Ross County moved one step closer to the top six of the Scottish Premiership after defeating Kilmarnock 1-0 in Dingwall.
Kieran Phillips’ 34th-minute goal was enough to decide the outcome, despite the Staggies being put under pressure for large parts of the match.
It could even have been 2-0 but for an intervention by VAR, but the visitors will be wondering how they left the Highlands empty-handed.
It was Kilmarnock who had the brighter start, keeping County camped inside their own half for most of the opening 15 minutes.
At the end of that period, Marley Watkins had time to take a long ball forward under control inside the Staggies box, but Jordan Amissah was able to make an important save for both the initial effort and the follow-up.
However, 10 minutes before half-time it was Ross County who took the lead.
Phillips flicked the ball over Killie’s defence into the path of Jordan White, who saw his shot on the stretch smothered but not held, with Phillips following the play in to convert from close range.
On the hour mark, Amissah was once again forced into action, this time to parry clear attempts from Brad Lyons and Fraser Murray.
Former County man Danny Armstrong nearly came back to haunt his old side just seconds after being brought on, again testing out Amissah’s reflexes, with Watkins’ follow-up effort blocked.
The visitors were dealt a blow in the 73rd minute when Kyle Magennis, who had come on around 10 minutes earlier, went down holding his knee under no pressure and had to be replaced.
Despite the pressure they had been under, Ross County thought they had made it 2-0 in the 83rd minute after a substitute of their own, Alex Samuel, turned his marker brilliantly out wide to charge into the box, eventually squaring for Nohan Kenneh to turn past Kieran O’Hara and into the net.
However, referee David Dickinson was asked to go over to the monitor to have a look at a possible foul in the build-up by VAR John Beaton, and it was decided the goal would not stand.
Perhaps emboldened by their reprieve, Killie once again went in search of an equaliser as the clock ticked down, and Bruce Anderson had a golden chance to level the scores but somehow conspired to miss from a couple of yards out.
