Ross County

The season has been nothing but eventful for County.

They started with Malky Mackay in charge after he oversaw survival via the play-offs last season. By mid-November, he had gone and in came Derek Adams for a third spell in charge.

However, it was an unhappy reunion. Adams criticised the quality of the Premiership and before too long followed Mackay out the exit door via resignation in February.

Don Cowie, whose playing career was bookended by spells at County, was seemingly the last man standing and the interim manager certainly improved results, just not well enough to seal safety via league position. Two tense meetings with Raith Rovers in the Scottish Premiership play-off final await.

For Aberdeen, incoming manager Jimmy Thelin will arrive from Elfsborg next month and the Swede, like all Premiership managers, faces a big summer of recruitment to improve the club's fortunes.

Image source, SNS

Ross County winger Josh Sims says he wants to focus on securing Premiership survival with the Dingwall side before finishing talks on a new contract to stay in the Highlands. (Press and Journal, external)

Read the rest of today's Scottish gossip here.

Image source, SNS

Ross County boss Don Cowie has no fresh injuries. Max Sheaf (muscle), Dylan Smith (ankle) and Scott Allardice (knee) remain out while Ross Callachan is yet to make his comeback following a long-term knee injury.

Aberdeen’s squad is in good shape.

Image source, SNS

• Ross County have lost each of their last four league meetings with Aberdeen, and have scored just one goal in their last five against them in the Scottish Premiership (D1 L4).

• Aberdeen have only lost one of their last nine league trips to Ross County (W6 D2), going down 4-1 in January 2021.

• Ross County have lost their final league match in both of their last two seasons since beating Motherwell 2-1 to close out 2020-21.

• Aberdeen have failed to score a goal on the final matchday in any of their last three league seasons (D1 L2), also conceding nine goals in this time.

• Aberdeen, along with Celtic, are one of two sides to win all four of their Scottish Premiership matches since the division split into the top six and bottom six. The last side to win all five of their matches after the split in a season in the competition were Celtic in 2016-17, while the last side other than Celtic to do so were Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2005-06.

Ross County host Aberdeen on Sunday, knowing a win would guarantee their Premiership status next season.

Who would you pick to start if you were in Don Cowie's position?

Choose your County XI here.

Image source, SNS

Ross County winger Josh Sims wants to avoid more play-off "drama" as they prepare to finish the regular season against Aberdeen on Sunday.

Sims scored the decisive spot-kick in last season's Premiership play-off final as County beat Partick Thistle on penalties.

County looked on course to guarantee a 10th-placed finish on Wednesday, but Adama Sidibeh's late equaliser for St Johnstone ensured it would go to the final day.

However, County know a win against the Dons will secure their top-flight status for another season.

"It would have been nice to get it done [on Wednesday], but it's still in our hands so we can't dwell on it," Sims said.

"You always want it in your hands. We won't worry about the other result and just take care of ourselves. Aberdeen have been doing well, but we're good at home. Play like we did for large spells against St Johnstone, and hopefully we can get the win.

"We don't want the drama. We did it the hard way last year and we can't afford to be doing that again. Hopefully we do the job on Sunday."

St Johnstone manager Craig Levein and Ross County interim boss Don Cowie look ahead to the final-day battle to avoid the relegation play-off spot.

Image source, SNS

Don Cowie says relegation rivals St Johnstone will be looking enviously at Ross County, who have safety in their own hands.

Victory at home to Aberdeen on Sunday would guarantee survival for the Dingwall side, regardless of how the Saints get on at Motherwell.

"I'm sure St Johnstone would like to be in our position," the interim manager said.

"We've earned the right to be in this position. We know have one game left and it's up to us to go and attack that game.

"It's going to be a real challenge up against a really good team, but I've got so much belief in this group that we can get the result that we need.

"Our focus is not on what can come on the back of Sunday, it's about Aberdeen. It's about taking care of what we can control.

County have experienced an upturn in form since Cowie's arrival, but the former Staggies midfielder says discussions about his future will wait until after the weekend.

"It's not about me as an individual, it's about this football club," he said.

"We'll deal with Sunday's game and then we'll look forward after that. I've made no secret that I want to be a manager on a permanent basis.

"I feel over the last three months that feeling has strengthened in terms of what I believe I can bring to this football club. But those conversations will happen later."

Image source, SNS

Ross County interim manager Don Cowie has been speaking to the media as his side get set to take on Aberdeen knowing three points will secure Premiership survival.

Here are the key points:

• Carrying "disappointment" to have conceded late on against St Johnstone on Wednesday, prolonging their battle for survival.

• Says St Johnstone would "like to be in our position" - safety is in County's hands, with victory over Aberdeen condemning the Perth side, who trail by two points, to the relegation play-off.

• The Dons are in a "really good run of form" and shouldn't be underestimated, but Cowie has belief due to his side's strong home record.

• Fans are "buying in" to the team due to their togetherness and work ethic on the pitch.

• Cowie insists it's "not about me" and the full focus is on Sunday rather than his future. Adds he has made no secret he wants to be a manager but "those conversations will happen later".

Ross County are on course to finish above the league's bottom two places and thus be assured of another season of top-flight football.

Under interim manager Don Cowie, County are two points above St Johnstone going into Sunday's final games.

While Saints are away to Motherwell, the Dingwall side will be at home to Aberdeen - who themselves have an aim.

The Dons, seventh, are on four wins out of four since the split and will definitely finish with more points than sixth-placed Dundee and possibly also St Mirren, who are fifth.

A draw could allow St Johnstone to overtake County on goal difference but only if the Perth side win.

The future of the managerial position in Dingwall is uncertain but Cowie will be regarded as a hero if he completes County's survival mission.

Read all the Premiership picks for the final weekend

Image source, SNS

Drey Wright believes St Johnstone inflicted a "psychological blow" on Ross County that could turn the tide in the battle to avoid the relegation play-off.

Adama Sidibeh's 90th-minute header denied the Dingwall side guaranteed Premiership survival, taking the tussle to finish 10th to the final day.

And Wright hopes Ross County will struggle to recover from that late disappointment, causing them to slip up and give St Johnstone a window to pull themselves to safety.

“The table won’t say that but I think mentally, if I was to be on the receiving end of that – and seeing the look on some of their faces coming off the park – it is a massive blow," the winger said.

"In the last minute of the game, safety is snatched from them, so hopefully that plays on their minds going into Sunday.

“I can’t speak for characters in their dressing room but that is a big psychological blow, definitely, because from looking pretty comfortable because we weren’t creating many chances, now they have to go and do it all again on Sunday.

"I think it does play in our favour, definitely. We are very confident we can beat Motherwell.

“Obviously it is out of our hands but it happens in football all the time. There is no reason we can’t win and they drop points.”

Yan Dhanda aims "to keep Ross County in the league" before departing for Hearts this summer. (Scotsman - subscription), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip

Image source, SNS

Ross County must use Wednesday's disappointment in Perth "as fuel to go for it" in their league finale with in-form Aberdeen on Sunday, says Yan Dhanda.

St Johnstone's late equaliser prevented the Highlanders securing their top-flight survival and they now go into their weekend match needing a win to guarantee safety.

County hold a two-point advantage over the Perth side, who occupy the relegation play-off spot and travel to Motherwell in their final game.

"It's definitely a missed opportunity," Dhanda said of Wednesday's draw with St Johnstone. "But there's no time to dwell on it, we’ve got a big game on Sunday and it's in our hands still.

"I think obviously we have to stick together. We've got a draw where we feel like we should have won, so we use that as fuel to go for it on Sunday.

"It's a massive game against a very good side, so we have to be at it. We can't think that they're just going let us have it easy, so we have to be right at it and obviously I back us at home."

Sportscene pundits Neil McCann and Charlie Mulgrew dissect Ross County's "well-structured" defensive performance against St Johnstone that had them on course for survival until Adama Sidibeh's last-gasp equaliser. (Available to UK users only)

The fight for survival goes to the wire. After conceding a late goal, Ross County were pegged back to a draw against St Johnstone in the battle at the bottom to avoid the play-off spot.

We asked for your views after the result in Perth - here's a taste of what you had to say:

Rick: It's never easy with County, minutes away from being safe and a lapse in concentration sends us fighting for survival against a now confident Aberdeen. I can't see us getting anything on Sunday and we need Motherwell to do the business for us. We are our own worst enemy!

Ron: There was sadly every reason to fear that two of our major weaknesses this season would once again prevail - a failure to convert chances and conceding late goals. The travelling support was magnificent and a tense afternoon ahead on Sunday. Our difficulty in keeping possession and inconsistency in keeping the ball on the ground may cost us again.

Watch highlights of the 1-1 draw between St Johnstone and Ross County that takes the battle to avoid the relegation play-off place to the final day. (Available to UK users only)

Image source, SNS

Ross County interim manager Don Cowie told Sportsound: "I'm really proud of the performance. We've not managed to pick up enough points away from home but when we put in performances like we did tonight, you deserve to get something out of the game.

"I would've loved to have gotten the three points but we take the point and we move on.

"The game comes Sunday and that's really quick. We've got to turn our attention to Aberdeen straight away. I've got so much belief in this group, they've done so many good things over the last six-to-eight weeks and now it's still in our hands and it's about finishing the job.

"The performance was really good, they've got real belief. They'll be disappointed and rightly so on the back of conceding so late. That's football, that happens, it's about bouncing back.

"We're at home and, bar last week against Motherwell where we had a poor performance and result, we've been very good. Aberdeen are in really good form right now but it's a challenge that we're looking forward to."

Adama Sidibeh’s late header was enough to send the relegation play-off place battle to the final day as St Johnstone claimed a dramatic draw with Ross County at McDiarmid Park.

Yan Dhanda’s first-half solo strike looked set to secure County’s place in the Scottish Premiership and condemn the hosts to second bottom until Sidibeh planted an inch-perfect header past Ross Laidlaw in the 91st minute.

St Johnstone remain two points behind County, who welcome Aberdeen on Sunday while the Perth side visit Motherwell.

What did you make of that County fans? Did you deserve all three points? And do you think you have enough to stay up?

Let us know your thoughts here.

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

While County’s efforts may have been devoid of much art, it had plenty of soul. They looked certain of the plan, showed the steel required, and seemed pretty comfortable throughout.

One lapse of concentration has cost them though, and a visit from on-form Aberdeen will certainly worry them. They'll be hoping former County-man Blair Spittal does them a favour on Sunday.

If they do fall into the play-offs, they should have the individual quality to see them through in Murray and Dhanda.

Image source, SNS

Simon Murray. A pest all evening for the St Johnstone defence, he has been vital throughout the whole season for County.

So many defences have been able to cage him, and it'll be extremely difficult for County to keep hold of him next season.

Yan Dhanda gets a mention, too. If that is his last County goal, he's gone out in style.

Image source, SNS

• St Johnstone have won both of their last two league games against Ross County; they’ve never won three in a row against the Staggies in the top-flight before.

• After their 1-0 defeat in November, Ross County could lose back-to-back top-flight away games at St Johnstone for the very first time.

• St Johnstone are winless in eight home league games (D3 L5), losing each of their last three in a row. The Saints haven’t scored more than once in any of their last 12 home league matches (nine goals overall).

• Ross County are winless in 16 away league games (D5 L11), losing each of their last seven in a row. This is both the longest winless and losing run they have ever suffered in the Scottish top-flight.

• St Johnstone’s Craig Levein has never lost to Ross County as a manager in the Scottish Premiership, winning three and drawing three of six previous meetings.