A goal from Ross County substitute Rafa de Vita with 20 minutes remaining was enough to see off Dunfermline in their Scottish Cup fourth-round replay.
The winger replaced the ineffectual Jonathan Franks at the interval and broke the deadlock in a scrappy affair.
Faissel El-Bahktaoui squandered Dunfermline's best chance moments before De Vita's winner.
County will now host either Forfar Athletic or Linlithgow Rose in the next round.
There were few clear-cut opportunities for either side but El-Bahktaoui missed a golden one by shooting straight at Scott Fox seconds before Ross County hit the front.
It was the League One leaders' first defeat in 14 games stretching back to early October but they did not look out of place against a team two divisions above them.
The Staggies will be relieved just to be through to the next round in a season that already offers a League Cup semi-final against Celtic to look forward to.
Dunfermline started the replay the way they finished the first meeting, by going at Ross County with pace, aggression and good movement in the forward areas.
Former County winger Joe Cardle was heavily involved and a more decisive attempt at goal by him might well have put the visitors into the lead as the home defence struggled early on.
Not that the Pars backline looked any more solid when put under pressure, and a lighter touch on the ball would have brought Brian Graham an opener in 32 minutes.
Instead he hooked the ball over Sean Murdoch and the crossbar from close range, and for long spells of the opening period the Premiership side were one dimensional in attack.
They failed to impose themselves on their League One opponents, which was perhaps a reflection of the continued injury absence of first-choice strikers Liam Boyce and Craig Curran.
The quality of play did not improve much after the interval, with very few good chances created by either side until poor El-Bakhtaoui missed a glaring opportunity.
The standout player of the first game played a neat exchange of passes with Michael Moffat to go clear but he shot straight at Fox when he really should have scored.
Within a minute Ross County finally broke the deadlock when Michael Gardyne produced a telling cross from the left, Graham's physicality created space and De Vita crashed in his second goal of the season to seal County's passage into the next round.
Lineup, Bookings (5) & Substitutions (6)
Ross County
- 01 Fox
- 02 Fraser Booked
- 15 Davies
- 06 Robertson
- 12 Foster
- 17 Franks (De Vita - 45' Booked )
- 36 Irvine (McShane - 68' )
- 18 Murdoch
- 07 Gardyne
- 09 Graham
- 23 Schalk (Quinn - 75' )
Substitutes
- 03 Reckord
- 04 Quinn
- 05 Boyd
- 08 McShane
- 21 Woods
- 24 De Vita
- 53 Morrison
Dunfermline
- 01 Murdoch
- 02 Rooney Booked
- 04 McKay
- 05 Richards-Everton Booked (McCabe - 76' )
- 03 Talbot
- 07 Paton
- 06 Geggan
- 08 Falkingham
- 11 Cardle (Hopkirk - 66' )
- 09 Moffat Booked (Wallace - 79' )
- 10 El Bakhtaoui
Substitutes
- 12 Hopkirk
- 14 Byrne
- 15 Potter
- 16 Wallace
- 17 McCabe
- 18 Antoine-Curier
- 20 Gill
Match Stats
Live Text Commentary
Full Time Match ends, Ross County 1, Dunfermline Athletic 0.
90:00 +6:12 Full timeFull Time Second Half ends, Ross County 1, Dunfermline Athletic 0.
90:00 +3:04Brian Graham (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90:00 +3:04Foul by Shaun Rooney (Dunfermline Athletic).
90:00 +2:15Corner, Dunfermline Athletic. Conceded by Michael Gardyne.
90:00 +0:57Attempt missed. Rhys McCabe (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high.
88:26Hand ball by Raffaele De Vita (Ross County).
84:28Foul by Stewart Murdoch (Ross County).
84:28Josh Falkingham (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
78:46 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Dunfermline Athletic. Ryan Wallace replaces Michael Moffat.
78:13 BookingBooking Raffaele De Vita (Ross County) is shown the yellow card.
78:07Foul by Andrew Davies (Ross County).
78:07Michael Moffat (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
75:54 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Dunfermline Athletic. Rhys McCabe replaces Ben Richards-Everton because of an injury.
74:18 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Ross County. Rocco Quinn replaces Alex Schalk.
73:50Delay in match Ben Richards-Everton (Dunfermline Athletic) because of an injury.
72:14Foul by Stewart Murdoch (Ross County).
72:14Andrew Geggan (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
70:28 BookingBooking Marcus Fraser (Ross County) is shown the yellow card.
69:41 Goal scoredGoal! Goal! Ross County 1, Dunfermline Athletic 0. Raffaele De Vita (Ross County) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Michael Gardyne.
Foul by Brian Graham (Ross County).
69:04Andrew Geggan (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
68:08Attempt saved. Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
67:38 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Ross County. Ian McShane replaces Jackson Irvine.
66:09Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Andrew Geggan.
65:26 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Dunfermline Athletic. David Hopkirk replaces Joe Cardle.
65:00Jackson Irvine (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
64:55Foul by Andrew Geggan (Dunfermline Athletic).
64:10Foul by Chris Robertson (Ross County).
64:10Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
61:29Foul by Brian Graham (Ross County).
61:29Brad McKay (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
61:11Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Josh Falkingham.
60:44Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Shaun Rooney.
59:36Delay over. They are ready to continue.
57:53Delay in match Alex Schalk (Ross County) because of an injury.
55:57Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Brad McKay.
53:28Attempt saved. Michael Paton (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
52:20 BookingBooking Michael Moffat (Dunfermline Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
52:16Jackson Irvine (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
52:16Foul by Michael Moffat (Dunfermline Athletic).
49:59Delay in match Ben Richards-Everton (Dunfermline Athletic) because of an injury.
47:28Foul by Andrew Davies (Ross County).
47:28Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
46:32Attempt missed. Marcus Fraser (Ross County) right footed shot from the right side of the box is just a bit too high.
45:00Second Half begins Ross County 0, Dunfermline Athletic 0.
45:00 SubstitutionSubstitution Substitution, Ross County. Raffaele De Vita replaces Jonathan Franks.
45:00 +3:08 Half timeHalf Time First Half ends, Ross County 0, Dunfermline Athletic 0.
45:00 +2:42Attempt missed. Michael Gardyne (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
45:00 +0:48 BookingBooking Ben Richards-Everton (Dunfermline Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
45:00 +0:31Alex Schalk (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
45:00 +0:31Foul by Ben Richards-Everton (Dunfermline Athletic).
44:15Foul by Jonathan Franks (Ross County).
44:15Joe Cardle (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
43:26Foul by Brian Graham (Ross County).
43:26Brad McKay (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
42:30Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Michael Paton.
41:53Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Shaun Rooney.
39:28Marcus Fraser (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
39:28Foul by Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Dunfermline Athletic).
37:07Attempt missed. Michael Gardyne (Ross County) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high.
35:29 BookingBooking Shaun Rooney (Dunfermline Athletic) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
35:11Michael Gardyne (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
35:11Foul by Shaun Rooney (Dunfermline Athletic).
34:57Attempt saved. Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
33:53Foul by Marcus Fraser (Ross County).
33:53Joe Cardle (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
31:52Attempt saved. Brian Graham (Ross County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
30:26Marcus Fraser (Ross County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
30:26Foul by Jason Talbot (Dunfermline Athletic).
23:57Jonathan Franks (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
23:57Foul by Jason Talbot (Dunfermline Athletic).
21:37Foul by Andrew Davies (Ross County).
21:37Josh Falkingham (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
15:54Foul by Stewart Murdoch (Ross County).
15:54Josh Falkingham (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
14:18Hand ball by Jackson Irvine (Ross County).
11:57Attempt missed. Andrew Davies (Ross County) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
11:41Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Shaun Rooney.
11:09Attempt saved. Jonathan Franks (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
10:29Attempt missed. Shaun Rooney (Dunfermline Athletic) header from the centre of the box misses to the left.
9:45Foul by Andrew Davies (Ross County).
9:45Michael Moffat (Dunfermline Athletic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
7:44Jackson Irvine (Ross County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
7:44Foul by Joe Cardle (Dunfermline Athletic).
7:11Attempt saved. Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
6:41Attempt saved. Stewart Murdoch (Ross County) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
4:27Attempt missed. Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is just a bit too high.
1:31Attempt blocked. Joe Cardle (Dunfermline Athletic) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
0:00First Half begins.
0:00Lineups are announced and players are warming up.
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