Sports Mole previews Saturday’s Scottish Premiership clash between Ross County and Motherwell, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Aiming to make it back-to-back wins after leaping out of the bottom two in the Scottish Premiership table last time out, Ross County will welcome Motherwell to the Global Energy Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts leapfrogged St Johnstone in the fight for survival with a victory over Hibernian last time out, while their visitors remained seven points better off by beating Livingston.
Match preview
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Ross County return to the Global Energy Stadium on Saturday aiming to give their Scottish Premiership survival hopes another major boost, having recently moved out of the bottom two with three games left to play.
In what has certainly been a tough campaign on the whole in Scotland’s top flight, the Staggies finished the first phase in the relegation playoff place in 11th spot on 30 points from 33 outings, just one adrift of automatic safety thanks to a surprise 3-2 win over Rangers in the final round of games before the division’s split.
That saw them head into the second phase with 10th-placed St Johnstone in their sights in the fight for survival, but they began the final five-match run in disappointing fashion, travelling to basement side Livingston and suffering a 2-0 defeat with Bruce Anderson and Sean Kelly on the scoresheet.
Remaining a point off 10th spot with four games remaining, the Staggies, under the temporary stewardship of Don Cowie since Derek Adams‘s February departure, most recently faced a tough test at home to Hibernian last Saturday, but they prevailed in a crucial 2-1 triumph in Dingwall, coming from behind as Simon Murray levelled the scores in the first half before Jordan White netted the decisive goal in the 88th minute.
Such a result saw Cowie’s men move ahead of St Johnstone and into 10th spot with three Premiership matches remaining, but with just a two-point lead over the relegation playoff place, their work is certainly far from over and Ross County will be desperate to extend their cushion with a second straight win on Saturday.
In their way stand a Motherwell side who will also go in search of back-to-back triumphs after making a return to winning ways of their own at the weekend.
Despite a pleasing end to the first phase of the Scottish Premiership season, picking up a 3-2 win away at Dundee between draws with St Mirren and Hibernian, Saturday’s visitors had to settle for an eighth-placed finish after 33 matches, ending four points short of sixth spot and being confined to the relegation group as a result.
Aiming to end on a high and top that lower group, the Well were unable to make a winning start to the second phase, as they travelled to Aberdeen and suffered a 1-0 defeat, but they succeeded in bouncing back last time out.
Strugglers Livingston visited Fir Park at the weekend and Stuart Kettlewell‘s side dished out a resounding 4-1 beating, going four goals ahead through Sam Nicholson and Dan Casey and a Theo Bair brace before Joel Nouble netted a consolation for their visitors 13 minutes from time.
Now sitting third in the relegation group with a seven-point advantage over their hosts and one and two-point gaps up to Aberdeen and Hibernian respectively with three games remaining, Motherwell will set out to build on last week’s triumph and make it two on the bounce to strengthen their claim for seventh spot in Scotland’s top flight.
Ross County Scottish Premiership form:
Motherwell Scottish Premiership form:
Team News
Don Cowie will likely field an unchanged Ross County starting XI from their win over Hibernian last time out, with Ross Callachan, Max Sheaf, Dylan Smith and Scott Allardice all set to remain confined to the treatment room.
Jordan White does have a claim to come in from the outset, though, after he netted their winning goal off the bench on Saturday, while Simon Murray is bound to again lead the line, having drawn them level in that contest with his 19th goal of the season.
Yan Dhanda, who is set to depart for Hearts at the end of the season, should again lend support to the front two, while Eli King and Connor Randall will partner up in the engine room in front of the back three of Will Nightingale, Jack Baldwin and Ryan Leak.
Motherwell are also impacted by several long-term injuries, with Barry Maguire, Jonathan Obika and Callum Slattery all confined to the treatment room.
The Well could also be unchanged from last weekend after a 4-1 beating of Livingston, with Theo Bair bound to again spearhead the attack having scored his 14th and 15th Premiership goals of the season in that game.
He will have support in a front three from Blair Spittal and Sam Nicholson, while 17-year-old will continue to join former Rangers and Hearts man Andy Halliday in the centre.
Ross County possible starting lineup:
Laidlaw; Nightingale, Baldwin, Leak; Efete, Randall, King, Reid; Dhanda; Murray, White
Motherwell possible starting lineup:
Kelly; Casey, McGinn, Blaney; O’Donnell, Halliday, Miller, Gent; Spittal, Bair, Nicholson
We say: Ross County 1-2 Motherwell
Both teams will head into Saturday’s game with confidence after victories last time out, but we see the visitors having more quality and getting over the line to extend their lead in the relegation group, having shown their attacking threat against Livingston last weekend.
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