Scottish Premiership: Dundee United hold off Ross County to go second

Scottish Premiership: Dundee United hold off Ross County to go second

Dundee United survived an alert at the end to beat Ross County 3-2 at Victoria Park and move to second place in the Scottish Championship.

A goal in each half from Nadir Ciftci, each side of the 48 minutes of Stuart Armstrong strike put the visitors firmly in control.

County substitute Yoann Arquin pulled a goal back in the 76th minute, three minutes after his arrival, but their hopes to snatch a point seemed to be more when Liam Boyce was expelled six minutes.

However, Darren Maatsen put in place a final tense with a second goal for the hosts in the 89th minute, but United held firm in the closing stages to notch their fourth win of the season and move within a point of Celtic leaders.

The defeat is the Staggies' sixth in seven matches at home this season and leaves them rooted to the bottom of the table.

The County has made a good start to the match and Joe Cardle flashed a shot on goal in the seventh minute, but there's no taker.

At the other end United States received a free kick in a dangerous position after Tony brought Conor Townsend Dingwall, but his effort flew over the crossbar.

The home side won a free kick of their own in an equally dangerous spot but Martin Woods whipped his forehand at the Uni Radoslaw Cierzniak goalkeeper.

But it was the visitors who took the lead in the 21st minute when Chris Erskine Çiftçi sent on his way and he escaped a challenge and rounded Mark Brown to fire into the net.

Armstrong made almost 2-0 five minutes later, but he was denied by tense foot of Brown.

The visitors pushed for a second goal before the break and Ciftci nearly offset at the 40th minute, but headed on a corner from Ryan Dow shot was cleared off the coast of the goal line by Steven Ross.

Woods tried to catch Cierzniak a shot at long distance, but goalkeeper is harnessed to his right to turn the ball behind for a corner.

But in a breakaway move in the 48th minute that united went further before that Calum Butcher was a raid carried out in the Middle before placing the ball off for Armstrong which took the ball beyond Brown and passed it into the net.

County kept plugging away and a Jackson Irvine header in the box was changed behind for a corner by Jaroslaw Fojut.

United upfield broke at the 57th minute and Ciftci got behind the defence of the County, but he shot tamely at Brown.

But defender made no mistake a minute later after Butcher Uni put him is clear, Ciftci shrugging off the attentions of Lewis Toshney and hit the ball ahead of Brown.

Nadin made an instant printing after coming from the bench of the County, when he ran upwards from the touchline right and sent a high ball on pole which Cierzniak clutched in the air.

But the County pulled one back in the 76th minute when the ball fell for Dexter on the edge of the box and he beat Cierzniak low to his left.

Dexter was almost again a few minutes later when he ran into the goal, but he lost control of the ball at the crucial moment.

It got worse for the County in the 84th minute when they were reduced to 10 men when substitute Boyce was shown a red card for a wild challenge on Paul Paton.

In a finish hectic County has reduced the deficit in the 89th minute when wood slotted the ball through to nadin and he tucked a shot from 12 yards.

In the stop time United substitute Gary MacKay-Steven was refused by an end save Brown as visitors clinched the three points.

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