European dream lives on for battling Ross County

ROSS County kept dreams of European football next season alive by beating one of their great ‘bogey’ teams and gaining ground on their Highland rivals.

A headed Ivan Sproule goal in the second half of a Friday night fixture in Dingwall was enough to bag all three points against Dundee United – breaking a near 15-year hoodoo into the bargain.

Sproule’s sixth goal for the Staggies since joining the Ross-shire outfit from Hibs in January once again showed the striker’s ability of making the difference when it matters most.

It was a disputed foul on Sproule by United defender Barry Douglas which was perhaps the major talking point of the night for the neutral, many deeming it a harsh decision.

That didn’t matter to County though whose victory brought them within two points of third-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Caley Jags went down by a goal t nil at St Johnstone after playing the majority of the match with ten men following the early dismissal of David Raven for a professional foul.

Ross County ended their weekend in fifth position, just a point behind fourth-placed St Johnstone.

County boss Derek Adams later declared himself delighted to be even thinking about the chase for a third spot finish, which would bring European football to Ross-shire.

The final three fixtures are lip-smacking prospects – starting with Celtic next Sunday.

Full report, analysis and the latest from the Ross County camp in next week’s Ross-shire Journal.