Watch the best of Ross County's 2-1 first-leg win over Raith Rovers

Sean McGill
BBC Sport Scotland

Ross County forged a first-leg advantage in the Scottish Premiership play-off final as they outmuscled Raith Rovers at a sodden Stark’s Park.

Rovers' resistance was broken in the second period when VAR spotted a handball from centre-half Euan Murray, allowing Yan Dhanda to crack his spot-kick in off the post for a deserved lead.

The Championship runners-up have become renowned for their comeback capabilities. But it was County – in a second successive play-off after finishing 11th in the top flight two years running – who struck again.

A towering header from captain Jack Baldwin saw Don Cowie’s side begin to assert their authority, though Rovers’ never-say-die attitude would rear its head again.

Shaun Byrne’s defence-splitting pass unlocked the previously untroubled County, with Sam Stanton finishing off to add some edge to Sunday’s second leg in Dingwall.

County could have felt sorry for themselves in the Kirkcaldy rain after being dragged into the dreaded play-off position on the final day of the regular season.

Instead, they came to play. Knocking the ball around with confidence, they looked to impose themselves on their second-tier opposition – but failed to truly test Kevin Dabrowski in the first half.

The free-flowing play that has characterised a special season for Rovers suddenly sparked in a sweeping move that ended with Aidan Connolly curling inches past the post.

It was the football Stark’s Park was used to. But video referee-assisted football, Stark’s Park is not used to.

There was still a sense of inevitability about the outcome when John Beaton trotted over to the monitor.

And when Dhanda stepped up, having scored from the spot on Sunday and ignited County’s incredible play-off comeback a year ago, the same sense of inevitability was rife in Fife.

Heads bowed further when Baldwin bullied his way to goal as the Premiership outfit imposed themselves after Dabrowski had fabulously denied Eli King.

County, however, know better than most that a sizeable play-off lead is not unsurmountable. They trailed Partick Thistle by three with 20 minutes to go in the second leg last year before roaring back.

Rovers did not fancy leaving it quite so late to get a foothold back in the game, halving the deficit in a blink of an eye when Stanton prodded home.

Josh Mullin and Dylan Corr passed up big chances to complete the comeback on the night as County left with a sense of relief to have their lead intact ahead of a nervy second leg.

Player of the match - Yan Dhanda (Ross County)

SNS

He may have been caught napping for the Rovers goal, but the Hearts-bound midfielder was still head and shoulders above most players on the park for the majority of the evening

Same old stories - analysis

Twelve months ago, County travelled home from the first leg against Championship opposition in a state of shellshock. This time round, they leave with mixed emotions.

Cowie’s side will be happy to have escaped with their lead after some scares, but they’ll know they could well have been out of sight.

Their physicality was off the charts as they showed up with a swagger and confidence incongruous with a side that has spent the campaign battling at the bottom end of the table.

Once again, it was County’s defensive issues that let them down. Their last clean sheet came on 5 December in a 3-0 win over Motherwell – a long time to go without a shutout.

Rovers sensed those fragilities at the back and kept chipping away despite a lacklustre performance from Ian Murray’s men.

The manager was effusive with praise for the squad he has built in a rapid turnaround of the club’s fortunes.

Fresh legs provided added quality and impetus just when Rovers threatened to flag. Their staying power paid dividends again.

How fitting it would be if it was one final comeback that earned the side that have been stunning teams all season a place in the Premiership.

What they said

Late goal gives Rovers 'belief' for second leg - Murray

Raith Rovers manager Ian Murray: "It's given us a lift going into the second leg, 2-0 would have been very difficult.

"The players showed a lot of character because it would have been easy for us to go into our shell. We know what we need to do, we have to win the game and we believe we can do that.

"If someone said at the start of the season it's going to come down to 90 minutes of football in Dingwall, if you win you go to the Premiership, we would have taken it."

Ross County interim manager Don Cowie: "Momentum can change really quickly. It swings. I'm really disappointed they get a goal, 2-0 looked a really good score for us.

"All of a sudden the crowd gets up because we give them the opportunity to get back into the game.

"You're never safe, we need to learn from it. Moving forward as a club, we need more clean sheets."

Cowie delight tempered by late concession

What's next?

The sides do it all again on Sunday as Rovers travel to Dingwall for the second leg (12:00 BST), with live radio commentary and online coverage from BBC Sport Scotland.

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