Ross County

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Don Cowie is determined to improve on Ross County's cup record as they look to avoid an upset against Spartans on Saturday.

The Staggies haven't made it beyond the quarter-final of a major knockout competition since lifting the League Cup in 2016 when Alex Schalk struck an iconic last-minute winner against Hibs at Hampden.

As County prepare to visit fourth-tier Spartans in the Premier Sports Cup last 16, manager Cowie said: "We want to do better in the cups. That goal is to get to Hampden.

"By winning on Saturday, that gives us a taste of what we can expect in the next round.

"Spartans are at this stage of the competition for a reason. They topped their group, so they’ve obviously done things really well.

"As we always do, we’ll dissect the opposition and analyse them to see how we can hurt them in a really important game for our football club."

Reminiscent of cup hero Schalk, new striker Ronan Hale has already endeared himself to the Dingwall faithful following his late equaliser last weekend against Dundee United.

"Ronan’s came in and he’s been a breath of fresh air," Cowie said.

"He’s really taken to the football club and embraced the new challenge. I thought he was really lively on Saturday and his performance merited a goal.

"We had to wait out a bit longer than we would have liked, but I’m delighted for him with his first Premiership goal."

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Ross County boss Don Cowie has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier Sports Cup second-round meeting with League 2 Spartans.

Here are the key points:

• Cowie wants his side to improve on cup performances: "The goal is to get to Hampden."

• The Spartans fixture is "challenging" and the Edinburgh club are in the last 16 "for a reason" after topping their group.

• Cowie rejected unnecessary rotation claims and will "go with a team that gives us a chance of winning".

• He described new striker Ronan Hale as a "breath of fresh air" following his stoppage-time equaliser versus Motherwell.

• George Robeston's late introduction on Saturday was a "reward" for the 18-year-old after injury-hit start to life in Dingwall.

• Neighbours Inverness CT "mean a lot" to Cowie and their situation is "really sad to see".

Ross Morren
Fan writer

Late drama in Dingwall is starting to become a regular occurrence between Ross County and Dundee United.

County fans have fond memories of late goals against United. Look no further than Jamie Lindsay’s 94th-minute equaliser to all but win County the Championship in May 2019.

In recent seasons, three of the last five matches between the sides at the Global Energy Stadium included late second half goals which have had a huge influence on results.

In 2021-22, Jack Baldwin’s 93rd-minute equaliser earned The Staggies a point in a 1-1 draw with United in November. On the final day of the same season, it would be United’s turn to score late as Nicky Clark’s 89th-minute winner would secure the three points for the away side.

On Saturday, Ronan Hale’s 95th-minute equaliser to earn County a well-deserved point is the latest occurrence of the late drama seemingly guaranteed between the sides.

It was the perfect definition of 'a match of two halves'. The Staggies dominated the first half and will have felt aggrieved not to be ahead at half-time. After United scored three minutes into the second half, they controlled the match and looked far more likely to grab the next goal before Alex Samuel capitalised on some slack defending and put the ball on a plate for Hale to score his first Premiership goal.

Hale was a constant threat throughout the match. His energy and movement while leading the line caused the United defence all sorts of problems, while his willingness to shoot from any distance or angle is a sign of the confidence he’s playing with at the moment.

There was a lot of questions during the summer about how The Staggies would cope with the loss of Simon Murray.

Murray’s 23 goals last season grabbed a lot of the headlines, but his work-rate and fight while leading the line in Dingwall was a huge reason he won the hearts of many County fans.

It’s still very early days in Hale’s County career, but it looks like he’s well on his way to earning the same kind of love from the fans.

Ross Morren can be found at the County Corner podcast, external

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Ronan Hale has hit the ground running at Ross County since arriving from Northern Irish side Cliftonville earlier this summer.

The 25-year-old now has four goals in four games for County and never stopped against Dundee United.

He got his reward with a 95th-minute equaliser and is duly named in my Team of the Week.

Watch highlights as Ross County draw with Dundee United in the Premiership.

Listen to the full episode here.

We asked for your thoughts after Ronan Hale's 95th-minute salvaged a point for Ross County against Dundee United on Saturday.

Here's what you had to say:

Anon: A really good performance. At this level we must take our penalties and if we had we would have taken all three points. We switched off for their goal allowing them to run with the ball when we should have closed them down. Excellent substitutions prove we have the depth to do well this season. The team is building cohesion, looking good.

Anon: We need to work on getting our set-piece delivery into better areas if we are to score more goals.

Don Cowie reacts to Ronan Hale's dramatic 95th minute goal against Dundee United.

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Ross County manager Don Cowie told BBC Scotland: "When you score so late, you're obviously delighted. I felt we deserved the equaliser on our first half performance.

"We were really good first-half, didn't manage to get the goal that the play merited. But we kept going until half-time.

"Disappointed to lose such an early goal in the second half and it gave Dundee United real momentum and control in the game. We kept going and showed great character.

"You can see Ronan [Hale] is getting fitter and more used to the way we play, the intensity we work at. He's a natural finisher, more often than not he'll hit the target. He has that sniff of being in the right place at the right time.

"Two very different performances. Away from home it was a battle, but today it was a really exciting performance on the front foot, real energy. Any point is good in this league."

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

The old cliche 'a game of two halves' was certainly applicable here. Apart from the disastrous beginning - not the first time County have been caught on the ball in defence this season - they were much more composed on the ball than they were last week.

Aidan Denholm drove them on superbly from midfield, offering the energy and endeavour that Ross Callachan used to provide. Hale was sharp and incisive, and was absolutely desperate to shoot whenever he got the ball.

County's tally of 21 shots is the most they have attempted since the start of last season, but almost all of them came in the first half as they struggled to react to United's opener.

The goal came from the very last shot, and they will need to be far more clinical in future. They could have been home and hosed by half-time.

What did you make of that, County fans? Was it a deserved point, or did you maybe deserve more?

Who impressed you most? What do you make of Ronan Hale?

Let us know your thoughts here., external

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Ronan Hale. He's hit the ground running and he's running everywhere. The Irish striker was a constant pest for United's defence - pushing, shoving, and threatening to shoot from any angle possible.

He's still a bit raw and faded in the second-half after a busy first 45 minutes, but he was in the right place in the 95th minute and buried his chance for a dramatic leveller.

Aidan Denholm also impressed, running around like a Duracell bunny and linking well with Hale.

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Ross County: Laidlaw, Randall, Efete, Wright, Nightingale, Harmon, Allardice, Denholm, Grieves, Hale, Brophy.

Substitutes: Ross, Brown, Leak, Loturi, Chilvers, Samuel, White, Robesten, Reid.

Dundee United: Walton, Sevelj, Adegboyega, Gallagher, Holt, Ferry, Babunski, Sibbald, Trapanovski, Thomson, Van der Sande.

Substitutes: Richards, Graham, Moult, Odada, Middleton, Fotheringham, Cleall-Harding, Stirton, Ubochioma.

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Ross County manager Don Cowie is likely to have an unchanged squad to choose from, with Max Sheaf (thigh) and Ricki Lamie (Achilles) remaining on the sidelines.

Meshack Ubochioma could make his Dundee United debut after signing from Hungarian club Zalaegerszeg last week, as could Emmanuel Adegboyega, who signed on a season-long loan deal from Norwich City.

Ryan Strain (hamstring) faces three months out but Ross Docherty could return to full training in seven to 10 days as he works his way back from a calf strain.

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Noah Chilvers wants to get Ross County fans off their seats and impress in a new environment having made the move north from Colchester earlier this summer.

Chilvers, 23, says he will not be fazed by playing top-flight football and delivered a bold message when asked what supporters should expect from their new recruit.

"I'm an attack-minded player, I like to be creative, create chances and score goals," he said. "I want to get the fans on their feet and make things happen.

"I'm really looking forward to showing the fans what I can bring to the club.

"I just love playing football so it's obviously going to be a cool experience playing at all these big grounds in Scotland but I want to come here and be successful.

"I want to do well personally and as a team so I don't want to go into games thinking 'this is a nice big stadium', I'll be there to win and to play well."

Chilvers - who scored 24 goals in 198 appearances for Colchester - revealed he turned down opportunities from clubs in England in order to make the move to Dingwall.

"My career to date has been all in the same place at Colchester so I felt now was the time to try a new challenge," he said.

"Coming up here is something very different, it's a new league. There was interest in England, in higher leagues (than League Two), but I was really keen to explore something new.

"As soon as I spoke to the manager and heard the ambition he had for the club and how he saw me fitting in, that was what set this place apart from other places. It was really the perfect fit."

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• Ross County have won both of their last two league games against Dundee United but have never won three in a row versus the Tangerines in the top flight.

• Ross County have lost three of their last four league meetings with newly-promoted sides (D1) since a 3-0 win over Kilmarnock in January 2023. Indeed, they lost three of their four games against Dundee United in 2020-21 (W1), when the Tannadice men were last a promoted side.

• Since their return to the Scottish Premiership in 2019, Ross County have won their first home league game in three of the five seasons (D1 L1), including a 2-0 win over St Johnstone last term.

• Dundee United have only kept one clean sheet in their last 20 matches in the Scottish Premiership, a 2-0 win over Livingston in April 2023.

• Dundee United’s Jort van der Sande contested 24 aerial duels in their matchday one draw with Dundee, winning 15 of them. It's the most aerial duels won by a player in a Scottish top-flight game since Joe Wright for Kilmarnock in March 2024 (18).

Don Cowie is not ruling out further movement in his squad despite already making nine additions during his first transfer window as Ross County manager. (Press & Journal), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Ross Morren
Fan writer

Ross County kicked off their 2024-25 Premiership campaign with a 0-0 draw against Motherwell at Fir Park.

The Staggies were far from their best during the ninety minutes in Lanarkshire, but showed a lot of grit and determination to travel back up the A9 with a point.

There were moments that could have seen Don Cowie’s side take all three points back to Dingwall, though.

Ronan Hale’s free kick forced a good save from Oxborough in the Motherwell goal, while Jordan White and Will Nightingale were on the end of good deliveries into the box but failed to guide their efforts on target.

At the other end of the park, Ross Laidlaw was in fine form when called upon. He showed great reflexes to keep out Ebiye’s effort from close range in the first half, but his save from Wilson’s volley from the edge of the box was absolutely outstanding.

Laidlaw is arguably the most underrated goalkeeper in the Premiership in recent years and has showed an impressive level of consistency compared to many Scottish goalkeeper which, in the eyes of many County fans, deserves recognition by a Scotland call-up.

Laidlaw’s saves helped County keep their first Premiership clean sheet under Cowie since he was appointed back in February on an interim basis.

It was also County’s first Premiership clean sheet in 2024, with their last also coming against Motherwell in a 3-0 win back in December 2023.

Don Cowie has been very vocal about his desire to improve his side’s away form going into the new campaign. Last season, lapses of concentration and giving away cheap goals meant The Staggies only managed to pick up nine points outside of Dingwall.

A clean sheet and a point away from home against a side that County conceded thirteen goals against across four matches last season is certainly a step in the right direction.

Surprisingly, a 0-0 draw on the opening day of the season could be a good omen a successful season ahead. On the two previous occasions that County have kicked off their top flight campaign with a 0-0 draw in seasons 2012-13 and 2021-22, they ended the season in the top six.

A sign of things to come?

Ross Morren can be found at the County Corner podcast, external

Watch the best of the action from the opening-day stalemate at Fir Park. (Available to UK users only)

We asked for your views on Ross County's opening-day draw at Fir Park.

Here's what some of you said.

Les: What's not to like! We are joint top of the league.

Graham: A good performance and a well-earned point, but could have taken all three. The team look organised, are working for each other and creating chances. It was good to see players creating space and making themselves available. Allez Les Staggies.