The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
We’re up for fight to the finish: Laidlaw
Goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw insists Ross County must take care of their own business to secure the club’s Premiership status in their last two games of the season.
A cruel 99th-minute Kevin van Veen penalty saw the well-drilled Staggies beaten 1-0 at Motherwell on Saturday, when a draw would have taken them into 10th position above Kilmarnock on goal difference.
However, being denied a point due to a handball call via a VAR check at the death was a sore one to take, with County not helped by a late red card for on-loan Bristol City forward Owura Edwards.
On Wednesday, in their last home game of the season, they tackle St Johnstone, who secured their place in the top flight on Saturday by winning 1-0 at Killie.
Rugby Park is the venue where County will conclude their campaign on Sunday. County are still 11th, in the relegation playoff spot, two points above basement side Dundee United, and Laidlaw, who pulled off a string of saves at Fir Park at the weekend, stressed they will battle to the bitter end to ensure their top flight survival.
He said: “It is still in our hands and Dundee United and Kilmarnock play each other on Wednesday, so we will see what happens there, but we need to take care of our own business.
“We need to try and get three points at home. Hopefully we will get a good crowd and get three points.
“St Johnstone are safe now after beating Kilmarnock on Saturday, so hopefully we can get the win we need.
“You could see on Saturday that everyone is still fighting for the team and doing everything we can to keep Ross County in the Premiership.
“We have two big games coming up and we need to get the points to stay up.”
Two years ago, under John Hughes, County dug deep in the closing games to escape the threat of relegation, finishing 10th in the end.
The experience of beating the drop by a whisker can be used by those, including Laidlaw, who have been through it and survived.
The 30-year-old, who has nine clean sheets this season, said: “Myself, Keith Watson and Alex Iacovitti have been through this before.
“The manager helps as well. He keeps calm, he’s not raging after the games, and he’s really composed.
“Going into Wednesday, it’s not about shouting and raging, it’s about focusing on St Johnstone and recovering as best we can. We have a few injuries and the sending off, so we’re down to the bare bones, but hopefully we can grind it out.”
And the Staggies’ number one insists the penalty decision, which home hitman Van Veen tucked away, was a hard one to take.
He added: “I saw the ball ricochet off both their hands, but I couldn’t tell whose it hit first.
“Our player, Keith Watson, just tried to get tight on Jon Obika and he’s not even looking at the ball and it’s just bounced off his arm. There’s no intention to handball it.
“The referee looked at it and deemed it a penalty. We just need to lick our wounds and get on with it.
“We need to dust ourselves down for another big game on Wednesday night.”
Alast-gasp penalty from Kevin van Veen earned Motherwell a 1-0 win against Ross County to keep the Staggies in 11th spot.
They remain two points ahead of Dundee United and one behind Kilmarnock with two Premiership games to go, so the heat is still on Malky Mackay’s Highlanders.
For Van Veen, his ninth successive league goal makes it a stand-alone club record in top-flight football. He’s the first player since Celtic’s Mark Viduka in 2000 to achieve such a scorching run.
There was a return to the starting 11 for County captain Watson and onloan Hibs playmaker Nohan Kenneh. Josh Sims dropped to the bench, with David Cancola missing out altogether due to illness. There was just one change from ex-Staggies manager Stuart Kettlewell as he pitched former County midfielder Harry Paton into starting action, replacing Callum Slattery.
An early Paul McGinn pile-driver stung the palms of visiting goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw, but County were not rattled by that and enjoyed some time on the ball and tested their opponents on either flank.
Laidlaw was called into action again on 16 minutes after Blair Spittal played in Van Veen, but the County number one blocked the striker’s shot with his feet.
Follow-up appeals for a spot-kick when the big forward went down under a challenge from Connor Randall didn’t lead to anything.
Randall then made a perfectly timed interception to nick the ball off Van Veen in the next attack, winning the Dingwall team a corner.
Laidlaw continued to earn his money when he dived smartly to hold a low McGinn effort then saved from a Dan Casey effort as the North Lanarkshire side continued to ask questions.
County then sparked back into life on the attacking front when a swift move ended with Alex Samuel’s low deflected shot going out for a corner.
It looked like County were going to be given the chance to take the lead just after the break when Randall seemed to be taken down by defender Calum Butcher.
A penalty was initially granted, before a VAR check involving an agonising wait ended in a decision of no foul and no penalty, as Butcher was judged to have made slight contact with the ball.
Sean Goss flashed a shot wide of target with 15 minutes to go before Van Veen fired one over the top as Motherwell probed once more.
Owura Edwards made a contribution of the wrong kind when, not long after coming on as a sub, he was given his marching orders for collecting two swift bookings. This was the 22-year-old Bristol City loanee’s third red card of the season.
The telling moment, however, came deep within 12 minutes of stoppage time when a VAR check led to a spot-kick for a handball against Keith Watson.
Up stepped Van Veen in the 100th minute and he guided the ball into the net
to seal the win for Well and make it nine successive league matches with a goal.
County are back at the Global Energy Stadium on Wednesday for the visit of St Johnstone, while Motherwell will seal seventh position if they win at Livingston.
Video assistant referee technology, and the officials operating it, continues to play a central role in its first season in Scottish football.
It causes confusion all round, with fans as perplexed as players and managers with what is going on.
The opinion seems to be it gets it more often right than wrong, but on a day like this, the margins are fine and stakes are high.
The outcomes were agonising for Mackay and County.
With every point so vital now, County remain two points above rock-bottom Dundee United in the Premiership.
As they try to also catch Killie over the next week, they have the best goal difference of the battling trio. That might be crucial, depending on how they fare against the Perth Saints and Killie.
Ross County don’t have
the biggest backing in the league in terms of numbers, but the 190 at Fir Park were making themselves heard from right before the game and throughout it
With St Johnstone at home and Kilmarnock away rounding off this season, and work still to be done, that vocal support will be greatly appreciated by players and management alike.