Match ends, Ross County 5, Dundee 2.
Ross CountyRoss County5DundeeDundee2
Liam Boyce's hat-trick secured victory and a top-six Scottish Premiership placing for Ross County over Dundee.
The visitors had led twice through a double from Kane Hemmings - his fourth and fifth goals in two matches.
Boyce and Michael Gardyne twice levelled for Jim McIntyre's men.
And, after Jackson Irvine slid in to tap home from a corner to give the hosts the lead, Boyce struck a spectacular overhead kick and pounced again late on to seal victory.
Boyce's second hat-trick of the campaign takes the Northern Ireland international to 17 goals so far and consolidated his side's grip on fifth place.
With Dundee a mess in defence and their goal difference dented, the visitors dropped out of the top half, leapfrogged by Partick Thistle, who had their game called off.
County were first to go on the attack but Dundee soon got into their stride and Greg Stewart supplied Hemmings, who scored a hat-trick against Hamilton Academical last week, with a short but well-weighted though ball which he cracked home from a dozen yards.
However, Dundee were unable to repeat the whirlwind start which had put them 4-0 up against Accies by half-time, and, after some frantic early exchanges, the game settled down to provide what was still a steady 90 minutes of great entertainment.
With the ball moving freely inside the Dundee box, both Boyce and Craig Curran failed to connect for an equaliser before Stewart missed a chance for Dundee's second when Scott Fox pulled off a great save.
Just before the half hour mark Andrew Davies collected a goal kick and returned it up-field into the path of Boyce, who rolled it slowly into the Dundee net with keeper Scott Bain already committed.
Curran was upended just outside the Dundee box by Thomas Konrad, who was booked, but Martin Woods' free-kick went just past the right angle of the goal.
Early in the second half, Stewart again provided the run and pass for Hemmings to restore Dundee's lead but there was an almost immediate response from County when Gardyne went down the left to find the net from a very tight angle.
Five minutes later, County were ahead for the first time when almost the first thing substitute Irvine did was to force the ball home amid claims that it had not crossed the line.
The game remained in the balance until Boyce set the home end alight with his second, an overhead effort from a narrow angle, as Dundee steadily declined as a threat.
Boyce completed his treble in the final five minutes, firing high into the net from Jamie Reckord's cross, finally putting the game beyond Paul Hartley's side.
Line-ups
Ross County
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Fox
- 12FosterBooked at 80mins
- 6RobertsonSubstituted forBoydat 57'minutes
- 15Davies
- 3Reckord
- 17FranksSubstituted forQuinnat 72'minutes
- 26Woods
- 18MurdochSubstituted forIrvineat 58'minutes
- 7Gardyne
- 10Boyce
- 11Curran
Substitutes
- 4Quinn
- 5Boyd
- 9Graham
- 21Woods
- 23Schalk
- 24De Vita
- 36Irvine
Dundee
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Bain
- 2IrvineBooked at 45mins
- 5McPake
- 4KonradBooked at 39mins
- 3Holt
- 18McGowan
- 17RossSubstituted forLoyat 73'minutes
- 29Harkins
- 8LowSubstituted forCalderat 83'minutes
- 7Stewart
- 15Hemmings
Substitutes
- 9Loy
- 12Mitchell
- 19McGinn
- 20Calder
- 26Gadzhalov
- 30Kerr
- 43Skelly
- Referee:
- Crawford Allan
- Attendance:
- 3,687
Match Stats
Home TeamRoss CountyAway TeamDundee
- Possession
- Home66%
- Away34%
- Shots
- Home21
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home12
- Away4
- Corners
- Home9
- Away1
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Ross County 5, Dundee 2.
Post update
Jackson Irvine (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Gary Harkins (Dundee).
Post update
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Scott Bain.
Post update
Attempt saved. Craig Curran (Ross County) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the top left corner.
Post update
Liam Boyce (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Riccardo Calder (Dundee).
Post update
Attempt missed. Kane Hemmings (Dundee) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Post update
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Scott Bain.
Post update
Attempt saved. Liam Boyce (Ross County) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt saved. Scott Boyd (Ross County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Post update
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Thomas Konrad.
Goal!
Goal! Ross County 5, Dundee 2. Liam Boyce (Ross County) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal.
Substitution
Substitution, Dundee. Riccardo Calder replaces Nicky Low.
Post update
Martin Woods (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Greg Stewart (Dundee).
Post update
Andrew Davies (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Rory Loy (Dundee).
Booking
Richard Foster (Ross County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
