Ross County

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.

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Ross County manager Don Cowie told BBC Scotland: "It was a difficult game, every inch a first game of the season, a little erratic at times. Overall, delighted to come away with a point and a clean sheet.

"That's been the challenge going into the new season, we've not been good enough away from home, especially last year. Points are important, and clean sheets also, gives us a bit of confidence.

"The pleasing thing is we stuck together in a difficult game to make sure we got a point. Everyone put their body on the line. Can we play better? Absolutely. It's something we'll look to implement in the next couple of weeks because we've had a lot of new players come in. Some are behind schedule fitness wise.

"The way our club is, players settle in well in terms of environment, but sometimes it's about being on the grass and getting training into them."

What did you think of that one, Ross County fans? Happy with the point or do you think it should have been more?

Are you confident of a good season or do you think it might resemble the last couple?

Let us know your thoughts here., external

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

The shape of both sides - 3-5-2 - meant it was hard for either side to create much space, but it was certainly County who looked least likely to score.

The visitors struggled to get the ball down and play, looking a little timid when they got their foot on it. As a result, White and Hale up top barely had scraps to feed on.

That said, they battled well and Laidlaw kept them in the game, leaving them with the opportunity to steal all three points late on - but Will Nightingale blazed his chance over.

As usual, there has been a big turnover in the County squad over the summer. They need to gel quickly if they are to avoid another relegation-threatened season.

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Ross Laidlaw. Three saves for County's stopper but it felt like more. His saves to deny Moses Ebiye and Ewan Wilson were absolutely fantastic, particularly the latter, which ensured his side kept a point.

He is capable of games in which he looks impossible to beat, he just needs to string them together consistently so that the Staggies don't bring in another keeper in January, as they have become wont to do.

Motherwell: Oxborough; O'Donnell, Casey, Gordon, Blaney, Wilson, Zdravkovski, Halliday, Miller, Robinson, Ebiye.

Substitutes: Hegyi, Seddon, Balmer, Sparrow, Stamatelopoulos, McGinn, Callachan, Kaleta, Wells.

Ross County: Laidlaw; Brown, Leak, Wright, Nightingale, Harmon, Loturi, Randall, Grieves, Hale, White.

Substitutes: Hamilton, Chilvers, Denholm, Telfer, Efete, Samuel, Brophy, MacLeod, Reid.

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Aidan Denholm said he didn't need any convincing to join Ross County on loan, despite breaking into the Hearts first team last season.

The 20-year-old joined Don Cowie's side for the upcoming campaign after Steven Naismith admitted his first-team opportunities might be more limited this year.

"It all happened very fast, but I’m buzzing to be here," the midfielder said. "Everyone I spoke to about the club has had really good things to say.

“I spoke to Yan Dhanda, Liam Boyce and Blair Spittal and all of them were like ‘if you get a chance to go to County, go for it’. They couldn’t speak highly enough of it."

The central-midfielder made 24 appearances for Hearts last season, mainly from the bench, despite initially being released at the end of the 2022-23 season.

"I didn’t really need convincing, it was just a case of looking for games because I knew the competition back at Hearts was going to be tough.

"Don’t get me wrong, I was ready to try and get in the team at Hearts but I think there were just one too many players ahead of me. When this came about, I spoke to Don and I spoke to Naisy [Steven Naismith] and everything seemed to be right about it.

"Me and Naisy have a great relationship, he’s brutally honest with me and I’m brutally honest with him. He told me he’d like to keep me but he didn’t want to keep me and hinder my development. He knows I want to be playing as much as I can."