhiambo with Dani Sanchez and then with eight minutes later Robert Eagle came on for Adam Rooney.

After a late tackle by County striker Steven Craig, which saw him booked, Jonny Hayes was replaced by Daniel Stratford.

The three points along with a Dundee getting defeated by Dunfermline meant our lead at the top of the table was increased to four points.

Full-time score: ICT 3 (Foran 13 mins, Odhiambo 16 mins, Hayes 40 mins) - Ross County 0

Attendance: 5411

ICT Team

Esson

Proctor, Tokely, Munro, Golabek

Cox, Duncan

Hayes, Odhiambo, Foran

Rooney

Subs: Allison (GK), Eagle for Rooney (82 mins), Sanchez for Odhiambo (71 mins), Bulvitis, Stratford for Hayes (86 mins)