Ten man Ross County came from behind to secure their Premiership safety with a dramatic 2-1 win against Hamilton.
Liam Boyce’s late winner came just moments after Filip Kiss had been sent off for the Staggies, setting up a tense finish in wait of news of Motherwell’s match against St Mirren. The Buddies’ late winner secured a 2-1 success, with Killie’s win against Partick Thistle ensuring Well finish in the relegation play-off position. County had fallen behind to Lucas Taglipapietra’s opener for Accies, but Michael Gardyne equalised prior to Boyce’s winner.
County manager Jim McIntyre made three changes following last weekend’s 2-1 defeat against St Mirren. Goalkeeper Mark Brown and defender Scott Boyd missed out through suspension, while youngster Tony Dingwall also dropped to the bench, with Toni Reguero, Kiss and Raffaele De Vita coming in.
Accies made two changes from the side that drew 1-1 against Partick Thistle last weekend, with Lucas Tagliapietra and Eamonn Brophy replacing Jason Scotland and the injured Michael Devlin.
It took an excellent save from former Staggies goalkeeper Michael McGovern to thwart his old side just three minutes in, as De Vita’s cross was dummied by Liam Boyce to allow Craig Curran a shot at goal, with the Northern Irish goalkeeper stooping low to claw round the post.
Accies were afforded two fine chances themselves three minutes later, when Ali Crawford’s corner reached the unmarked Lucas Tagliapietra, but he guided his free header wide.
The wet and windy conditions intensified, Hamilton nearly profited from more uncertainty in the County backline moments later, with another Crawford corner finding Jesus Garcia Tena who hacked the ball over. Garcia Tena came even closer from another corner on 13 minutes, with his hooked effort forcing a point-blank save from Reguero, who did well to hold Louis Longridge’s low attempt minutes later.
County grew back into the game and created a few half chances, with Gardyne dragging a low attempt wide, but Hamilton took a deserved lead on 27 minutes. From yet another Crawford corner, the ball reached Taglipapietra, and from six yards he nodded past Reguero.
The Staggies should have equalised on 35 minutes, when Curran blasted a sublime Jamie Reckord cross into the side netting from close-range.
However, a prompt start to the second-half was required from County, and they immediately cranked up the pressure, with Martin Woods’ long-range effort forcing McGovern to tip over.
The Staggies finally made the breakthrough on 58 minutes. Woods’ corner was knocked down by Kiss, into the path of Gardyne who drove an exquisite low shot into the bottom right hand corner from 20 yards.
The goal was a huge relief to the home faithful, but Hamilton nearly regained the lead within 60 seconds as Eamonn Brophy’s strike whistled narrowly over.
However momentum was firmly with the Dingwall side, and a thunderous attempt by Kiss on 67 minutes forced a last-ditch block by the Accies defence.
As news of Motherwell’s breakthrough against St Mirren filtered through, matters got worse for County on 80 minutes when Kiss was sent off for an off the ball incident at a Staggies corner.
With four minutes left, County’s fate looked as if it was going to come down to next weekend’s final game of the campaign at Kilmarnock, until Boyce sent Victoria Park into raptures when he hooked past fellow countryman McGovern after Jackson Irvine had knocked down Woods’ corner.
Just moments later, reports of St Mirren’s equaliser fed through to the Highlands, an anxious wait followed until the full-time whistle, with Hamilton’s Ali Crawford smacking a long-range strike off the crossbar with the last kick of the ball.
County’s players remained on the pitch after the whistle to await news of a full-time score from Paisley, with St Mirren’s winning goal prompting a pitch invasion from the Staggies supporters.