Ross County

We asked for your views on Ross County's 2-2 draw against Hearts.

Here's what some of you said:

Ali: We stole a point from Hearts on Sunday, revenge for our game at Tynecastle earlier in the season when Lawrence Shankland equalised in the 96th minute. Full credit to our players for battling to the final whistle. I thought Connor Randall was immense. Our defence was posted missing for both goals, a good transfer window will be critical for our season.

Ron: Astonishing game in awful conditions. Hearts seemed set to deservedly go 3-0 up with a penalty then a goal chalked off by VAR. Then came the County charge. County possibly deserved the point in the end but most of the quality came from Hearts, indeed most of it was from Liam Boyce, but James Wilson looks a prospect. Great grit shown by the squad.

David: County at times frustratingly find themselves unable to hold a lead but persisted to apply pressure on Hearts until they buckled, exploiting the deteriorating, sticky Hearts penalty area. Not all teams will fold like Hearts, not all pitches will cut up in monsoon conditions but if County can keep their composure they will prevail.

Callum: Think we need to work on defending and go and be dangerous in front of goal and make things more hard for the other team, and we need to work on defending our box, apart from that, a great point.

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• Ross County have scored in their last four games in the Premiership, their joint longest scoring streak this season.

• Hearts have scored in their last three games in the Premiership, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of 3 games from 23 November 2024 to 7 December 2024.

• Jordan White has scored his fourth goal in the Premiership this season.

• James Wilson scored after just 1:19, the fastest goal for Hearts in the Premiership this season.

Watch all the action from Ross County's dramatic draw with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

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Jordan White's 99th-minute tap-in rescued a draw for Ross County as they scored two goals in two injury-time minutes against relegation-troubled Hearts.

A goal in each half from 17-year-old striker James Wilson looked like giving Hearts a valuable win as the capital club looked to bounce back from derby defeat.

However, they found a way to throw away three valuable points.

What did you make of that, County fans? Was that a deserved point?

Who impressed you? And do you think you'll be safe this season?

Let us know your thoughts, external.

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Ross County manager Don Cowie: "It was incredible. It was a really difficult game, another challenging day weather-wise. We gave Hearts the initiative early on which allowed them to play with freedom and confidence.

"We did the exact same at the start of the second-half and it was real mountain to climb and we weren't creating many opportunities.

"The boys showed great character. They kept going. We didn't have to complicate it, it was about putting it in the right areas. We did that twice in the 96th and 99th minute and we're alive to the second ball.

"Young James Wilson was outstanding, he caused us real bother throughout the whole game. Credit to him for that, but credit to my team for going right until the end when we maybe didn't deserve a point. At this stage, we don't care."

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

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It might be no surprise to see a club with the budget of Ross County down the bottom of the Premiership, but it should also come as no surprise that they're showing the grit required to survive.

They've been in this lowly position before and they know they've got another fight on their hands to stay in the league, but it's points like this that might just save them.

They were down and out in the 95th minute, seemingly. They hadn't troubled Craig Gordon's goal for a while, but they sensed weakness and after Nisbet's goal, smelled blood.

Moments like that can be relied upon to summon strength from the deepest reserves. Moments that provide timely reminders that they won't say die, they can pull something from nothing and take points off those around them.

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Ross County forward Alex Samuel is out long-term with a thigh injury and Eli Campbell's knee problem keeps the defender out.

Centre-half Ricki Lamie is back in training, but Will Nightingale is still out.

Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin is suspended, while Gerald Taylor, Calem Nieuwenhof, Stephen Kingsley and Frankie Kent are still out injured.

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• Ross County have won just three of their 30 top-flight league matches against Heart of Midlothian (D15 L12); only against Rangers (1/24) and Celtic (2/38) have they won fewer games in the top-flight.

• Hearts have lost just one of their last 16 Scottish Premiership games against Ross County (W6 L9), although that was their last such away visit, going down 2-1 in March of last season.

• Ross County failed to win their final league match in each of the previous three calendar years (D1 L2) since a 2-0 win against Hibernian in 2020.

• Excluding years in which they were relegated, Hearts are unbeaten in their final Scottish Premiership match of a calendar year since 2016 (0-1 v Aberdeen), avoiding defeat in six such games since (W3 D3).

• Hearts' Lawrence Shankland has scored six goals in his last six Scottish Premiership appearances against Ross County, although hasn't scored in his last two such games in Dingwall.

Sportscene pundits Scott Allan and Steven Naismith analyse Noah Chilvers' performance in Ross County's 3-0 win against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

Watch highlights from Ross County's 3-0 victory against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

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• Dundee have lost their past three games in the Scottish Premiership, their last joint longest losing streak was from 14 September 2024 to 5 October 2024.

• Ross County attempted 22 shots in this game, their highest total in a single match in the Premiership this season.

• Dundee have failed to score in their past three games in the Premiership, a run of 324 minutes without a goal.

• Dundee attempted 522 passes in this game, their highest total in a single match in the Premiership this season.

• Dundee have failed to score in their past three games in the Premiership, their last longer run of games without scoring a goal in the competition was a run of four games from 28 August 2021 to 25 September 2021.

• County have scored in each of their past three games in the Premiership, scoring five goals in that run.

• Ross County have scored in their past three games in the Premiership, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of four games from 14 September 2024 to 6 October 2024.

Ross County manager Don Cowie dedicated the 3-0 Boxing Day win at Dundee - the Staggies' first away win in 15 months - to County supporters. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

Former Ross County forward Billy Mckay, 36, is enjoying stepping up as assistant manager with Inverness Caledonian Thistle and is charting a path to frontline management. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

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Ross County manager Don Cowie told BBC Scotland: "I'm delighted to get a really important three points. It was an outstanding performance from start to finish, the boys implemented the game plan really well.

"Goals came at really important times for us. I'm mainly delighted for the supporters. A lot has been made of the fact we've not won away from home in a long time. The miles that they cover to support us, to win in that manner was very pleasing.

"When we get it right, we're a really good team. At times we've been a bit inconsistent, but when we put it together we can be really competitive in this league.

"Pyschologically, for the group it's huge. It's a question I get asked a lot and rightly so. It's up to us to put that to an end and we managed to do that today.

"Time will tell how important it is and how we build on it, but it's good to stop the run we were on. It's about taking belief from it. I saw some individually brilliant performances today and collectively we were really strong.

"It's a tough league we're in, there's no easy games and you earn everything you get. We earned it today. It's about doing that on a consistent basis."

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

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It has been 481 days since Ross County won away from home in the league. It was an early-season trip to Kilmarnock, with Simon Murray scoring the winner for Malky Mackay's side.

A massive 24 Premiership away games without a win. Whatever Father Christmas put in the Staggies' stockings, it certainly worked.

They started well, using player of the match Chilvers well in the hole, as he linked up with Jack Grieves and Ronan Hale up front.

In defence, they were organised and kept Dundee out well, throwing bodies in front of the ball if ever their rearguard was pierced.

Amissah had little, almost nothing, to do in goals. Instead, it was slick play up front that gave them their goals - as well as a helping hand from poor Dundee defending.

Now that monkey is off the back, they can gain confidence and look to build on their decent home form which has made Dingwall a feared place to go.

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Noah Chilvers. A goal and an assist for the Englishman, who looks to be an increasingly shrewd purchase for County in the summer.

He is tricky, shows good balance and has an eye for a pass. He also took his goal brilliantly, with a strong finish into the bottom corner.

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Dundee attacker Oluwaseun Adewumi is back in the squad while Simon Murray has recovered from the illness that restricted him to a substitute appearance at Ibrox.

Ziyad Larkeche (hamstring), Scott Fraser (groin), Joe Shaughnessy (knee) and Clark Robertson (thigh) remain out.

Ross County's Alex Samuel is out long-term with a thigh injury and Eli Campbell's knee problem keeps him out.

Ricki Lamie is back in training and could come into contention while Will Nightingale (knee) is still out.

• Dundee have won their last three home league games, scoring 3+ goals in each (11 in total). Ross County, meanwhile, are winless in their last 25 away matches in the Scottish Premiership (D9 L16), losing their last three in a row while conceding 3+ goals in each (11 total).

• Dundee's 2-0 win over Ross County in February last season ended a seven-game winless run at home to the Staggies in the Scottish Premiership (D3 L4).

• Ross County have won 50% of their top-flight meetings with Dundee (12/24) – their best ratio against any opponent in Scotland's top tier.

• Dundee's last top-flight win on Boxing Day came in 2000 (3-0 v Motherwell), with the Dark Blues losing six of seven such matches since (D1).

• Ross County have lost their last three league games on Boxing Day; their last such win, though, was over Dundee in 2015 (5-2).

Ross Morren
Fan writer

Ross County's 2-1 defeat against St Mirren on Saturday felt like an opportunity missed for the Staggies.

Michee Efete's first goal for the club less than a minute after half-time cancelled out Alex Iacovitti's opener for the visitors on his return to Dingwall.

The momentum was with Don Cowie's side following Efete's equaliser and when Scott Tanser was shown a second yellow card for the visitors after 55 minutes, it should have been the moment that handed County the initiative to go on and win.

Instead, the players failed to kick on and went back into their shells. There was no bravery or tempo in their play and when they got into forward areas, their final ball was seriously lacking quality and conviction.

In comparison, the character shown from St Mirren when they went down to 10 men was outstanding. They defended resolutely and looked dangerous on the counter, which led to Oisin Smyth's 89th-minte free-kick winner.

That late blow rounded off a really poor afternoon for the Staggies. Similar to the defeat at Hibs the week prior, a lack of character and poor decision-making in key moments ultimately cost us.

Cowie will demand a response from his side at Dens Park on Boxing Day. A first away win in the Premiership in 2024 would be an excellent late Christmas present for every County fan.

Ross Morren can be found at The County Corner, external

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Former St Mirren striker Rory Loy suggests Ross County can take confidence from how close all the bottom half sides are in the Scottish Premiership.

County, who were beaten 2-1 by St Mirren at the weekend, are second bottom and only one point ahead of St Johnstone.

But, Don Cowie's men are only two points behind Hearts above them and only three behind Killie and Hibs above that.

"If you're in that position in the league then there's got to be some concern," Loy told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"They might not say it outwardly but what will give them faith is it is so tight in there.

"You look at Hibs, they've had a good run of five games and they find themselves looking up the way and everyone's kind of positive about them.

"No disrespect to Ross County but I wouldn't have said they possess the quality and strength and depth that the likes of Hibs do.

"Most people think Hearts will get it right eventually, so you look around them and I just don't see Kilmarnock, Dundee, these types of clubs being in any bother.

"The last thing Ross County and Don Cowie will want is for it to become a two-horse shootout for 12th and 11th in terms of the league table.

"He'll believe in his squad, that they've got the strength to get away from that, but I do think that the league will really take shape come these next four or five games and I do expect Ross County to be in a relegation scrap, I've got to be honest."

Watch highlights as 10-man St Mirren win at Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

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