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Ross County remain on course for Europe as they claim draw against Hearts in Edinburgh


By Will Clark

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Scottish Premiership

Hearts 0

Ross County 0

Ross County were at Tynecastle. Picture: Ken Macpherson
Ross County were at Tynecastle. Picture: Ken Macpherson

Ross County remain on course for qualification to the Europa Conference next season after a goalless draw at Tynecastle.

With Dundee United beating Motherwell at Tannadice, the Staggies remain in fifth place in the table.

Fifth place will be good enough to earn qualification to the Europa Conference second qualifying round next season.

Fourth place would see the Staggies enter the Europa Conference third qualifying round.

Ross County made one change to the team that were defeated 2–0 by Celtic as David Cancola came in to replace Harry Paton.

Encounters between both teams have resulted in draws in seven of the last eight games, with Hearts's 2–1 win over Ross County on Boxing Day the last time either side were victorious in the fixture.

The first chance fell to Ross County, Jake Vokins's throw-in eventually fell to Connor Randall whose low drive towards the bottom left corner was tremendously saved by the man everyone is rolling superlatives about, Craig Gordon.

Ross County had the ball in the net 10 minutes before half time.

Ross Callachan played the ball to Blair Spittal on the right wing whose cross finds Jordan White who fires home.

But the linesman said he was offside, with White incandescent in his protests to the decision.

Hearts missed a glorious chance at the start of the second half to take the lead. Ben Woodburn's cross on the right wing found an unchallenged Josh Ginnelly who blasted well over the bar from 10 yards out.

But Ross County responded at the other end when Ross Callachan managed to fire off a shot from 12 yards out that forced Craig Gordon to save and clear from danger.

Ross Laidlaw came to the rescue for Ross County with 15 minutes remaining as a Hearts counter attack saw Barrie Mckay release Liam Boyce whose shot was well saved by the goalkeeper.

Mckay came close to winning the game in the closing stages, as his shot from the edge of the box whistled past the left post by inches.

Mckay then missed a sitter in injury time as he was unchallenged in the box to run on to a pass but fired wide from eight-yards out.

But Ross County held on to earn a point, which moved them a point, ahead of Motherwell in sixth.

Hearts – Gordon, Haring, Woodburn (Halliday 69), Boyce, Mackay-Steven (Simms 69), Atkinson, Moore, Cochrane, Mckay, Sibbick, Ginnelly.

Substitutes: Stewart, Kingsley, Thomas, Tait.

Ross County – Laidlaw, Randall, Vokins, Cancola, Spittal, Callachan (D. Samuel 76), Watson, Iacovitti, Charles-Cook (Hungbo 76), Tillson, White (Paton 89).

Substitutes – Munro, Sims, Burroughs, Ramsay, Drysdale, Paton.

Referee: Steven Maclean


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