Ross County, aiming to build upon their first Scottish Premiership win from last weekend, will welcome St Johnstone to the Global Energy Stadium this Saturday afternoon.
The hosts climbed into ninth place with five points thanks to their victory over Dundee FC last time out, while the visitors remain in 10th with three points.
Match preview
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Other than an anomalous season where they finished sixth in the table in 2021-22, Ross County have consistently been battling against relegation ever since their promotion into the top division as champions of the Scottish Championship in 2018-19.
They finished 10th in both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, secured their spot in the Scottish Premiership by narrowly winning the 2022-23 relegation playoff final on penalties after two legs, and in 2023-24, they comfortably triumphed in the relegation playoff final with a dominant 6-1 aggregate victory.
Don Cowie, who was appointed permanently in May after initially taking charge on an interim basis in February 2024, would have aimed to guide the team away from the relegation zone this term, but a tough start suggests they may be facing another fight for survival.
The Staggies managed to take two points from their first two league fixtures with draws against Motherwell and Dundee United, extending their unbeaten run at the start of the season to six matches after winning all four Scottish League Cup group games.
However, an underwhelming performance in a defeat to Spartans in the Scottish League Cup second round marked the start of a downturn in form, as Ross County subsequently lost 6-0 to Rangers and 1-0 to Aberdeen in their following matches.
Cowie's outfit bounced back by handing Dundee their first league defeat of the season with a 2-0 victory last weekend, thanks to goals from Akil Wright and Jordan White, and they will aim to secure their first consecutive league wins since December 2023 against St Johnstone on Saturday.
The Saints are familiar foes for the hosts, having consigned Ross County to the relegation playoff spot last season by winning on the final day, resulting in them leapfrogging the Staggies with a superior goal difference.
St Johnstone, however, will come into this game as the underdogs, currently enduring a four-game barren streak with successive defeats to Rangers, Dundee United, Motherwell and Hibernian.
Remarkably, the Saints have received a red card in each of those losses, reflecting the growing frustration within the camp, something Craig Levein will aim to quash with a much-needed win in this match.
The visitors can draw confidence from their dominance in recent meetings, remaining unbeaten against Ross County in their last three encounters with two wins and a draw.
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Team News
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Max Sheaf has not made an appearance for Ross County since April, and the midfielder is not expected to return from his long-term muscle injury until later this month.
Ricki Lamie is also likely to miss out due to an injury, while George Harmon could be unavailable after he was taken off in the 15th minute of their victory against Dundee FC.
Elsewhere, Cowie could opt to name the same side that recorded their first league win of the campaign last weekend, with the exception of Ryan Leak starting in place of Harmon.
As for the visitors, Benjamin Mbunga-Kimpioka joins Jack Sanders in the stands with the pair suspended for picking up red cards in St Johnstone's last two outings.
Adama Sidibeh could return to the side having served his suspension after he was dismissed for an accumulation of yellow cards in their defeat to Dundee United late last month.
Fran Franczak will be missing due to a recent ankle injury, joining both Uche Ikpeazu (knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) on the treatment table.
Ross County possible starting lineup:
Laidlaw; Wright, Lopota, Campbell; Brown, Nisbet, Randall, Chilvers, Leak; White, Hale
St Johnstone possible starting lineup:
Rae; Neilson, Essel, Cameron; Wright, MacPherson, Sprangler, Smith, Raymond; Clark, Sidibeh
We say: Ross County 2-0 St Johnstone
Other than a heavy 6-0 defeat to Rangers, Ross County have shown strength in the defensive areas, while St Johnstone have scored just once in their last four outings across all competitions.
With the hosts also boosted by their recent victory, and the visitors low on confidence on the back of a four-game losing run, we expect the Staggies to take all three points.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ellis Stevens
