Ross County

We asked for your thoughts after Ross County beat Hearts 2-1.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

Alistair: Great result, Victor Loturi continues to improve and impress, Simon Murray gives 110% as usual, such a hard working player. The County players are becoming a team, a good team well led by both Don Cowie and Jack Baldwin.

Iain: Excellent performance, everyone stepped up today. Baldwin put in one of his best performances. Cowie has got them all working together and starting to show their ability after the shambolic Derek Adams era.

Alistair: I want to apologise to the Ross County team. Before the game I would have snatched your hand off if you offered me a draw. Having been at the game, I can only say Hearts were flattered by the result. The home support came to life today too, well done all of you.

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• Ross County have beaten Hearts for the first time in the Scottish Premiership since 1 March 2017, a run of 14 games without a win.

• Jorge Grant assisted his fourth goal in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Simon Murray scored his ninth goal this season, more than any other Ross County player in the Scottish Premiership.

• Ross County have scored seven goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, only Celtic (12) and Hearts (eight) have scored more in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Alan Forrest has attempted eight shots, his highest total in a single match in the Scottish Premiership.

• Ross County have a record of W4, D2, L0 when leading at half-time in the Scottish Premiership this season.

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Ross County interim manager Don Cowie told BBC Scotland: "It's a massive three points for us. Hearts are a very good team and I said we'd have to be very good. I thought we were very good.

"I was disappointed for the group they didn't manage to get the clean sheet.

"It was more evidence of how important our captain is, Jack Baldwin. I thought he was excellent. Today you saw how important he is for us."

On double goalscorer Simon Murray, he adds: "The enthusiasm he's got the game is a bundle of energy. Sometimes his teammates don't know what he's going to do. I think that's his biggest strength, he's unpredictable."

That must have felt good, County fans.

What did you make of the win over Hearts and how are you feeling about your side's survival chances?

Give us a shout.

Sean McGill
BBC Sport Scotland

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Ross County seem to be finding their feet at just the right time, particularly in the home comforts of the Highlands. They’re unbeaten run in Dingwall now stands at four games.

All season long, they’ve had a competent collection of attacking options that really should have had them higher up the table than their lowly position.

Finally, Don Cowie seems to have found a way to get the best out of his frontline, particularly Simon Murray.

The striker was supported by a energetic and confident side who seem to have been buoyed by their own self-belief, as well as the prospect of dragging Aberdeen or St Johnstone into the dogfight.

No surprises here.

Much of the County chatter revolves around Hearts-bound Yan Dhanda, but the Simon Murray continues to be the club’s most important player in their survival mission.

Nine league goals for the campaign. 16 in all competitions. Big numbers.

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Off the back of their last draw at home to Hibs on Wednesday, Don Cowie makes three switches for Ross County.

Loick Ayina, Yan Dhanda and Jordan White come in, while Josh Sims, Brandon Khela and Eamonn Brophy drop out.

• Follow our live coverage

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Ross County: Wickens, Efete, Baldwin, Ayina, Leak, Reid, Randall, Loturi, Dhanda, Murray, White.

Substitutes: Laidlaw, Borthwick-Jackson, Brown, Sims, Sheaf, Harmon, Henderson, Khela, Brophy.

Hearts: Clark, Atkinson, Sibbick, Kingsley, Rowles, Cochrane, Denholm, Baningime, Forrest, Vargas, Shankland.

Substitutes: Gordon, Grant, Oda, Devlin, Tait, Fraser, Tagawa, McLuckie, Lembikisa.

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Despite Ross County's lowly league position, former Scotland goalkeeper Gemma Fay believes Dingwall is "never an easy place to go".

Hearts are tasked with making the trip on Saturday afternoon, but the Staggies will be buoyed by their last-gasp equaliser against the Tynecastle side's city rivals on Wednesday.

"Don [Cowie] has done well since he's take over," Fay told BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"They managed to get a point midweek against Hibs showing a battling spirit. They crafted a really good goal at the end to draw the game.

"Hearts are flying a bit, they're going well, but Ross County is never an easy place to go and pick up points.

"I think Hearts probably will have a little bit too much for Ross County, but I think it's going to be difficult for them up there.

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Ross County boss Don Cowie says his side will need to be at their "very best" to overcome high-flying Hearts on Saturday.

But having gone unbeaten in their last three outings in front of their own support, the interim manager has challenged his players to keep the run going when Steven Naismith's side travel to Dingwall.

History isn't on their side, however, with the Staggies having only beaten Hearts at home once in a top-flight game, coming all the way back in 2013.

That rare victory was overseen by Cowie's predecessor Derek Adams, with the new man in the dugout looking to close the gap to 10th-placed Aberdeen, who travel to Motherwell.

Speaking to club media, he said: “Another very difficult game [against Hearts], a team that’s doing very well, on a great run.

“We are going to have to be at our very best to get something out of the game.

“But we are at home, we are three games undefeated now at home, and it’s about building on that.

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• Ross County have won just one of their 13 home games against Hearts in the Scottish top-flight (D6 L6), a 2-1 win in September 2013; the Staggies are winless in 11 such matches since that sole victory under Derek Adams (D5 L6).

• Hearts haven’t lost any of their last 14 meetings with Ross County in the Scottish Premiership (W6 D8), their longest unbeaten run against any opponent in the top-flight this century.

• Ross County have won just one of their last 14 Scottish Premiership matches played on a Saturday (D4 L9), though that win did come in their last such home game, beating Livingston 3-2 at Victoria Park.

• Hearts have won 55 points from their 29 league games this season (W17 D4 L8), their most at this stage of a Scottish Premiership campaign since 2015-16 (56 points) when they finished third under Robbie Neilson.

• Since the beginning of last season, Lawrence Shankland has scored 44 goals in the Scottish Premiership, more than any other player; the Hearts’ captain has scored 14 goals across his last 14 league appearances.

Connor Randall believes Ross County have shown they have the heart for their Scottish Premiership survival fight. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip

Don Cowie's Ross County welcome Hearts to Dingwall on Sunday, looking for vital Premiership points in their fight against relegation.

After a 2-2 draw against Hibs on Wednesday, the Staggies will be looking for another positive result.

Pick your County XI for the game here.

Watch Sportscene analysis of Ross County's late equaliser against Hibs.

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• Hibernian are undefeated in their last five games in the Scottish Premiership, their last longer unbeaten streak was from 28 October 2023 to 3 December 2023, a run of 6 games.

• Hibernian have scored in their last six games in the Scottish Premiership, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of seven games from 31 October 2023 to 9 December 2023.

• Simon Murray has assisted four goals this season, more than any other Ross County player in the Scottish Premiership.

• Joe Newell has assisted five goals this season, no Hibernian player has more in the Scottish Premiership.

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Yan Dhanda says he sensed he would have an impact off the bench after his dramatic late goal earned Ross County a point against Hibs.

Dhanda scored from Simon Murray's cross to make it 2-2 deep into injury time in Dingwall, sparking jubilant celebrations in front of a despondent away end.

"I had a feeling that I was going to come on and score, so I was eager to come on and contribute," Dhanda said. "It's a special time to score and we're happy to pick up a point from a losing position.

"It's a team I enjoy playing against. I had a bit of stick off them when I was taking a corner, so I thought if I score I'll have to give a bit back."

Dhanda has agreed a pre-contract deal to sign for Hearts in the summer, County's next league opponent, but the 25-year-old insists his sole focus is keeping Ross County in the top flight.

"It's a massive game [on Saturday]," he said. "[Hearts are] a team that's close to my family - my uncle and grandad have had season tickets there for 20 years, but the main focus is Ross County and picking up points. We deserve to be in this league and that's my priority at the moment."

We asked for your thoughts after Yan Dhanda's late goal earned Ross County a point against Hibs.

Here's what you had to say:

Alistair: Neither team really impressed. Hibs upped their performance from the start of the second half and should have seen the game out after they went 2-1 up. It was their time wasting antics towards the end that cost them, that’s where a lot of the additional time came from.

Davie: Controversy at the end? Not at all. How Sportscene and the BBC reporter can speculate whose throw it was from their angle annoys me. Sitting in the East Stand, the ball clearly deflected of the Hibs player's head.

Anon: All season we have looked fragile when we take the lead. This was no different. Michee Efete seems strangely passive and we are missing Will Nightingale. Connor Randall made a real difference to an improved midfield and Dhanda provided much needed threat and creativity when he came on. Those two players will be very important in the run-in.