FEAR WE GO AGAIN
Staggies face another play-off sweat after they fail to kill off 10-man Dons in Dingwall
ROSS COUNTY will need to go through a nail-biting play-off again to save their Premiership skins for a second season.
The Staggies will have to see off Raith over two legs if they want to extend their top-flight stay.
They had come into this final day in the driving seat but this point and St Johnstone’s win at Motherwell saw them plunge to second-bottom.
County knew a win would’ve been enough but they were against an Aberdeen team who they’d lost to on the previous four occasions.
This point was progress but it wasn’t enough. It will now come down to Thursday’s trip to Kirkcaldy and Sunday’s return in Dingwall.
The Staggies managed to stay up last season after a great escape against Partick Thistle last season. County were 3-0 down but came back in the final 20 minutes of the second leg to force extra time and win on penalties.
Interim boss Don Cowie will be hoping it will be the same end game but maybe less dramatic.
Aberdeen signed off making it nine games unbeaten in the league and finishing top of the bottom six. Job done by interim boss Peter Leven.
Kelle Roos, on his last Dons appearance, had to race off his line to block Jordan White in the opening minutes.
But County were in dreamland when they took the lead in the fifth minute.
Connor Randall played a ball into Simon Murray and there looked to be little danger until he flicked it up in the air, passed a defender and fired it across Roos with a sharp finish.
It was his 21st goal of the season and it was clear to see he’d been one of County’s main threats this season.
But it was no surprise to see Aberdeen level. Ross Laidlaw made a couple of decent stops to keep out Junior Hoilett and Leighton Clarkon before he was finally beaten.
The move was all about Connor Barron, likely to be on his farewell appearance for Aberdeen. He picked up the ball, surged into the box and chipped in a cross that allowed Ester Sokler to rise highest and head into the net in the 32nd minute.
News earlier filtered through that St Johnstone had gone ahead but then came word of the missed Motherwell penalty and the Perth men’s second goal. The Dons support taunted their hosts with chants of “County’s going down”.
County knew they had to try to dig out a win in the second period. Randall had an early chance but his effort came off the post. Seconds later Aberdeen took the lead. Sokler broke down the left and put in a low cross that McGrath forced past Laidlaw.
Leven recently heralded the Irishman as the club’s unsung hero and his 11 goals have certainly seen him make an impact in red.
Sokler then had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside. That’s been the Achilles heel of County this season – they do score goals but they concede too many.
It was a defensive lapse at the other end that got County back into it. A poor clearance then saw Angus MacDonald foul White in the box.
Referee Chris Graham showed a straight red and pointed to the spot and Yan Dhanda easily beat Roos from the spot to level.
Then County went for it. Murray
forced Roos into a save and Will Nightingale’s shot came off the bar.
Nightingale’s header hit the post in stoppage time and White fired over. But it wasn’t to be and the home crowd clapped their team off.
The Aberdeen players also took their bow in front of the Red Army, where it could well be the final farewell for Jonny Hayes, Barron and Roos. Leven too was given a welldeserved bow in front of the fans.
This season had been well below expectations for the Dons. Under Barry Robson, they’d come in as the third force and guaranteed European group-stage football.
But that proved to be a millstone around the team’s neck and although the Dons put on some big European displays, their domestic campaign failed to get going.
Chairman Dave Cormack decided Robson had to go and brought in Neil Warnock but the veteran Englishman looked out of his depth and failed to win a league game. However, Leven, asked to do a salvaging job and to hold the fort for Jimmy Thelin to come in over the summer, reignited their season.
They lost the Scottish Cup semifinal to Celtic on penalties but Leven took the Dons on an unbeaten run going into today, while also claiming the longest run in the top flight without losing a goal. Leven’s impact may have put pressure on incoming Thelin to hit the ground running.