Ross County

Nick Mheat
BBC Sport Scotland

After three seasons of swirling the Scottish Premiership plug hole, Ross County were eventually flushed down the drain on Monday following their play-off collapse.

Closing in on the half-time whistle in Dingwall, Don Cowie's men were two goals up on aggregate against second-tier Livingston.

But a second-leg capitulation, conceding four times from the 39th minute, was symptomatic of their end-of-season form.

When Cowie's side beat Kilmarnock 1-0 at home at the start of March, a third win in four games, they were just two points off the top six and seven clear of 11th.

But they have been in freefall in the 11 matches since, failing to win a single game.

"Back in February/March, I did not see this happening to County," former Premiership midfielder Michael Stewart said on BBC Sportsound.

"I thought they had enough grit and determination to see enough results through that they wouldn't have been dragged into the relegation play-off spot."

Reflecting on the woeful form that was ultimately responsible for their relegation, manager Cowie said: "I accept the last three months has not been good enough. That's where we've got to take ownership and ability.

"From where we were to where we've ended up is nowhere near good enough. I can only apologise. I'm someone from the area so it hurts more than most because I recognise the impact this will have on the community."

Despite that, the County boss still has "hunger and belief" to attempt to guide the Highland side back to the top flight and he would "love to have that opportunity".

Whether the club's board agree remains to be seen, but chairman Roy MacGregor is not shy in making brutal calls.

"Cowie is not naive enough to think questions won't be asked about him as a manager," former Scotland striker Kris Boyd said on Sky Sports.

"The form has been alarming. The squad has lost its identity. MacGregor is ruthless when he needs to be. Just because you're from [the area] doesn't mean you won't lose your job."

Meanwhile, James McFadden wants to see the club show faith in Cowie as the ex-Scotland forward believes fans could see the best of the County manager in the second tier.

"We look at David Martindale, the whole talk is about them going back up, but there's been a change of style at Livingston," he said on Sky Sports.

"Cowie has always been in a job where he's always fighting to stay in the league. Maybe we have a chance to see the best version of him going down, building the team in his image and getting a chance to grow as a manager."

Image source, SNS

We asked for your views after Ross County were relegated from the Premiership following the 4-2 second-leg defeat to Livingston in the play-off final.

Here's what some of you said:

Stephen: Got what we deserved and saw it coming weeks ago.

Martyn: Abysmal form, overreliance on loan players. Aside from Josh Nisbet, Ronan Hale and Jordan White there was a lack of fight across the team in our most important game of the season. We deserved to be relegated unfortunately. Sadly we'll need to cash in on Hale as well. If Don Cowie goes, hard to see who would want the job.

Eilidh: No less than we deserve. Our defence is shocking. It's the fact we were 2-0 up which makes it painful. It's a loss for Highland football in general.

Rick: Being 2-0 up before half an hour, then losing 4-2 at home tells you all you need to know about County. We've been circling the drain for months. Dozens of 'must-win' games prior to this loss. Nothing more than we deserve.

Sean: Hope County do not follow in footsteps of ICT. Looks like they will have to improve drastically to bounce back up but a harder league to do that. Don Cowie is just too nice, they need a manager who says what it is.

John: Time to clear out the underperforming players.

Ronny: For the best part of three months, we have been rancid. Three relegation play-offs in a row suggests there's something broken in the football side of things. This has to be the worst one yet, given we were in the hunt for the top six until the final game before the split. Hale aside, we have been so, so poor from back to front and it's finally caught up with us.

Alistair: I thoroughly disagree with Don Cowie. He most definitely is not the right man for the job. I do not have any belief in him as manager at all and it appears neither do the players. He must surely be sacked now after this. He should have gone weeks ago. There is no place for schoolboy kick and rush football at this level. BTW Livingston, well done. You thoroughly deserve to be promoted. County could not lay a glove on you.

Peter: Disappointed to lose in that way, should never have lost that. The Championships is the best place for us right now, gives a chance to win games and refresh squad and mindsets.

County fans, were you at Dingwall on Monday night or following elsewhere? Either way, we want your views.

What did you make of the performance? How do you feel about being in the Championship next season? Is Don Cowie the man to take your club forward?

Have your say

Image source, SNS

Ross County manager Don Cowie: "I'm devastated because when you're 2-0 up in the first half you should never lose the game of football and that's the real sore part of it.

"Livingston put us under an enormous amount of pressure, even in the first half, but we should never have lost the game 4-2 from that position.

"Livingston put us under a lot of pressure and a bit of vulnerability came out off the back of the run of results we've had. You could see the belief they got when they got the goal back. We never responded well enough in that period.

"It's sore right now, the boys are devastated as they should be because we should never have been in this position. From where we are to where we've ended up tonight is nowhere near good enough.

"The has been incredible, I'm someone from the area so it probably hurts me more than most because I recognise the impact it'll have on the community. The I've had has been incredible and I'm devastated we've not given the fans Premiership football next year.

"I would love to have the opportunity because I've got a lot of belief in myself. I believe I was the right person this time last year when we got through a difficult period.

"I think I was the right man three months ago when we were in a really promising position but I accept the last three months have not been good enough. What I do no is I've got a hunger and a belief that I want to be part of this football club moving forward."

Andy Campbell
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Having survived the play-off final in the previous two seasons, the question was whether County could make it a hat-trick.

The Staggies found themselves in a three-way battle with St Johnstone and Dundee in the closing weeks of the season, with Saints finishing bottom and going down automatically and Dundee securing safety on the final day by finishing 10th.

Ronan Hale's late penalty on Thursday had levelled the tie before he notched goal 18 of an impressive campaign by sliding in after Stephen Kelly's error, having set up Josh Nisbet's close-range opener. Hale continued to threaten to no avail as Livi turned the final around.

But overall goals were hard to come by for County. With 37, they were the Premiership's lowest scorers.

And now they and St Johnstone face the prospect of trying to bounce back at the first time of asking via next season's Championship.

Image source, SNS

Jordan Amissah insists Ross County are "very confident" they will retain their Scottish Premiership status by defeating Livingston in the play-off final second leg.

Ronan Hale scored a stoppage-time penalty for County to cancel out Danny Wilson's earlier opener for the Championship side at the end of the first half in Thursday's first leg.

And the Staggies shotstopper believes that equaliser ensured they "done the job" before welcoming Livi to Dingwall tonight.

"It was never going to be an easy game, but we stayed in the game, it's a tie over two legs and we've done our job," the German said.

"Ronan scores a brilliant penalty, it's never easy, these games, but we've done our job, now it's all about going back to Dingwall, on our ground and performing.

"So, [we're] very confident. We've shown in the past that we're a good team, and it's about doing that again.

"We've been a Premiership club for a reason, that's what it's about on Monday, to turn up and get the job done.

"I think over the last few games we've played very good first halves, now it's just about performing for 90 minutes and making sure we're getting the job done, the boys leaving it all out there.

"It's just about finding the moments of quality up the pitch and getting goals, and I'm sure the defence and me will do everything we can to keep the team in the tie."

Image source, SNS

Ross County should not have been awarded a stoppage-time penalty in their 14 May draw away to Dundee, the Scottish FA's key match incidents has ruled.

Ronan Hale equalised and the result meant the battle between the two sides to avoid second bottom spot and a play-off to remain in the Scottish Premiership went to the final day of the season.

Home defender Antonio Portales was penalised for a handball, but the KMI decided by a majority of four to one that VAR should have intervened to recommend to referee Walsh that he should cancel the award.

However, one member of the highlighted that they thought it was a punishable handball and the penalty award was correct.

Despite the reprieve at Dens Park, County finished second bottom and go into Monday's second leg at home to Championship runners-up Livingston with the tie level at 1-1.

We asked for your views on Ross County's 1-1 draw against Livingston in the first leg of the play-off final.

Here's what some of you said:

Pete: While County hardly set the world alight with the performance, I also didn't see much to suggest Livi will overwhelm them in the second leg either, despite being the better team on the night. It looked to me that County were struggling with touch on the plastic pitch, especially Michee Efete, and resorted to long balls before having the focal point of Jordan White on the pitch. A few tweaks for the second leg should hopefully mean we stay competitive, but taking nothing for granted!

Calum: Was a disappointing performance in all honesty. Were on the back foot but that makes snatching a draw at the death all the sweeter. Need to improve on Monday but reckon Don and the boys have what it takes.

Watch the best of Ross County's draw with Motherwell - which proved to be Michael Wimmer's final game in charge of the Steelmen - as the Highland side are consigned to the Scottish Premiership relegation play-off for the third straight season.

Available in UK only

Image source, SNS

Ross County will "take luck when it comes" says Ronan Hale after his 95th-minute penalty at Livingston provided a lifeline for Monday's Scottish Premiership play-off final second leg.

Hale blasted County level with one of the last kicks of the first leg on Thursday night, ensuring the sides are level for when they meet again in Dingwall.

"We knew it was going to be a tough place to come," the striker told BBC Scotland.

"Conceding right on half-time wasn't ideal, but we stuck in there and another 90th-minute penalty, we'll take our luck when it comes with it."

County survived Livi pressure and a stack of chances to leave West Lothian with a "positive" result.

"Sometimes we've just got to dig in there," Hale added.

"They were the home team. We came knowing they were going to be all guns blazing and they got their goal.

"They could have held on for it, but to be fair, they kept going, but it's about the boys. We dug in deeper and we've brought a positive result come Monday now."

Though County haven't won at home since 1 March, Hale is confident his side are now "on the up".

"It was a tough run of form, we lost a load in a row, but we're on the up again," he added.

"We left it too late to hit form but there's still time to get it over the line and we're looking forward to Monday night after the late goal."

It's all square in the Premiership play-off final heading into the second leg in Dingwall on Monday after Ronan Hale's last-gasp spot-kick leveller in Livingston.

Will Ross County finish the job at home?

Share your views

Watch the best of the first-leg action from the Premiership play-off final as a stoppage-time penalty earns Ross County a 1-1 draw at Livingston. (Available to UK s only)

Image source, SNS

Ross County manager Don Cowie: "One of their fans overstepped the mark by spitting on our assistant manager's [Carl Tremarco] face. No place for that.

"When it happens our staff want to protect each other because it's a disgusting thing to happen. I wanted to calm the situation down.

"Livingston have been first class, they have CCTV here so they'll identify who it was and take action."

On the first-leg action, he adds: "We certainly competed in the game. We started the game well, put them under pressure. We could've done more in the second half. We didn't test them enough.

"It's evenly poised now. What I expect is a very good Livingston to come up to Dingwall. They pushed us tonight and they'll push us all the way."

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

County's problem this season has been scoring goals.

The loss of top scorer Simon Murray - who went on to score 16 in the Premiership for Dundee - and assist king Yan Dhanda last summer was always going to be tough to overcome.

However, Don Cowie's use of three centre-backs plus two wing-backs who are defenders rather than wide players means they struggle to get into decent crossing positions.

Without the injured Noah Chilvers, they also seriously lack a creative and scoring threat from midfield, with much of the burden falling to striker Hale.

They work hard and get stuck in, but it has not proven enough as a 10-game winless run - with seven defeats - at the wrong time of the season illustrates.

And while they have the memories of surviving in Dingwall in the last two campaigns, this feels different.

One, they face a Livingston side with lots of top-flight experience, who have already beaten them this season and who last conceded more than once in a game in March.

And two, it is hard to see who is going to step up to and provide the goals they need, given they have only scored more than once in a game twice since February.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Ross County manager Don Cowie says the onus is on his top-flight side to side to "go and get the job done" against Championship Livingston in the Premiership play-off final.

Speaking before tonight's first leg in West Lothian, Cowie said: "There is no hiding place, it is not like it is a one-off game where a decision can go against you and you can feel aggrieved.

"You have got to go and earn the right to win that and we will need to be performing at a really high level in order to come out in the tie.

"I think as the Premiership club the onus is on us over two legs to go and get the job done."

Livingston, who finished second in the second tier, have won eight of their past 10 matches while County have suffered seven defeats in a nine-game winless run as their top-six hopes nosedived into a relegation battle.

"At that moment in March, when we were in a really good run of form, picking up good victories, sitting eighth in the league, I felt it was an opportunity for us to kick on and make sure that we weren't in this position," added Cowie.

"However, we are and we have to accept that because the results haven't been good enough since that time.

"But we have an opportunity to change that and turn that around and that starts on Thursday.

"You have got to recognise the challenge. Livingston have had a really good season, very consistent, and we come into it off the back of a poor run of form but what is important is that is gone now."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Captain Connor Randall says Ross County aren't listening to "any outside noise" before the "massive" Premiership play-off with Livingston.

County take a poor run of nine games without a win into Thursday night's first leg in West Lothian, while second-tier runners-up Livingston lost just two of their 18 home games in the Championship.

Randall said: "It is a massive game with a lot at stake so it is thriving under that pressure and making sure we go and give a good of ourselves.

"We are just concentrating on ourselves and making sure we prepare correctly for what we know is going to be a very tough test.

"That is all we can do, we focus on that and don't listen to any outside noise. It is knuckling down and making sure we are ready to go on Thursday."

County have already suffered against Livingston this season, being knocked out of the Scottish Cup by David Martindale's team in January.

This is the third year in a row the Dingwall side have had to navigate the Premiership play-off, overcoming Partick Thistle and Raith Rovers in the past two seasons to preserve their top-flight status.

Defender Randall, who featured in those games, believes the experience can be beneficial to an extent.

"The occasion is similar, what is at stake is the same, so I think bits you can probably take from the past that can help," he said.

"But it is against different opposition so it is concentrating on what is in front of us, the challenge we know is going to be there.

"It is two cup finals so you have to look at that in isolation now. These are the two games that can keep this club in the league, so we have to make sure we go out and get back to our best."