Ross County stay up after epic play-off comeback

Yan Dhanda's penalty sparked the incredible County comeback — Yan Dhanda’s penalty sparked the incredible County comeback

Ross County completed a jaw-dropping comeback to salvage their Scottish Premiership status with a sudden-death shootout win over Partick Thistle in the play-off final.

With 20 minutes of the second leg in Dingwall left, the top-flight side were 3-0 down on aggregate and heading for the drop after Aidan Fitzpatrick bolstered Thistle’s first-leg lead.

But two goals in two minutes – a contentious Yan Dhanda penalty awarded after VAR intervention and a Simon Murray strike – reignited County’s hopes to to set up a nerve-shredding finish.

The hosts, having had a red card for captain Keith Watson downgraded to yellow amid the late bedlam, summoned a leveller in injury time with a splendid George Harmon finish.

Neither side could find a winner in an end-to-end extra half hour and two penalties apiece were missed in the shootout before Josh Sims finally settled it 5-4 to ensure a fifth successive season in the Premiership for Malky Mackay’s men.

Thistle head back to Glasgow broken-hearted and with heads full of regrets after looking set to make history as the first side to be promoted after finishing fourth in the second tier.

Kris Doolan’s men had promotion in their grasp after an opening 70 minutes that gave little hint of the chaos to come.

Thistle had survived a couple of early jitters from David Mitchell – the goalkeeper was bailed out by Kyle Turner clearing Ben Purrington’s header off the line – to take a half-time lead.

It came after the visitors seemed destined to be awarded a penalty when Nohan Kenneh challenged Ross Docherty just inside the box and Nick Walsh was invited by the VAR to take a second look.

Walsh opted to stick with his original decision, but County’s reprieve was short-lived.

Having opened the scoring in the first leg, Fitzpatrick repeated the feat as he collected Scott Tiffoney’s cutback and took a neat touch before drilling low past Ross Laidlaw.

County’s uphill task now took on mountainous proportions. Jordan White missed a sitter, taking a fresh-air swipe at Alex Samuel’s tempting cross. And Samuel turned culprit when he scampered clear after a Darren Brownlie slip, only to be thwarted by Mitchell before Aaron Muirhead completed the clearance.

At the other end, it took a remarkable goalline clearance from Connor Randall to slice a Steven Lawless volley over his own bar and prevent Thistle extending their lead.

Then, suddenly, the hosts had a lifeline. The Premiership side were awarded a penalty when VAR spotted a Brian Graham handball and Walsh agreed after reviewing the incident, with Dhanda converting from the spot. Game on.

Within a minute, County were ahead on the day as Dhanda squared for substitute Murray to tap in. The stage was set for a grandstand finish.

Still, County needed a goal to force extra time, and it came in the 91st minute when Harmon met Dhanda’s cross with a terrific strike in off a post.

There was, remarkably, still time for Sims to strike the bar with a cross-shot and Murray to blaze over with the goal gaping.

Thistle were reeling and Samuel plonked a header on to the top of the bar in extra time, but settling for penalties was not in either side’s thinking and the visitors passed up golden chances as Danny Mullen and Stuart Bannigan blazed over.

A game that had everything finally came down to a shootout dripping with more drama.

Thistle’s Kevin Holt had and County’s Jack Baldwin had their spot-kicks saved, while Bannigan hit the post for the visitors in sudden death. It meant County captain Watson had a kick to win it, only to sky it.

But Docherty was then foiled by Ross Laidlaw and Sims stepped up to settle a dizzying affair as County celebrated wildly and Thistle sank to their knees in despair.

Player of the match – Yan Dhanda

The midfielder was nerveless from the spot during regulation time and shootout and his creativity helped County turn the tide — The midfielder, left, was nerveless from the spot during regulation time and shootout and his creativity helped County turn the tide

County show survival grit as Thistle wilt – analysis

Where do you even start trying to make sense of this game? County had struggled to create much of note until they were jolted to life by a dubious penalty award.

They still had plenty left to do, though, and the never-say-die spirit of Mackay’s team is to be commended for hauling themselves back from the abyss.

It’s not the first time either. They were in huge trouble a matter a weeks ago after a 6-1 drubbing at Hearts left them four points adrift at the bottom, but have now completed the salvage mission by the skin of their teeth.

Thistle will bemoan penalty controversies at both ends, but there’s no escaping this was a capitulation. When the pressure was really on, they folded.

It’s just a second defeat in 19 games under Doolan, and positives abound after his first few months in management, but that’s of scant consolation to the club and their fans. The challenge now is to use their raw pain to fuel next season’s promotion tilt.

What they said

Ross County manager Malky Mackay told Sky Sports: “Everyone wanted Partick Thistle in the Premiership, a trip to Glasgow rather than the Highlands.

“We’re in a part of the country that is hard to recruit to, it’s a rebuild every year, but we’re still in the Premiership.”

Partick Thistle manager Kris Doolan told Sky Sports: “My players gave everything, it’s a tough one to take.

“We’ll need to dust ourselves down. It is the club I love and I’m just gutted for everyone because it was all there for us and we just couldn’t get it over the line.”