Aberdeen 2-0 Ross County

A Curtis Main double helped Aberdeen to victory at Pittodrie against Ross County this afternoon.

The striker put the hosts ahead early on, before adding a second mid-way through the second half.

Billy McKay and Ross Stewart missed glorious opportunities to level it for County either side of half time.

Inside the 5^th minute, Main opened the scoring for the home side. A floated corner from Ryan Hedges met the head of Tommy Hoban deep inside the box, who directed his header back towards the goal. Hoban’s header pinballed around the six-yard box before Curtis Main stabbed the ball home to grab his first Scottish Premiership goal of the season.

On the stroke of half-time, substitute Billy McKay nearly repeated his heroics from County’s previous trip to Pittodrie, where his double clinched all three points for the Staggies in February. An inviting Stephen Kelly deep free kick from the left-hand side found Billy McKay unmarked in the box, but his delivery was slightly too high for the striker, who watched his headed effort clear the crossbar.

County entered the break a goal down, but they were rejuvenated towards the end of the first period after an alteration to formation. The arrival of Billy McKay gave the visitors an extra option in attack as they became the favourable side in the closing stages of the half.

Immediately after the resumption of play, the Dons came flying out the traps and threatened to double their lead. Andy Considine wrapped a pass into the feet of Main and the goal scorer expertly flicked the ball round the corner for Matty Kennedy who had broken beyond the County defence. Kennedy advanced towards goal from the left wing, but his left-footed shot was saved by the feet of Laidlaw who stood up and done well to narrow the winger’s angle.

Ross Stewart missed a golden opportunity in the 56^th minute as County came within inches of an equaliser. The striker got on the end of a deflected Josh Reid cross from the left-hand side, but his outside-of-the-boot effort went just wide of the goal from inside the six-yard box.

Just moments after County’s best chance of the match, the hosts delivered a sucker punch and extended their lead to 2-0. Jonny Hayes went past Jordan Tillson and Regan Charles-Cook before cutting the ball back to Ryan Hedges. The Welshman had his resulting shot blocked by Morris, but his intervention fell into the path of Curtis Main as the striker successfully rolled Coll Donaldson and blasted his left-footed shot into the roof of the net. Main netted his second ever double in Scottish football, the first coming against his current club for Motherwell in a Scottish Cup semi-final in 2018.

The Staggies almost replied with a goal of their own in the 80^th minute when Michael Gardyne burst through the midfield and slid the ball over to Ross Stewart. The striker drifted inside of three opposing defenders and thundered the ball goalward, but his shot was expertly saved by the outstretching left arm of Joe Lewis.

Despite some encouraging signs as the game neared its end, County were unable to break the resistance of the home side to get themselves back in the game.

Focus is now turned to Wednesday as Stuart Kettlewell’s men look to resume their impressive cup form when they face Livingston at the Tony Macaroni in the Quarter Final of the Betfred Cup.