Ross County

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Why should Scottish football fans care about Czech side Viktoria Plzen drawing with Italian heavyweights Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League?

The result on Thursday night has serious consequences for the Premiership, with the Czech Republic now having leapfrogged Scotland in the coefficient standings.

Not only will the winners of the top flight no longer gain automatic qualification to the Champions League from 2025/26, but there's also a knock on effect for those finishing further down the table.

Here's everything you need to know.

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Following on from last weekend's defeat at Kilmarnock, Ross County welcome Rangers to Dingwall.

But who should start for Don Cowie on Sunday?

Pick your preferred starting XI here.

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• Ross County have lost 11 of their 13 home games against Rangers in all competitions, with the only times they’ve avoided defeat at home coming in November 2016 (1-1) and January 2022 (3-3).

• Rangers are unbeaten in all 24 of their previous meetings with Ross County across all competitions (W20 D4) and have never faced an opponent more often without losing in their history.

• Ross County are unbeaten in four home league games (W2 D2), their longest run since going seven without defeat from January to April 2022.

• Rangers have won 11 of their last 13 away league games (D1 L1), including each of their last four in a row.

• Rangers’ James Tavernier has scored 49 penalties in the Scottish Premiership. Since the competition was rebranded in 2013, this is 33 more than the nearest player for penalty goals (Adam Rooney, 16).

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George Harmon says he and his Ross County team-mates "owe it to the fans" and manager Don Cowie that they "give our all" to secure top-flight survival.

The Highland side, who survived via the relegation play-off last term, find themselves in 11th and are four points off St Johnstone in 10th.

"We want to make sure we keep this football club in the Premiership," left-back Harmon says. "I think if we keep [giving our all] we’ll hopefully move up the table."

County bring their pre-split schedule to an end by welcoming title-chasing Rangers on Sunday.

"Whenever you play an Old Firm team you are always going to be underdogs. We just got to stick to our game plan and stick to what we know.

“We’ve made it a tough place to come this season especially under the new gaffer. We just need to try and make sure we maintain that."

Ross County interim boss Don Cowie insists Sunday's match against Scottish Premiership title chasers Rangers is not a free hit. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip

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Ross County interim manager Don Cowie wants his side to use their strong recent home record when they face high-flying Rangers in Dingwall on Sunday.

County are unbeaten in their last four home games, but Cowie admits they will have to deliver their "best" if they are to continue that run amid their battle against the drop.

“We know we’ve got six very important games left," Cowie said. "We’ve had really good form at home and it’s about trying to build on that against a very good opposition.

“We know we are going to have to be at our best to get a positive result out of the game but we will prepare and plan as we do for every game and try and get the right outcome for our club.

“The mood is really good. It’s positive. I think the performance levels as a collective have been really consistent over the last two months."

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Ross County interim manager Don Cowie has been talking to the media before his side's Scottish Premiership clash with Rangers on Sunday.

Here are the key points from his press conference:

• Says they are "disappointed" with Saturday's result away to Kilmarnock, but insists the nature of the performance gives them "plenty to build on".

• Cowie says they "need" their fans to turn up against Rangers, and praised their recent support on the road.

• Knows his players need to deliver their best possible performance in order to take anything from the game.

• Recent performance levels have resulted in high spirits in camp. "We need to feel positive going into six very important games."

• Says the club's primary objective is to avoid the relegation play-off. "We know it’s not going to be easy but we are all prepared."

Ross Morren
Fan writer

Life on plastic wasn’t so fantastic for Ross County at the weekend as the Staggies lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Pre-match, County were hopeful they could repeat the 1-0 victory they earned back in September, which remains the club's only away win in the league this season.

The weather conditions during the match made it difficult for both sides. The high winds prevented any real quality in the final third and it felt like it was going to take a moment of magic or an individual error to open the scoring.

Unfortunately for County, it was the latter.

Kyle Vassell opened the scoring for the home side with a powerful strike at the edge of the box that went through George Wickens on its way into the back of the net.

Wickens has earned a lot of plaudits for his shot-stopping since he arrived in Dingwall, but he’ll be disappointed he didn’t prevent the opening goal on Saturday.

Over the last few weeks, Don Cowie has spoken about the need for his side to maintain their concentration levels away from home. Lapses in concentration in County’s recent visits to Easter Road and Pittodrie have resulted in conceding goals and subsequently costing them points, so the latest mistake will frustrate County's interim manager.

To make matters worse, St Johnstone’s victory over Hibernian has left County four points adrift in the play-off position.

Things don’t get much easier for the Staggies as they host Rangers in their final match before the split. County have never beaten Rangers in the club’s history, and the Glasgow side’s form since Phillipe Clement has come in has been imperious.

It would be a huge bonus if we were able to pick up any points on Sunday, and it would provide a massive boost for the run-in.

Ross Morren can be found on The County Corner, external.

On today's episode of the Scottish Football Podcast, Liam McLeod is joined by Kenny Miller and Alan Stubbs.

They discuss Sunday's Old Firm thriller and look back on an action-packed Saturday in the Scottish Premiership.

Listen to the episode in full here.

The Sportscene team assess whether Ross County's frontline can boost their chances of top-flight survival.

(Available to UK users only)

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• Kilmarnock have scored in their last 14 games in the Scottish Premiership, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of 19 games from 26 November 2017 to 14 April 2018.

• Ross County have failed to score in 16 of their 32 games, only Livingston (17) have failed to score more often in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Kyle Vassell has contributed to goals in his last three games in the Scottish Premiership (three goals, one assist).

• Ross County have failed to win in their last 44 matches when conceding the opening goal in the Scottish Premiership dating back to 26 February 2022 against St Johnstone.

• Kilmarnock have scored in their last nine Scottish Premiership home games.

• Ross County have stopped the opposition from scoring a first-half goal in 19 of their 32 games, only Hearts (23) and Celtic (25) have done this more often in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Did you make the long trip to Ayrshire to watch another defeat on the road?

Wherever you followed, we want to know how concerned you are with six games to go until Ross County's season is over... if they're to avoid the play-off.

Get in touch.

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Ross County interim manager Don Cowie tells BBC Scotland: "Disappointed to take nothing from it. The conditions were very challenging. Our biggest frustration is conceding a goal and allowing them to get three points when I didn't think there was too much in it.

"I'm a honest person, I've said to George [Wickens]... I'm sure he'll feel he could have saved [Kyle Vassell's winner].

"It was difficult, but we still caused them problems in the first half. The ball just didn't drop for us. We'd liked to have played more football, but the weather wasn't conducive to that.

"We've got six very important games left, it's about preparing right and taking as many points as we can."

Sean McGill
BBC Sport Scotland

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Don Cowie had done well to instil more belief after the Derek Adams saga with positive results, such as their late comeback draw against Hibs and their confident dismissal of high-flying Hearts.

But back-to-back defeats now leave them languishing in the dreaded play-off spot that forced them into an almighty comeback to stay in the division last season.

The whole picture, and their morale, could have been very different if not for that loss at Pittodrie last time out.

The players have spoken about their desperation to avoid that precarious scenario again. With the split on the horizon, if they can't turn things round soon a sense of Dingwall deja vu seems increasingly likely.

Don Cowie makes three changes to the Ross County side that suffered a demoralising defeat at Aberdeen last time out.

Strikers Eamonn Brophy and Jordan White come in, alongside midfielder Eli King, with Victor Loturi, Yan Dhanda and Josh Sims dropping out.

• Follow our live coverage

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Kilmarnock: Dennis, Mayo, Wright, Findlay, Deas, Armstrong, Donnelly, Polworth, Kennedy, Watkins, Vassell.

Substitutes: O'Hara, Ndaba, McKenzie, Balagizi, Watson, Cameron, Stewart, Mackay-Steven, Van Veen.

Ross County: Wickens, Efete, Baldwin, Ayina, Leak, Reid, Randall, King, Murray, White, Brophy.

Substitutes: Laidlaw, Borthwick-Jackson, Brown, Dhanda, Sims, Sheaf, Loturi, Harmon, Khela.

Kilmarnock’s Fraser Murray should be back in contention after missing two games with a hamstring problem. Kyle Magennis (hamstring) and Kevin van Veen (back) are doubts, Brad Lyons is back training after recovering from a knee operation while captain Kyle Vassell and Greg Stewart will have groin issues managed.

Ross County welcome back Ross Laidlaw after illness and Eli King following a minor knock. Dylan Smith is back in training after an ankle problem but Ross Callachan (knee), Will Nightingale (hamstring) and Scott Allardice (knee) are still out.

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Connor Randall is desperate to avoid going through the relegation play-off again as his Ross County side look to beat the drop.

Don Cowie's men are 10 points clear of bottom club Livingston, but sit in 11th - just one point behind St Johnstone.

County required a sensational comeback to stun Partick Thistle and avoid a place in the Chanpionship at the end of last term.

“We couldn’t have been any closer to going down last year so obviously for the lads that were involved, we’ve shown we can come out of that, and we also know how much we don’t want to be in that position again,” Randall said.

“Everyone who was here last year knows we don’t want to be going through that again so we’ll be doing everything we can to keep ourselves above that position so hopefully we can put in the performances that take us where we want to be.”

The Highland side travel to fourth-placed Kilmarnock on Saturday as one of few teams to escape Rugby Park with three points this season.

“They’re a well-organised side who have got some players who can cause any team issues and it’s a tough place to go, their pitch is not the easiest to play on," Randall added.

“But we believe that if we perform to our best level, we can take all three points. We’ve been there already this season and won, so we know we can do that as a group. We’ll be looking to do it again on Saturday.”

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• Since promotion back to the Scottish Premiership ahead of the beginning of last season, Kilmarnock have lost three of their six league games against Ross County (W2 D1), only losing more times to Rangers (five) and Celtic (four) in that period.

• Ross County won their previous away trip to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership earlier this season 1-0, ending a run of seven such games without a win at Rugby Park. The Staggies haven’t won two away games against Killie in a league campaign since doing so in 2015-16 under Jim McIntyre.

• Kilmarnock have lost just three of their 16 home league games this season, winning nine times (D4). They could win 10+ matches at Rugby Park in a single Scottish Premiership campaign for the first time since 2018-19 (12).

• Ross County are winless in 14 away league games (D5 L9), losing their last five in a row. It’s their longest winless run on the road in their top-flight history, while only in December 2020 have they ever lost six away top-flight matches in succession.

• Marley Watkins has scored in each of his last three league games; the last player to score in four consecutive Scottish Premiership appearances for Kilmarnock was Kris Boyd in March 2018.