DINGWALL, Scotland (Interstat) — Ross County opened its Scottish Championship season with a 2-1 comeback victory over Ayr United at Global Energy Stadium on Saturday, April 18, 2026, overcoming an early deficit to secure three points.

The match, which defied a pregame projection of a draw by Interstat, began with a shock for the home support. Ayr United’s Anton Dowds, entering the game as a substitute, silenced the crowd in the 42nd minute by finishing a chance created by Scott McMann, another substitute who was booked just minutes earlier. The assist was McMann’s only notable contribution before being cautioned. The goal gave the visitors a 1-0 lead heading toward halftime, capitalizing on a first half where Ross County’s early momentum had faded.

That early momentum came from midfielder Ryan Duncan, who had given the Staggies a dream start. With the match just four minutes old, Duncan found the net to put Ross County ahead 1-0. The lead would not hold until the break, but Duncan’s influence was far from over.

The second half saw the home side reassert control. The equalizer arrived in the 70th minute, courtesy of defender Alex Iacovitti, who powered in a goal to level the score at 1-1. The assist came from Duncan, completing his pivotal performance with a goal and an assist. His impactful day ended with a yellow card in the 63rd minute, one of five cautions issued in a physically contested league fixture.

Ross County sealed the victory and completed the turnaround just nine minutes after drawing level. The decisive 2-1 goal was scored by Iacovitti, marking a rare brace from the central defender and capping a strong defensive and offensive performance. The assist was recorded by Jamie Lindsay, who was later booked in the 79th minute.

The match was a disciplined, if sometimes fractious, affair. Ayr United’s Connor Randall received the first yellow card in the 28th minute, with teammate Ben Dempsey also booked in the 54th minute. Dempsey was credited with an assist on Dowds’ goal for the visitors.

With the result, Ross County begins its campaign with a win, improving its record to 1-0-0 in the Championship and across all competitions this season. The victory aligned with Interstat’s ELO system, which gave the Staggies a 62.9 percent probability to win pregame, though the final score differed from the simulator’s 1-1 projection.

Ayr United, meanwhile, starts its season with a defeat, falling to 0-1-0 in the league and overall. The club will look to rebound from a match where a promising first-half lead ultimately slipped away against a Ross County side that demonstrated resilience and scoring threat from multiple areas of the pitch.