Dundee United maintained their 100% winning record against Ross County this season thanks to goals from Lawrence Shankland and Ryan Edwards.
Shankland’s fifth of the campaign on 63 minutes gave the Tangerines the lead in a game they dominated, before Edwards rose highest at a corner 13 minutes later to power a header home for 2-0.
The result ends the Terrors’ eight-game winless run in the Premiership and gives Micky Mellon’s men their first win of the year as they remain in seventh spot.
United showed two changes from Wednesday night’s 2-1 defeat at Motherwell with captain Mark Reynolds and Peter Pawlett coming in for Nicky Clark and Ian Harkes.
The Tangerines came out the traps flying in Dingwall with Marc McNulty flashing across goal just 30 seconds into the contest after Jeando Fuchs slipped him in.
Jermaine Hylton had the Staggies’ first effort of the afternoon, winding up and firing in a powerful effort from 25 yards but Benjamin Siegrist saved well.
United were pressing high and linking play well with Shankland twice capitalising on defensive mistakes from County and rounding goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw.
However, the Terrors hitman dragged the ball too far wide on both occasions as the chances petered out.
Shankland got onto the end of Liam Smith’s cross from the right but saw his volley blocked well by the home defence.
Tony Andreu had John Hughes’ men’s best chance of the opening period, curling narrowly wide with his left foot after cutting in from the right on 33 minutes.
Andreu tried his luck again five minutes before half time but it was a comfortable stop for Siegrist.
Heading into the break, Adrian Sporle forced former United stopper Laidlaw into action with a long-range stinger as things remained goalless.
Shankland starts and finishes United breakaway as Edwards makes it two goals in a week
Celtic loanne Leo Hjelde fired a volley wide seconds into the second 45 for the hosts with Billy Mckay forcing Siegrist into a smart stop soon after.
County were pushing to break the deadlock as the match approached the hour-mark with Mckay and Jordan White causing chaos in the Terrors’ backline, with the latter skewing his shot on 58 minutes wide after good work by Hylton to play him in.
However, it was United who made the breakthrough, with a sweeping counter attack finished off by Shankland.
County’s defence was at sixes and sevens as the Terrors hit them on the break with Shankland starting and finishing the move himself.
He found Fuchs racing into the County half, with the Cameroonian able to flick the ball out wide for Smith before the right-back calmly picked out Shankland, who showed good movement to free himself up in the box and coolly slotted home.
United made it two on 76 minutes as Edwards connected with Pawlett’s corner to head home his second goal of the week following his consolation goal at Motherwell.
The Staggies pushed to get back into the match but weren’t able to break down a staunch United defence that left the Highlands with all three points in the bag.
Ross County (4-4-2): Laidlaw (GK); Naismith, Morris (C), Hjelde, Tremarco (Iacovitti 77); Andreu, Kelly (Draper 77), Paton (Lakin 64), Hylton (Gardyne 64); Mckay (Shaw 64), White.
Subs not used: Hilton (GK), Watson, Charles-Cook and Tillson.
Dundee United (4-1-4-1): Siegrist (GK); L Smith, Edwards, Reynolds (C), Robson; Butcher (Powers 82); McNulty, Fuchs (Harkes 80), Pawlett, Sporle (Bolton 75); Shankland.
Subs not used: Deniz (GK), Clark, Fotheringham, Mochrie, Appere and K Smith.
Referee: Grant Irvine.