Motherwell 1-1 Ross County

• Scott McDonald opens scoring for Motherwell

• Liam Boyce equalises before half-time

• County remain six points clear of Steelmen

• Motherwell second bottom, eight ahead of St Mirren

Motherwell's hopes of avoiding a relegation play-off diminished as they were held to a draw by Ross County.

The hosts began the match well and took a deserved lead when Scott McDonald poked in a low cross.

However County grew into the game and scored an excellent equaliser through Liam Boyce, who finished from 12 yards.

The result keeps the Dingwall side six points ahead of their opponents with only three matches remaining.

On a positive note for Motherwell, their point allied to St Mirren's defeat by Partick Thistle means automatic relegation is only a remote possibility.

An eight-point gap separates them, but Ian Baraclough's side's participation in the play-off looks increasingly likely.

Their hunger could not be questioned and they showed greater desire at the outset, going close through Marvin Johnson and McDonald before the Australian edged them in front.

Josh Law's cross from the right looked like evading everyone only for the striker to stretch to force the ball into the net.

But County gradually hauled themselves back into the match, Martin Woods testing George Long from distance before the equaliser arrived.

Boyce picked up possession on the left of the penalty area before engineering a bit of room to allow him to curl a vicious shot past Long.

Liam Boyce fired Ross County level after Scott McDonald's opener

The game was contested tenaciously throughout, underlining the high stakes involved, with yellow cards being dished out with regularity by referee Crawford Allan.

Both sides had chances to take all three points, with Scott Boyd and Michael Gardyne going close for County.

Motherwell, though, piled forward in greater numbers as the second half wore on, knowing the draw was of less use to them.

Stephen Pearson did his utmost to force a winning goal, twice being thwarted by last-ditch challenges from Paul Quinn and then Boyd.

Conor Grant twice tested Mark Brown from distance but Motherwell couldn't find the goal that would have given them a fighting chance of avoiding 11th place.

And, barring an unlikely sequence of results in the final three rounds of matches, they will have to battle Hibernian, Rangers or Queen of the South over two legs to retain their Scottish Premiership status.