Ross County

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Ronan Hale hopes he did enough on his Northern Ireland debut to stay in the squad for the World Cup qualifying campaign but knows his club situation will be key to his chances.

The striker has two years left on his Ross County contract, but has been subject to transfer speculation since the Staggies relegation to the Championship.

He netted 18 goals in 42 games for Don Cowie's side and was handed his first Northern Ireland cap in Tuesday's 1-0 friendly win over Iceland.

The 26-year-old came close to extending his side's lead against the team who defeated Scotland 3-1 at Hampden on Friday.

Hale was denied by the crossbar, with goalscorer Isaac Price sending over his attempt at a second goal on the rebound, while the County player also fired a low drive just wide before being replaced after 68 minutes.

"The first chance, I think I hit it too well," Hale said. "Obviously if you trickle it in it might go under the keeper or whatever. Then the second one, I've just tried to take it around him and the touch isn't there.

"I would be annoyed at myself if I wasn't in for those chances. It's one that I can build on and hopefully take into the group stage."

Hale has been in both of Michael O'Neill's squads this year but has had to remain patient waiting for his chance to impress. The major question mark remaining in O'Neill's squad ahead of the qualifiers is who starts as the central striker.

"I've done what I can but then again it's all down to club level as well," the 26-year-old said. "I need to be performing every week.

"I'm just going to take it as it comes," Hale said when asked about the summer break.

"I'm a Ross County player and I'm contracted to them but things can change.

"It's just about seeing what the future holds for me and the best decision to keep me playing at the highest level I can."

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Ronan Hale made a winning debut for Northern Ireland as the Ross County striker started his side's 1-0 win over Iceland.

The 26-year-old came close to extending his side's lead against the team who defeated Scotland 3-1 at Hampden on Friday.

Hale was denied by the crossbar, with goalscorer Isaac Price sending over his attempt at a second goal on the rebound, while the County player also fired a low drive just wide before being replaced after 68 minutes.

By then, the hosts were down to 10 men after Brodie Spencer's dismissal 12 minutes into the second half.

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Defender Declan Gallagher has joined relegated Ross County following his Dundee United exit.

The 34-year-old former Scotland international spent two years at United, helping the club to promotion then making 40 appearances last season as they finished fourth in the Premiership.

Gallagher has signed a one-year deal in Dingwall as County bid to bounce back to the top flight at the first attempt following play-off defeat to Livingston.

County manager Don Cowie hailed Gallagher as a "fantastic addition" and added: "We have had a number of players depart and this marks the first step in rebuilding the squad.

"He brings a wealth of experience in the Scottish game and has recently won the Scottish Championship with Dundee United which is ultimately our aim for this season."

Ross County striker Ronan Hale does not fit the profile of forward being sought by Aberdeen despite a report linking the 26-year-old with Pittodrie along with Dundee and League One clubs Wigan Athletic, Luton Town and Port Vale. (Press & Journal), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Aberdeen and Dundee are competing with teams in England for the signature of Ross County striker Ronan Hale. (Belfast Telegraph - subscription required), external

Read all of Wednesday's Scottish Gossip

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Ross County will find it "very tough" financially following their relegation from the Scottish Premiership considering they were recently losing £20,000 per week in the top flight, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

Chief executive Steven Ferguson told BBC Scotland earlier this week that they will suffer the "financial hit" but hinted that chairman Roy MacGregor will provide funds necessary to mount a promotion challenge.

Maguire suggested the Dingwall club had done "spectacularly well" to stay in the Premiership since 2019 given they had the lowest income, generating less than £4m based on their 2023 accounts.

He said the club had been "effectively punching above its weight in terms of its finances".

County were advanced around £1.7m by people connected to the club and those loans were written off, which Maguire says is a sign of great benevolence that would only become a problem should the owners run out of funds to prop up the club or decide to change the funding model.

Maguire described County's delay in publishing their 2024 accounts as "a small red flag" and suggested that the £20,000 per week losses in their most recently published accounts made for a tough starting point when facing a reduction in revenue next season.

The biggest expense for most clubs is the wage bill and County were already paying out more in wages than they were generating in revenue - another red flag for Maguire.

They were paying £102 in wages for every £100 that came in the door, which is by far the highest in the Premiership, and much higher than the recommendation by European governing body Uefa to keep it below £70.

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James Brown and Scott Allardice have left Ross County following the end of their contracts with the club relegated from the Scottish Premiership.

Both joined the Dingwall club in summer 2023, 26-year-old defender Brown after leaving Doncaster Rovers and 27-year-old midfielder Allardice from Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Irishman Brown made 33 appearances, 23 of them starts, this season while Allardice made only seven starts and 13 off the bench.

Both said thank you to County on the club website.

Brown said: "It is a shame how things finished with the relegation, but I have no doubt the club will bounce back."

Allardice described it as "the worst possible ending" and added: "Whilst it has not gone the way I would have wanted over the last two years, I have always tried to have a good impact on and off the park.

"I hope the club gets back up at the first time of asking."

Seven players who were on loan with County have also returned to their clubs - centre-backs Will Nightingale (Wimbledon), Elijah Campbell (Everton), Kacper Lopata (Barnsley) and Jonathan Tomkinson (Norwich City), left-back Zac Ashworth (Blackpool), midfielder Nohan Kenneh (Hibernian) and forward Jack Grieves (Watford).

Meanwhile, 20-year-old defender Connall Ewan has joined League 2 club Elgin City on a two-year contract having ended the season on loan to Caley Thistle.

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

After three seasons of swirling the Scottish Premiership plug hole, Ross County were eventually flushed down the drain on Monday following their play-off collapse.

Closing in on the half-time whistle in Dingwall, Don Cowie's men were two goals up on aggregate against second-tier Livingston.

But a second-leg capitulation, conceding four times from the 39th minute, was symptomatic of their end-of-season form.

When Cowie's side beat Kilmarnock 1-0 at home at the start of March, a third win in four games, they were just two points off the top six and seven clear of 11th.

But they have been in freefall in the 11 matches since, failing to win a single game.

"Back in February/March, I did not see this happening to County," former Premiership midfielder Michael Stewart said on BBC Sportsound.

"I thought they had enough grit and determination to see enough results through that they wouldn't have been dragged into the relegation play-off spot."

Reflecting on the woeful form that was ultimately responsible for their relegation, manager Cowie said: "I accept the last three months has not been good enough. That's where we've got to take ownership and accountability.

"From where we were to where we've ended up is nowhere near good enough. I can only apologise. I'm someone from the area so it hurts more than most because I recognise the impact this will have on the community."

Despite that, the County boss still has "hunger and belief" to attempt to guide the Highland side back to the top flight and he would "love to have that opportunity".

Whether the club's board agree remains to be seen, but chairman Roy MacGregor is not shy in making brutal calls.

"Cowie is not naive enough to think questions won't be asked about him as a manager," former Scotland striker Kris Boyd said on Sky Sports.

"The form has been alarming. The squad has lost its identity. MacGregor is ruthless when he needs to be. Just because you're from [the area] doesn't mean you won't lose your job."

Meanwhile, James McFadden wants to see the club show faith in Cowie as the ex-Scotland forward believes fans could see the best of the County manager in the second tier.

"We look at David Martindale, the whole talk is about them going back up, but there's been a change of style at Livingston," he said on Sky Sports.

"Cowie has always been in a job where he's always fighting to stay in the league. Maybe we have a chance to see the best version of him going down, building the team in his image and getting a chance to grow as a manager."

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We asked for your views after Ross County were relegated from the Premiership following the 4-2 second-leg defeat to Livingston in the play-off final.

Here's what some of you said:

Stephen: Got what we deserved and saw it coming weeks ago.

Martyn: Abysmal form, overreliance on loan players. Aside from Josh Nisbet, Ronan Hale and Jordan White there was a lack of fight across the team in our most important game of the season. We deserved to be relegated unfortunately. Sadly we'll need to cash in on Hale as well. If Don Cowie goes, hard to see who would want the job.

Eilidh: No less than we deserve. Our defence is shocking. It's the fact we were 2-0 up which makes it painful. It's a loss for Highland football in general.

Rick: Being 2-0 up before half an hour, then losing 4-2 at home tells you all you need to know about County. We've been circling the drain for months. Dozens of 'must-win' games prior to this loss. Nothing more than we deserve.

Sean: Hope County do not follow in footsteps of ICT. Looks like they will have to improve drastically to bounce back up but a harder league to do that. Don Cowie is just too nice, they need a manager who says what it is.

John: Time to clear out the underperforming players.

Ronny: For the best part of three months, we have been rancid. Three relegation play-offs in a row suggests there's something broken in the football side of things. This has to be the worst one yet, given we were in the hunt for the top six until the final game before the split. Hale aside, we have been so, so poor from back to front and it's finally caught up with us.

Alistair: I thoroughly disagree with Don Cowie. He most definitely is not the right man for the job. I do not have any belief in him as manager at all and it appears neither do the players. He must surely be sacked now after this. He should have gone weeks ago. There is no place for schoolboy kick and rush football at this level. BTW Livingston, well done. You thoroughly deserve to be promoted. County could not lay a glove on you.

Peter: Disappointed to lose in that way, should never have lost that. The Championships is the best place for us right now, gives a chance to win games and refresh squad and mindsets.

County fans, were you at Dingwall on Monday night or following elsewhere? Either way, we want your views.

What did you make of the performance? How do you feel about being in the Championship next season? Is Don Cowie the man to take your club forward?

Have your say

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Ross County manager Don Cowie: "I'm devastated because when you're 2-0 up in the first half you should never lose the game of football and that's the real sore part of it.

"Livingston put us under an enormous amount of pressure, even in the first half, but we should never have lost the game 4-2 from that position.

"Livingston put us under a lot of pressure and a bit of vulnerability came out off the back of the run of results we've had. You could see the belief they got when they got the goal back. We never responded well enough in that period.

"It's sore right now, the boys are devastated as they should be because we should never have been in this position. From where we are to where we've ended up tonight is nowhere near good enough.

"The support has been incredible, I'm someone from the area so it probably hurts me more than most because I recognise the impact it'll have on the community. The support I've had has been incredible and I'm devastated we've not given the fans Premiership football next year.

"I would love to have the opportunity because I've got a lot of belief in myself. I believe I was the right person this time last year when we got through a difficult period.

"I think I was the right man three months ago when we were in a really promising position but I accept the last three months have not been good enough. What I do no is I've got a hunger and a belief that I want to be part of this football club moving forward."

Andy Campbell
BBC Sport Scotland

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Having survived the play-off final in the previous two seasons, the question was whether County could make it a hat-trick.

The Staggies found themselves in a three-way battle with St Johnstone and Dundee in the closing weeks of the season, with Saints finishing bottom and going down automatically and Dundee securing safety on the final day by finishing 10th.

Ronan Hale's late penalty on Thursday had levelled the tie before he notched goal 18 of an impressive campaign by sliding in after Stephen Kelly's error, having set up Josh Nisbet's close-range opener. Hale continued to threaten to no avail as Livi turned the final around.

But overall goals were hard to come by for County. With 37, they were the Premiership's lowest scorers.

And now they and St Johnstone face the prospect of trying to bounce back at the first time of asking via next season's Championship.

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Jordan Amissah insists Ross County are "very confident" they will retain their Scottish Premiership status by defeating Livingston in the play-off final second leg.

Ronan Hale scored a stoppage-time penalty for County to cancel out Danny Wilson's earlier opener for the Championship side at the end of the first half in Thursday's first leg.

And the Staggies shotstopper believes that equaliser ensured they "done the job" before welcoming Livi to Dingwall tonight.

"It was never going to be an easy game, but we stayed in the game, it's a tie over two legs and we've done our job," the German said.

"Ronan scores a brilliant penalty, it's never easy, these games, but we've done our job, now it's all about going back to Dingwall, on our ground and performing.

"So, [we're] very confident. We've shown in the past that we're a good team, and it's about doing that again.

"We've been a Premiership club for a reason, that's what it's about on Monday, to turn up and get the job done.

"I think over the last few games we've played very good first halves, now it's just about performing for 90 minutes and making sure we're getting the job done, the boys leaving it all out there.

"It's just about finding the moments of quality up the pitch and getting goals, and I'm sure the defence and me will do everything we can to keep the team in the tie."

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Ross County should not have been awarded a stoppage-time penalty in their 14 May draw away to Dundee, the Scottish FA's key match incidents panel has ruled.

Ronan Hale equalised and the result meant the battle between the two sides to avoid second bottom spot and a play-off to remain in the Scottish Premiership went to the final day of the season.

Home defender Antonio Portales was penalised for a handball, but the KMI panel decided by a majority of four to one that VAR should have intervened to recommend to referee Walsh that he should cancel the award.

However, one member of the panel highlighted that they thought it was a punishable handball and the penalty award was correct.

Despite the reprieve at Dens Park, County finished second bottom and go into Monday's second leg at home to Championship runners-up Livingston with the tie level at 1-1.

We asked for your views on Ross County's 1-1 draw against Livingston in the first leg of the play-off final.

Here's what some of you said:

Pete: While County hardly set the world alight with the performance, I also didn't see much to suggest Livi will overwhelm them in the second leg either, despite being the better team on the night. It looked to me that County were struggling with touch on the plastic pitch, especially Michee Efete, and resorted to long balls before having the focal point of Jordan White on the pitch. A few tweaks for the second leg should hopefully mean we stay competitive, but taking nothing for granted!

Calum: Was a disappointing performance in all honesty. Were on the back foot but that makes snatching a draw at the death all the sweeter. Need to improve on Monday but reckon Don and the boys have what it takes.

Watch the best of Ross County's draw with Motherwell - which proved to be Michael Wimmer's final game in charge of the Steelmen - as the Highland side are consigned to the Scottish Premiership relegation play-off for the third straight season.

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