Yan Dhanda helped Ross County enhance their hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premiership because the Staggies eked out a 2-1 play-off closing first-leg lead over Championship promotion hopefuls Raith Rovers at rain-soaked Stark’s Park.
After a uninteresting first half, County seized command with a 53rd-minute penalty from Dhanda following a handball by Euan Murray earlier than captain Jack Baldwin made it 2-0 with a 71st-minute header from a nook hoisted in by Dhanda.
However Rovers gave themselves some hope of salvaging the tie within the return leg in Dingwall on Sunday after they pulled one again via Sam Stanton with eight minutes remaining.
The Kirkcaldy outfit need to return to the highest flight for the primary time since 1997 whereas the Staggies, who beat Partick Thistle in final season’s play-off closing, hoped to increase their five-year keep within the Premiership.
How Ross County edged win
Raith boss Ian Murray made one enforced change to the aspect that began final Friday’s semi-final second leg in opposition to Partick as on-loan County midfielder Kyle Turner – ineligible to face his guardian membership – was changed by Jack Hamilton.
County supervisor Don Cowie despatched out the identical XI that began Sunday’s 2-2 draw at dwelling to 10-man Aberdeen, a end result that in the end paved the way in which for St Johnstone to leapfrog them into tenth place within the cinch Premiership and ship them into this play-off.
The guests began aggressively, pushing their hosts onto the again foot early on, though they needed to wait till the 18th minute for his or her first notable alternative when Simon Murray headed a Dhanda free-kick large of the far put up.
The house aspect then got here into the sport for a spell, and Euan Murray acquired on the top of an Aidan Connolly cross however failed to seek out the goal along with his header from 12 yards.
Each side have been struggling to make the opposition goalkeeper work however County threatened two minutes earlier than the break when Will Nightingale’s strike was deflected for a nook, from which Baldwin waltzed previous three Rovers gamers within the field earlier than seeing his drive blocked on the close to put up by keeper Kevin Dąbrowski.
Having didn’t pose too many issues for his or her top-flight guests earlier than the break, Raith went desperately near an opener 4 minutes into the second interval when Lewis Vaughan despatched Connolly down the correct and the winger reduce inside and curled a dipping shot simply past the far put up.
Ross County’s Yan Dhanda scores from the penalty spot
There was deflation for the hosts only a minute later, nonetheless, when County have been awarded a penalty after a VAR examine deduced that Murray had caught out his arm within the field to dam Eli King’s shot from 25 yards out. Dhanda’s powerfully-struck spot-kick discovered the online however solely after crashing off the within of Dabrowski’s left-hand put up.
Raith went near an equaliser on the hour mark when Connolly’s low strike from the sting of the field was deflected behind by Ryan Leak, though it did look like going simply large in any case.
Dabrowski made a high quality save with 20 minutes remaining when he acquired all the way down to his left to tip behind a curling effort from King. However the goalkeeper was helpless seconds later when the ensuing nook, taken by Dhanda, was headed down into the online by Baldwin from simply outdoors the six-yard field.
Ross County’s Jack Baldwin celebrates with Jordan White, Will Nightingale and Connor Randall after scoring to make it 2-0
Simply because it regarded just like the tie was slipping away from them, although, Rovers grabbed a lifeline within the 82nd minute when Vaughan slid Ross Matthews in down the correct and the full-back’s cut-back was emphatically despatched into the online by Stanton from eight yards out.
The hosts pressed for an equaliser within the closing phases, however they may require a victory in Dingwall on Sunday if they’re to have any probability of ending their 27-year await a Premiership return.
What the managers stated…
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Don Cowie says he is delighted along with his group following their 2-1 win
Ross County boss Don Cowie: “I thought the performance deserved a lead.
“I am disenchanted we did not get the clear sheet as a result of I assumed at 2-0 we began to look actually comfy.
“That’s the only real frustration, apart from that I’m really proud of the group.”
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Ian Murray says Raith Rovers are nonetheless within the tie following their 2-1 loss
Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray: “I thought Ross County started well, it’s difficult playing against a team that are at a higher level.
“We have been only a bit sloppy at instances, a bit rushed with the ball. A few tweaks helped us and for a lot of the second half other than 10 minutes I assumed we have been the higher aspect.
“The late goal gives us a chance. We know it will be difficult but we know what we have to do which is good.”
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