Ross County

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Ross County interim manager Don Cowie has been talking to the media before his side's Scottish Premiership clash with Rangers on Sunday.

Here are the key points from his press conference:

• Says they are "disappointed" with Saturday's result away to Kilmarnock, but insists the nature of the performance gives them "plenty to build on".

• Cowie says they "need" their fans to turn up against Rangers, and praised their recent support on the road.

• Knows his players need to deliver their best possible performance in order to take anything from the game.

• Recent performance levels have resulted in high spirits in camp. "We need to feel positive going into six very important games."

• Says the club's primary objective is to avoid the relegation play-off. "We know it’s not going to be easy but we are all prepared."

Life on plastic wasn’t so fantastic for Ross County at the weekend as the Staggies lost 1-0 to Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Pre-match, County were hopeful they could repeat the 1-0 victory they earned back in September, which remains the club's only away win in the league this season.

The weather conditions during the match made it difficult for both sides. The high winds prevented any real quality in the final third and it felt like it was going to take a moment of magic or an individual error to open the scoring.

Unfortunately for County, it was the latter.

Kyle Vassell opened the scoring for the home side with a powerful strike at the edge of the box that went through George Wickens on its way into the back of the net.

Wickens has earned a lot of plaudits for his shot-stopping since he arrived in Dingwall, but he’ll be disappointed he didn’t prevent the opening goal on Saturday.

Over the last few weeks, Don Cowie has spoken about the need for his side to maintain their concentration levels away from home. Lapses in concentration in County’s recent visits to Easter Road and Pittodrie have resulted in conceding goals and subsequently costing them points, so the latest mistake will frustrate County's interim manager.

To make matters worse, St Johnstone’s victory over Hibernian has left County four points adrift in the play-off position.

Things don’t get much easier for the Staggies as they host Rangers in their final match before the split. County have never beaten Rangers in the club’s history, and the Glasgow side’s form since Phillipe Clement has come in has been imperious.

It would be a huge bonus if we were able to pick up any points on Sunday, and it would provide a massive boost for the run-in.

Ross Morren can be found on The County Corner, external.

On today's episode of the Scottish Football Podcast, Liam McLeod is joined by Kenny Miller and Alan Stubbs.

They discuss Sunday's Old Firm thriller and look back on an action-packed Saturday in the Scottish Premiership.

Listen to the episode in full here.

The Sportscene team assess whether Ross County's frontline can boost their chances of top-flight survival.

(Available to UK users only)

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• Kilmarnock have scored in their last 14 games in the Scottish Premiership, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of 19 games from 26 November 2017 to 14 April 2018.

• Ross County have failed to score in 16 of their 32 games, only Livingston (17) have failed to score more often in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Kyle Vassell has contributed to goals in his last three games in the Scottish Premiership (three goals, one assist).

• Ross County have failed to win in their last 44 matches when conceding the opening goal in the Scottish Premiership dating back to 26 February 2022 against St Johnstone.

• Kilmarnock have scored in their last nine Scottish Premiership home games.

• Ross County have stopped the opposition from scoring a first-half goal in 19 of their 32 games, only Hearts (23) and Celtic (25) have done this more often in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Did you make the long trip to Ayrshire to watch another defeat on the road?

Wherever you followed, we want to know how concerned you are with six games to go until Ross County's season is over... if they're to avoid the play-off.

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Ross County interim manager Don Cowie tells BBC Scotland: "Disappointed to take nothing from it. The conditions were very challenging. Our biggest frustration is conceding a goal and allowing them to get three points when I didn't think there was too much in it.

"I'm a honest person, I've said to George [Wickens]... I'm sure he'll feel he could have saved [Kyle Vassell's winner].

"It was difficult, but we still caused them problems in the first half. The ball just didn't drop for us. We'd liked to have played more football, but the weather wasn't conducive to that.

"We've got six very important games left, it's about preparing right and taking as many points as we can."

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Don Cowie had done well to instil more belief after the Derek Adams saga with positive results, such as their late comeback draw against Hibs and their confident dismissal of high-flying Hearts.

But back-to-back defeats now leave them languishing in the dreaded play-off spot that forced them into an almighty comeback to stay in the division last season.

The whole picture, and their morale, could have been very different if not for that loss at Pittodrie last time out.

The players have spoken about their desperation to avoid that precarious scenario again. With the split on the horizon, if they can't turn things round soon a sense of Dingwall deja vu seems increasingly likely.

Don Cowie makes three changes to the Ross County side that suffered a demoralising defeat at Aberdeen last time out.

Strikers Eamonn Brophy and Jordan White come in, alongside midfielder Eli King, with Victor Loturi, Yan Dhanda and Josh Sims dropping out.

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Kilmarnock: Dennis, Mayo, Wright, Findlay, Deas, Armstrong, Donnelly, Polworth, Kennedy, Watkins, Vassell.

Substitutes: O'Hara, Ndaba, McKenzie, Balagizi, Watson, Cameron, Stewart, Mackay-Steven, Van Veen.

Ross County: Wickens, Efete, Baldwin, Ayina, Leak, Reid, Randall, King, Murray, White, Brophy.

Substitutes: Laidlaw, Borthwick-Jackson, Brown, Dhanda, Sims, Sheaf, Loturi, Harmon, Khela.

Kilmarnock’s Fraser Murray should be back in contention after missing two games with a hamstring problem. Kyle Magennis (hamstring) and Kevin van Veen (back) are doubts, Brad Lyons is back training after recovering from a knee operation while captain Kyle Vassell and Greg Stewart will have groin issues managed.

Ross County welcome back Ross Laidlaw after illness and Eli King following a minor knock. Dylan Smith is back in training after an ankle problem but Ross Callachan (knee), Will Nightingale (hamstring) and Scott Allardice (knee) are still out.

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Connor Randall is desperate to avoid going through the relegation play-off again as his Ross County side look to beat the drop.

Don Cowie's men are 10 points clear of bottom club Livingston, but sit in 11th - just one point behind St Johnstone.

County required a sensational comeback to stun Partick Thistle and avoid a place in the Chanpionship at the end of last term.

“We couldn’t have been any closer to going down last year so obviously for the lads that were involved, we’ve shown we can come out of that, and we also know how much we don’t want to be in that position again,” Randall said.

“Everyone who was here last year knows we don’t want to be going through that again so we’ll be doing everything we can to keep ourselves above that position so hopefully we can put in the performances that take us where we want to be.”

The Highland side travel to fourth-placed Kilmarnock on Saturday as one of few teams to escape Rugby Park with three points this season.

“They’re a well-organised side who have got some players who can cause any team issues and it’s a tough place to go, their pitch is not the easiest to play on," Randall added.

“But we believe that if we perform to our best level, we can take all three points. We’ve been there already this season and won, so we know we can do that as a group. We’ll be looking to do it again on Saturday.”

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• Since promotion back to the Scottish Premiership ahead of the beginning of last season, Kilmarnock have lost three of their six league games against Ross County (W2 D1), only losing more times to Rangers (five) and Celtic (four) in that period.

• Ross County won their previous away trip to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership earlier this season 1-0, ending a run of seven such games without a win at Rugby Park. The Staggies haven’t won two away games against Killie in a league campaign since doing so in 2015-16 under Jim McIntyre.

• Kilmarnock have lost just three of their 16 home league games this season, winning nine times (D4). They could win 10+ matches at Rugby Park in a single Scottish Premiership campaign for the first time since 2018-19 (12).

• Ross County are winless in 14 away league games (D5 L9), losing their last five in a row. It’s their longest winless run on the road in their top-flight history, while only in December 2020 have they ever lost six away top-flight matches in succession.

• Marley Watkins has scored in each of his last three league games; the last player to score in four consecutive Scottish Premiership appearances for Kilmarnock was Kris Boyd in March 2018.

Ross County are a point behind St Johnstone as they aim to climb from the relegation play-off spot, but face a tough trip to Kilmarnock.

Who would you pick to start? Tell us here.

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BBC Scotland pundit Rory Loy thinks a draw would be a good result for Ross County at Kilmarnock on Saturday, as they continue their battle against relegation.

County sit 11th in the Premiership, one point behind 10th-placed St Johnstone with two games left before the split.

Loy insists Don Cowie's side can get out of the relegation play-off spot, but only if they start turning positive performances into positive results.

"It will be a tough one for them," Loy said, speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I don't see them picking up all three points. I think the best they can hope for is a point. Kilmarnock’s home form is very strong. They've had a very, very good season.

"I think there's only so long that performances will get you by. I think at the start of the season, if your team's performing well and not picking up so many points, there's reason to be optimistic because if you keep performing well, the points will come.

"But when there's so few games left and you're in such a precarious position, it really does just come down to scrapping for points."

Loy believes Simon Murray could well be the Staggies' trump card during their run-in, as he provides more of an attacking threat than any of St Johnstone's strikers.

"Murray is in a good vein of form and he's scoring goals," Loy added.

"That's one thing that I would say about Ross County that you probably wouldn't say about St Johnstone is they're capable of scoring and that instils belief.

"Not that St Johnstone can't score a goal, but I just believe that Ross County's squad is that slightly, slightly stronger than St. Johnstone’s."

It proved to be an unhappy Easter weekend for Ross County fans as their side fell to a 2-1 defeat at Aberdeen.

County had a shaky start in the Granite City after a couple of defensive mistakes allowed Bojan Miovski’s to open the scoring.

The goal felt like a self-inflicted one as Ryan Leak’s loose pass into midfield was intercepted in the build-up, and Loik Ayina somehow failed to clear the ball off the line and instead found the roof of his own net.

The Staggies’ started to settle as the first half progressed. The box midfield started to take a grip of the game and outnumbered Aberdeen with Connor Randall and Victor Loturi providing the defensive balance to allow Yan Dhanda and Josh Sims to pick up the spaces between the home side’s defence and midfield.

A well-worked set piece routine got County back level as Sims and Dhanda combined, with the latter delivering a pin-point cross for Simon Murray to head in his tenth league goal of the season.

Murray has been vital this season and he’s been in a rich vein of form since Don Cowie’s appointment as interim manager. The striker has had eight goal contributions (four goals, four assists) in the seven matches he’s featured under Cowie.

In the second half, the game started to turn a bit scrappy as both sides tried to take control. The Staggies still created several chances but were punished for their failure to take them as Jamie McGrath scored the winning goal 12 minutes from time.

Despite the result, Cowie will take plenty of positives from his side’s performance. For large spells of the game, the Staggies had control of the match and deserved to take at least a point.

Cowie will hope to have a bit more luck on the road this weekend as County travel to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock. The home side will be full of confidence after securing their place in the top six.

Kilmarnock’s home form has been a huge factor in their success this season as they’ve only lost three of their sixteen home league matches this season.

Although that may be a fearful statistic to some, County may take encouragement from that it as they inflicted one of those defeats back in September.

Remarkably, that remains as County’s only away victory this season. Can the Staggies make it back-to-back wins at Rugby Park in the same season for the first time since 2015-16?

Ross Morren can be found on The County Corner., external

Scottish Premiership second-bottom club Ross County are showing signs they are good enough to stave off relegation, says interim boss Don Cowie. (Press and Journal - subscription), external

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