Ross County

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Don Cowie has been speaking to the media before the final-day game with Motherwell as Ross County attempt to avoid finishing in the relegation play-off spot.

Here are the main points:

• The County manager says Wednesday night's draw against Dundee has given his side "real clarity" and is pleased they sill have something to play for heading into the final league game.

• Cowie adds the manner of the draw on Wednesday - scoring late on to end a run of seven straight defeats - has given the County players "momentum" for the weekend.

• On the controversial penalty that gave County the equaliser: "Maybe people don't agree with the decision, it doesn't mean it's wrong."

• Cowie stresses his side will do everything they can to win the game on Sunday and try to avoid the play-off.

• The 42-year-old is urging County supporters to get "right behind the team" and help them "get over the line" on Sunday.

• On striker Ronan Hale, who was on the scoresheet again, Cowie says the forward has been "back to his best" in recent weeks and is sure he's excited to "score a few more goals before the season ends".

• Kacper Lopata, who came off at half-time on Wednesday night, is a doubt for Sunday's game, as is James Brown. Jack Grieves will miss the match.

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Ronan Hale's dramatic penalty equaliser six minutes into stoppage time not only relegated St Johnstone but rescued Ross County's hopes of escaping second bottom and a play-off to avoid dropping to the Championship themselves.

But for that goal, hosts Dundee would have been safe and dreaming of their holidays as they travel to face the doomed Saints on Sunday.

Instead, Tony Docherty's side have been dragged into a final-day shootout to avoid facing whoever wins the Premiership play-off semi-final after Friday's second leg between Livingston and Partick Thistle, which Livi lead 2-0 from the first leg.

Whichever manager finds himself in that position will come under increasing pressure amid question marks about whether they will be given the chance to chase a quick return to the top flight next season.

Don Cowie has been in this position before, being handed the County job permanently after leading his side to a play-off victory over Raith Rovers last season as interim boss.

Heading into Saturday two points adrift, the Dingwall side remain favourites to finish second bottom in three successive seasons.

Especially as they must end an eight-game run without a victory to stand a chance of leapfrogging Dundee - and even then they must also hope the Dark Blues also lose in Perth.

County had lost seven in a row before Saturday's draw opened a backdoor escape route and Motherwell arrive having lost just once in five outings, so the signs are not promising.

However, Cowie's side have not lost to Sunday's visitors in three meetings this season, winning the past two, the latest by 3-0 at Fir Park in February.

Meanwhile, in addition to that late stunner against County, Docherty has been left cursing some controversial refereeing decisions in recent weeks as he looks to extend Dundee's stay for a third season since promotion.

It leaves the Dark Blues without a win in three outings and he will be hoping Saints, who have themselves only won once in six, are not motivated into one big goodbye performance.

A repeat of the 1-1 draw at Dens Park in March would probably be enough for Docherty's side and they will take heart from the 3-1 win on their last visit to Perth in January.

Read all the final weekend Premiership picks

We asked for your views after Ross County secured a dramatic 1-1 draw against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

Here's what you had to say:

Rick: Dundee were there for the taking in the first half. They looked disorganised and kept playing backwards, causing the home fans to boo, but we were wasteful, couldn't finish and the game was littered with mistakes - Akil Wright's back pass for example. I couldn't take any more and left in the 90th minute, missing the penalty, but no regrets.

Ali: Here we are again, play-off time, unless lady luck shines on us on Sunday. However she has not been good to us recently with the injuries and the loss of form of some players. But we also have to admit that we suffered greatly from some rather enigmatic team selections and tactical decisions of late. We need to get back to a formation that the players understand. A massive performance from Jordan Amissah against Dundee kept us in the game - well done big man. The team are still fighting so the fans need to fight with them on Sunday. Come on the Staggies.

Watch highlights as Dundee draw 1-1 against Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

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Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Ronan Hale wanted to step up and "be the man" for Ross County as his dramatic 96th-minute penalty rescued a priceless point against Dundee.

County looked to be heading for a damaging eighth successive Premiership defeat until Hale's stoppage time spot kick kept alive their hopes of avoiding the relegation playoff spot.

The Staggies remain in 11th but just two points behind Dundee heading into the final weekend when County host Motherwell and Dundee head for relegated St Johnstone.

Hale shrugged off a glaring miss in the second half to confidently dispatch the most pressurised of penalty kicks.

"It's one of them where someone's got to step up and do it, and I know that I can do it, so I wanted to be that man for the team," Hale told BBC Scotland.

"I had a good chance in the first half and in the second a massive chance, so I wanted to be that man for the redemption, and thankfully I put it away.

"It's massive for the club. It gives us that fighting chance. We've been on that seven-game losing run, and it hasn't been great, but we've stuck in it.

"The 96th minute, all the boys are out on their feet, and we've come up with that one chance. It gives us a fighting chance Sunda,y and we'll focus on ourselves."

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• Dundee have lost 28 points from winning positions in the Premiership this season, more than any other team.

• Ross County have failed to win in their last 8 games in the Premiership, their last longer winless streak was from 9th December 2023 to 17th February 2024, a run of 10 games.

• Dundee have failed to win in their last 3 games in the Premiership, their last longer winless streak was from 9th January 2025 to 1st March 2025, a run of 8 games.

• Lyall Cameron has assisted 5 goals in the Premiership this season (1 in this game), no Dundee player has more.

• Ronan Hale has scored 11 goals in the Premiership this season (1 in this game), more than any other Ross County player.

Ronan Hale's dramatic 96th-minute penalty rescued a draw for Ross County against Dundee, relegated St Johnstone, and ensures both these sides go into the final weekend of the season still battling to secure their Scottish Premiership status.

What did you make of County's performance?

Share your views.

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Ross County manager Don Cowie: "It's massive, it means on Sunday, it's all to play for. When you get to the stage of the game, to somehow find an equaliser.

"I know Dundee will feel a bit aggrieved, just in the manner [it came]. It was a pretty nothing cross that goes in the box and they win the first contact and it hits their second defender on the arm.

"They'll be really disappointed, but we were probably due that little bit of luck and we'll certainly take it.

"Ronan showed a lot of bottle going up. The pressure must have been immense stepping up and he must be delighted with the way he dealt with that pressure. Incredible character that he showed stepping up.

"There was no doubt in his head that he was taking it. ( I see him every day, practise his penalties. He's so confident.

"You can see how alive he's looking. He was unfortunate in the first half with the one that deflects onto the bar. He has a good opportunity in the second half, which he doesn't take, but he just puts himself back in that position time and time again.

"To step up with that composure and with that authority, I'm delighted for him."

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Ross County's wastefulness has been central to their struggles this season – they are the lowest scorers in the Premiership – and it was evident again at Dens.

They created several promising openings. Hale was unfortunate to see his deflected strike hit the crossbar rather than the net after brilliant run from halfway that took him past several defenders.

Wright should have buried his header from the subsequent corner after being left unmarked just six yards out.

Tiffoney's goal for Dundee seemed to knock the stuffing out of County, though they really should have levelled when Hale blazed horribly wide from eight yards after being teed up by Alex Samuel.

It's to Hale's credit that he brushed that aside to hold his nerve for the most pressurised of penalty kicks.

And while County would have loved a win, they have ended their seven-match losing run in the nick of time.

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• Dundee have lost all three of their Scottish Premiership games against Ross County this season, but have never lost four in a row against the Staggies in the top flight before.

• Ross County have never beaten a single opponent four times within the same Scottish top-flight campaign before, something they will achieve over Dundee should they win here.

• Dundee have only won their final home game in one of their past nine top-flight campaigns (D4 L4), a 3-1 victory over Hibernian in 2021-22.

• Ross County have only won their final away game in one of their past six Scottish Premiership seasons (D2 L3 – including curtailed 2019-20 season), a 2-1 victory at Motherwell in 2020-21.

• Since Christmas Day, Dundee have won just one of their 10 home league games (D3 L6), and have the fewest home points in the Scottish Premiership in this time (six).

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Manager Don Cowie says Ross County must "recognise the magnitude" of Wednesday's "massive game" with Dundee as they aim to arrest an alarming run of form with a vital victory.

Saturday's defeat at St Johnstone extended 11th-placed County's losing run to seven games, meaning they are two points adrift of safety and three above 12th with two fixtures remaining.

The Highland side have survived via the relegation play-off in the past two seasons, but the threat of facing the automatic drop is real after the weekend loss in Perth.

Despite a torrid run of form, Cowie says County cannot "feel sorry for ourselves" heading into a crucial match.

"It's now about giving the group real belief going into a big game," the manager said. "They have to recognise the magnitude of the game.

"But they can't get caught up on it. We need to give players freedom and let them play with no fear. I've got real belief in them and what they're capable of doing.

"We've been in this position before, we know what's at stake and how important it is for our football club."

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Ross County manager Don Cowie has been speaking to the media prior to Wednesday's Scottish Premiership match at Dundee.

Here are the key lines:

• Cowie says the feeling is "frustration" after a seventh straight league defeat at St Johnstone on Saturday, but he adds that the team "can't dwell on it".

• Going into a "massive game" on Wednesday, the County boss says "it's about giving the group real belief" amid a terrible run.

• Cowie says the players must "recognise the magnitude of the game" but stresses he wants the team to play "without fear".

• The manager says County "know what's at stake" given they have "been in this position before".

• Cowie says the team "won't shy away" from their poor form, but Wednesday's game gives them "an opportunity to change" the course of their season.

Watch Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart discuss Ross County's mentality amid a worrying run of form. (Available to UK users only)

Watch highlights as St Johnstone keep their survival hopes alive by inflicting a seventh straight defeat on Ross County. (Available to UK users only)

We asked for your views on Ross County's 2-1 defeat against St Johnstone.

Here's what some of you said:

Kenny: All signs currently point towards automatic relegation which is unforgivable given that we were pushing for top six just before the split. The club have completely bottled it and ultimately that responsibility falls with the manager. It's sad to want a County man out, but we need a more experienced coach to get us back up next season at the first attempt.

David: Simply a continuation of disorganisation and poor play, bad management, poor team selection, poor substitutions. Continual changing of the team. I saw this coming before the split and I said I feared all teams in the bottom half. We need a miracle to survive in the top division.

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• Ross County have lost their past seven games in the Premiership, their last joint longest losing streak was from 10 August 2014 to 20 September 2014.

• Joshua McPake has assisted three goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), no St Johnstone player has more.

• Zach Ashworth received a red card - Ross County's third sending off in the Premiership this season, and their first since 19 October 2024 against St Johnstone.

• Adama Sidibeh attempted five shots, the first time he has attempted at least five shots in a match in the Premiership since facing Dundee on 1 March 2025 (five shots).

County fans, did you make the trip to McDiarmid Park on Saturday or were you following the action from home? Either way we want your views on the narrow defeat to St Johnstone. How are you feeling about your chance of Premiership survival?

Have your say on the game

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Ross County manager Don Cowie tells BBC Scotland: "We've got to be concerned, we've got to face the reality in terms of how tight things are now.

"Credit to St Johnstone, they get the victory and make things tight. Somehow, despite the run of form we've been on, with two games to go we've still got an opportunity to get out of the position we're in.

"There were little spells that we did well but ultimately it doesn't matter because we've come away with nothing.

"Today has to be a day, for us as a group, to recognise the situation we're in. There's no hiding place, I'm not going to hide, I take full responsibility for the run of results, it's not good enough but what I will do is that over the next seven days I'll be doing everything I can for this football club and that's what the players need to do.

"Today they'll be hurting, that's the time to reflect on the game but we come in on Monday and we have to be ready for Dundee.

"There's been plenty of times this season this squad has shown what they're capable of doing. In football, confidence is a big thing and I'll be making sure come Wednesday we've got a group of players that are capable of getting us what we need."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Only once before have Ross County lost seven in a row in the top flight. What a horrendous time to equal that record.

They were second best in Perth and their momentum is going in the wrong direction.

Right now, County surely would take a play-off, something they have come through in each of the past two seasons. However, they seem to be lacking something, especially goal threat.

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St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari expects to be selecting from an unchanged squad, with Zach Mitchell (hamstring), Drey Wright (ankle), Bozo Mikulic (knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) still out.

Ross County midfielder Scott Allardice remains out but does not need surgery on his knee injury.

Jack Grieves and George Robesten are doubts while Ross Laidlaw (illness), Andrew Macleod (groin), Noah Chilvers (knee) and Ryan Leak (Achilles) remain out.

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George Harmon is determined to avoid a third successive relegation play-off with Ross County.

The defender arrived in Dingwall in summer 2022 and has helped County survive after they finished second bottom in the past two years.

After six defeats on the spin, Don Cowie's occupy the play-off spot with three games left this term, but Harmon is desperate to boost their survival hopes by securing a victory at St Johnstone on Saturday that would send the Perth side down.

"Every game in the split is important and it's still in our hands at the end of the day," said Harmon.

"We'll see where St Johnstone's strengths and weaknesses are and where we can hurt them.

"It's going to be a tough game, we know that. They play some good football, but we've also seen that they can concede goals.

"There's a lot of lads in that changing room that have been here before, but I think for us now, we don't want to finish in the play-offs.

"We want to try and push up the table as much as we can. All season we've had everyone almost against us at times, especially when it comes to the away form around Christmas time and we were able to respond and get three away wins on the bounce.

"We've got more than enough quality in that changing room and we just need to make sure that we show that on Saturday."