First team
Match Preview - Kilmarnock (H)
24/10/2024
By Peter Mackay
Ross County return to home action this weekend tasked with bouncing back from a disappointing result on the road in Perth.
Kilmarnock travel north from Ayrshire for this 3:00 PM kick-off.
Kilmarnock
Derek McInnes’ side will be heading up the A9 with a spring in their step as they head into this clash fresh off defeating Rangers 1-0.
Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle man Marley Watkins netted the only goal of the encounter in the 86th minute.
It has been well-documented that Killie struggled to balance domestic and European football at the start of the season. However, after being knocked out of the Conference League, their form has picked up rapidly.
In fact, they are unbeaten in their last five matches, with a win over Dundee coming before that huge victory over Rangers.
Kilmarnock are just two points ahead of Ross County as they sit in seventh and tenth respectively.
A win could see Ross County leapfrog Killie – taking the Staggies to a potential of ten points.
Player to Watch
Despite not being as regular of a starter as he would have hoped, former Livingston man Bruce Anderson just seems to be one of those players who always pops up with a goal against Ross County.
Marley Watkins and captain Kyle Vassell have been leading the line, but Bruce Anderson is a very talented finisher to have at the disposal of the subs bench.
He has netted twice this season, and would probably back himself to add to that during Killie’s trip north.
Ross County
After putting in some very strong performances over recent weeks, it was disappointing to see the Staggies lose some of that progress on a very difficult afternoon in Perth last weekend.
Hopefully, that level of performance was just a blip – and can be a reminder to the players of the level we know they can reach.
Returning to home soil is a big plus, as our form at the Global Energy Stadium under Don Cowie has been incredibly positive.
Having picked up just one win so far this season over Dundee, it is imperative that we use this nice run of fixtures to lay down our marker on the league.
Player to Watch
Australian international Joshua Nisbet has massively impressed since joining the Staggies at the tail end of the transfer window.
The wee Aussie has shown his incredible technical ability alongside a real battling attitude which makes him a huge asset.
His low centre of gravity and tendency to draw fouls make him an absolute nightmare for fellow midfielders trying to get the ball off him.
Comfortable in possession, quick, and clever – Nisbet will be the man running the matches for County this season.
Last season’s A-League player of the year was unfortunately a casualty of tactical change following a red card last time out – but knowing Nisbet’s attitude he will be determined to be back to playing 90 and showcasing his natural talents once again.
Joshua has played both as an eight and as a ten this season and has excelled in both areas – giving even more reason to the fans as to why he could be a cult hero in the making.
From The Dugout With Don Cowie
Late goals are fantastically exciting when viewing the game as neutral. Drama, stress, and limbs – all potentially happening at the same time.
As a fan, there is no better feeling than grabbing a last-gasp winner and feeling utter carnage ensue around you on the terraces.
However, on the flip side to that, you’ll struggle to find a worse feeling in football than when a valuable point or three are snatched from your grasp as in the distance the opposition supporters go wild – leaving you speechless, raging, and wondering why you bothered in the first place.
Ross County have been involved in their fair share of what can be considered ‘late’ goals this season.
The Staggies matches have included ten goals in the last fifteen minutes of games.
The Highlanders have netted late on three occasions – but have conceded after the 75th-minute mark on a whopping seven occasions.
On that unique statistic, Don Cowie said: “There could be many factors as to why we've seen this.
“One, especially for me, is the concentration levels – it's getting to that point in the game where you are maybe tired or fatigued and maybe are perhaps not as switched on as you once were.
“You might lose a runner or make an error of judgement, and it can cost a goal.
“The other thing maybe is with having five subs – a lot of subs happen in the game; you could have ten new, different players on the pitch come stoppage time in a match, between both sides.”
That point stands even taller when you delve deeper to think about the level of depth some teams have, especially the top four or five teams in the league who have incredible quality on their bench week in and week out.
Don added: “There's a lot to take into consideration there, but at the same time it’s something we need to work on and get a lot better at because; yes we have been on the receiving end positively – but we have also been really affected by it.
“That’s just about placing demands on each other, leading, and making sure you are always communicating with your teammates.”
On the topic of late goals, Saturday’s visitors Kilmarnock grabbed exactly one of them against Rangers.
They struck in the 86th minute – leaving Rangers strapped for time, and ultimately winning them the game.
If Killie had netted much earlier in the match – the result could have been entirely different.
The manager finalised: “First and foremost it's about starting the game well – showing our strong home performance against a very good Kilmarnock team to give ourselves the best possible chance to get a positive result because we didn’t do that last Saturday.”
Don Cowie speaks to the broadcast media
Previous Encounters
Malky Mackay was in charge when he defeated Saturday’s hosts in Kilmarnock with a hard-fought 1-0 victory. Simon Murray netted a header from a Yan Dhanda cross that day – that was the last time we won a league match away from home.
Derek Adams claimed a decent 0-0 draw in his first match in charge of his third spell as Ross County manager.
We lost 1-0 in Ayrshire in one of Don’s first matches in interim charge last season.
In our last victory at home over Killie, Jordan White, Eamonn Brophy and Yan Dhanda all netted in an emphatic 3-0 win.
We have a positive record against the blue and white side, winning 15 matches and drawing six in the 35 times we have encountered each other.
Memorable Match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOwWjIOm0vg
Familiar Faces
Current Staggie Eamonn Brophy had his most fruitful spell in front of goal under Steve Clarke at Kilmarnock.
Club legends Michael Gardyne and Scott Boyd had spells with the Ayrshire side, whilst cup-winning hero Jackson Irvine had a loan spell in Kilmarnock from Celtic before signing for the Staggies.
Team News
Eli Campbell and Charlie Telfer are suspended.
Ricki Lamie returns to contention.
Max Sheaf has suffered a setback in his recovery.
Geroge Harmon and Will Nightingale will be out longer term with ankle and knee injuries respectively.
Refereeing Team
Referee: Matthew MacDermid
AR1: Calum Spence
AR2: John McCrossan
VAR: Andrew Dallas
AVAR: Alan Mulvanny
