Brophy earns glowing praise after winning performance

Ross County manager Malky Mackay hailed the contribution of Eamonn Brophy after the loan striker inspired a 4-0 win over Dundee United.

The Scotland international scored twice and provided two assists and also hit the post as County moved four points ahead of the cinch Premiership bottom club.

Brophy has now scored three times since moving on loan from St Mirren and Mackay believes there is more to come from a player he knew well from his time in charge of Scotland’s youth set-up.

Mackay said: “We’ve had to be careful with him because he has not played a lot of football in the last six to nine months.

“I’ve known him for a number of years and he was involved in my Scotland Under-21s and clearly had a massive impact at Kilmarnock when Steve Clarke had him.

“It is great to get him but I had to be very careful in how we handled that first few weeks because of his lack of game time.

“The St Mirren game was the chance to do a little mini pre-season with him, which we did last week, which he wanted to do. That’s testament to him.

“He showed so much in the final third. His strike hits the post, he scores two and sets up two, but it is also his running ability and his cleverness I was delighted with.

“He gives Jordan White an enormous amount of help up there because Jordan has had to plough a lone furrow for us since last year.

“It allows him that little bit more space and time as well. I’m delighted Jordan gets his goal as well.”

Dundee United suffered their sixth consecutive defeat and head coach Liam Fox admitted he and everyone else at the club would need to reflect on their contribution in the coming days.

Fox said in a club video: “Everybody will need to take a long, hard look at themselves over the next couple of days and then get back to work.”