Thistle and County in battle to beat automatic relegation
● Staggies strain every sinew in bid for Premiership survival but Murray winner for Taysiders leaves them on the brink
Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald sought comfort from the fact that avoiding relegation is still in his own team’s hands despite a 1-0 defeat at home by Motherwell that means Hamilton Accies are now effectively safe.
The bottom three Premiership sides all lost last night, meaning that Thistle remain two points ahead of last-placed Ross County ahead of the final round of fixtures on Saturday. However, with the Maryhill men 13 goals and three points worse off than Hamilton, Archibald’s side can only look down as they battle to claim a berth in the play-off final at the expense of County when they travel to Dundee on Saturday, as the Highland club visit St Johnstone. County lost 1-0 to Dundee last night, while Accies went down 2-1 to St Johnstone. Partick need only match County’s result at the weekend to finish about the Highlanders. “It’s in our hands for the play off spot and we know that,” Archibald, pictured, said. “We’ve got to recover and make sure we are ready to go.”
Ross County’s six-year Premiership stay was left hanging by a thread after Simon Murray sank an early second-half winner for Dundee.
On a night of high tension and anxiety for the Highlanders,murray’ s composure in the heat of battle proved enough for Neil Mccann’s men.
Partick Thistle’s defeat by Motherwell meant the 51stminute blow failed to extinguish County’s survival hopes but they will travel to play St Johnstone in Perth on the final day two points behind but with a superior goal difference.
It was agonising stuff for the County majority in the near4,000 Dingwall crowd, but it seemed at times the magnitude of the stakes overwhelmed the home side.
With only six wins all season in the league, it was do-or-die for County. Victory offered the only assurance of taking the relegation battle into the final week.
The Staggies, two points adrift at kickoff, opened with real intent. Within 90 seconds, Billy Mckay had the ball in the Dundee net from Michael Gardyne’s free-kick, but the offside flag was raised.
There was an initial verve from Davis Keillor-dunn, pictured, and Gardyne, teasing the Taysiders on the flanks.
Dundee, pegged back, gave away some careless fouls and, from a 12th minute Keillordunn corner, ex-hibs defender Liam Fontaine missed a glorious close-range chance, knocking the ball wide after ghosting in at the back post.
County’s desire to get at the Dens Park side involved an element of risk-taking and, after 24 minutes, with Jason Naismith caught forward, Randy Wolters was able to thrash a low shot into Scott Fox’s arms.
It was a similar story 12 minutes later as Paul Mcgowan’s pass set up Kevin Holt for a ferocious attempt from outside the box that flew low beyond the far post.
The classy figure of Dundee’s Glen Kamara, reputedly being closely watched by Celtic, Rangers and Swansea City, was effective in snuffing out home endeavours outside the penalty area.
However, County came out for the second half with all guns blazing. Jason Naismith was played wide right and powered in an inviting cross. Young Keillor-dunn, unmarked and with goal beckoning, chose to attempt a difficult back-post volley rather than connect with his head – and sent the ball over the bar.
The Highlanders were then dealt a savage blow as Murray beat substitute keeper Aaron Mccarey, on for injured Fox at the break. Wolters’ cross from the left bounced across the six-yard box and found Murray reacting sharply to direct a header past the wrong-footed Irishman.
Moments later, only a tremendous sliding block by Fontaine stopped Murray striking again. County came streaming forward almost immediately and Gardyne’s cross from the right found Keillor-dunn this time leaping to head at goal, only for keeper Elliot Parish to smother down low. News of Motherwell’s opener against Partick lifted the home crowd despite the deficit and County knew, at that stage, a victory would take themoffbottomplace. Dundee substitute Farid El Bakhtaoui went close to grabbing a second for Dundee into the final 15 minutes but blasted just wide.
County kept straining every sinew to find a way back into the game but composure deserted them on a couple of occasions. Frenchman Davide Ngog had an incredible chance to net with eight minutes left, wriggling free in the box, into space, before rippling the outside of the net from eight yards.
It might have been all over soon after as Mcgowan wound onto his left foot and struck the top of the upright from outside the area.
There was then home fury as Gardyne went down in the box under El Bakhtaoui’s attentions but was booked for allegedly diving.