Jordan White fires Ross County out of relegation zone with winner against Hibs

Posted Sunday, May 05, 2024 by PA

Ross County moved out of the cinch Premiership relegation zone with a 2-1 win over Hibernian.

Jordan White came off the bench to score an 88th-minute winner after Myziane Maolida had opened the scoring for Hibs, only for Simon Murray to equalise before half-time.

Hibernian started on the front foot, playing around the County press well and forcing their opponents into making long balls forward into the channels.

They would get their reward in the 15th minute when Martin Boyle’s corner fell to Rocky Bushiri, who hit a post, and the ball rolled along the goalline for a tap-in as Maolida scored in his third successive game against the Staggies.

Bushiri would be involved in the next goal too, but through a mistake at the other end.

He failed to clear Michee Efete’s cross into the Hibs box, allowing Murray to run onto the ball and finish first time into the bottom corner for his 19th goal of the season in all competitions.

The rest of the first half became a back-and-forth affair, with Ross Laidlaw needed to make two good saves to deny Emiliano Hansen and Maolida, but Eamonn Brophy headed wide of the mark at the other end and Murray hit a post as the interval approached.

Murray would again hit the goal frame within 10 minutes of the restart, heading Yan Dhanda’s cross into the ground with the ball bouncing out of Joseph Wollacott’s reach and onto the crossbar.

Hibs would very nearly regain their lead immediately afterwards, though, with Boyle taking advantage of Ryan Leak’s mistake to go one-on-one with Laidlaw; the Staggies stopper again made an important save.

With three points having a bigger impact on County’s season than for their visitors, it was perhaps no surprise that it was the home team pushing more strongly for a winner as the clock ticked down.

White would go close with a header that found the side netting, but he would go even closer in the 88th minute when he put County in front.

A poor pass from Wollacott was intercepted inside the Hibs half by George Harmon, and suddenly the Staggies had the numbers advantage in the final third.

Harmon picked out White, who did well to hold off his marker and turn before firing into the back of the Hibernian net for the winning goal.