Ross County’s incredible Premiership play-off win will go down as one of the most remarkable recent fightbacks in Scottish football.
Over the past 10 years, the two senior Highland clubs – County and Caley Thistle – have delivered some striking recoveries with their backs to the wall in crunch fixtures.
Here, we look at two from each club, kicking off with Sunday’s thriller at the Global Energy Stadium.
With just 19 minutes to go of the second leg, County trailed 3-0 on aggregate against Partick Thistle, who seemed on course to make history by being the first team to have finished fourth in the Championship and won promotion.
Then, after a VAR check, a penalty was awarded and Yan Dhanda crashed it home. Even still, the full recovery was still a long shot.
Yet, less than two minutes later, an inch-perfect cross from Alex Samuel was guided into the net by Simon Murray. The Jags were tiring, mentally and physically.
Harmon volley stung toiling Thistle
Then, just inside stoppage-time, full-back George Harmon volleyed home the equaliser to seal a sensational 3-1 victory, making it 3-3 on aggregate.
Thistle blew two penalty box chances in extra-time and it went down to a shoot-out decider, facing the Jailend.
Momentum swung back and forth, aided by two Ross Laidlaw saves, Josh Sims guided the ultimate spot-kick home for a 5-4 triumph to preserve the Staggies’ place in the Premiership for a 10th year out of 11.
It was an epic encounter which will be talked about for many years to come and it keeps Partick Thistle’s goal-hungry side in the second-tier at least for another season, five years after they and County dropped out of the top-flight.
The Glasgow Jags dipped into League One in 2020 in controversial style when the places were decided on a points-per-game basis as the play stopped early due to the Covid pandemic.
However, under Kris Doolan, who replaced Ian McCall in the Firhill hotseat in March, they timed their run to perfection with 18 goals over the six play-off matches against Queen’s Park, Ayr United and County, but they fell short in dramatic style in Dingwall.
County aces sunk Celtic to reach final
In 2016, there was another telling County comeback which, although not quite as nerve-shredding as Sunday was, will still live long in the memory.
It came in the League Cup semi-final when the Dingwall club recovered from the loss of a goal after just 26 seconds to beat 10-man Celtic 3-1 at Hampden.
Thurso-born Gary Mackay-Steven put Celtic in front before most fans had settled in their seats, but a red card for Hoops defender Efe Ambrose for fouling Alex Schalk in the box was followed by Martin Woods netting from the spot.
Paul Quinn headed the north team in front early in the second half and Schalk put the tie beyond Ronnie Deila’s players’ reach to seal a 3-1 success.
County manager Jim McIntyre, and his assistant Billy Dodds, led the club to their first major knockout trophy when they beat Hibs 2-1 in the final at the national stadium two months later, with Schalk netting the winner.
Sub Nick Ross struck in 95th minute
There have been two dramatic high-pressure “great escapes” in the past decade involving County’s neighbours, Caley Thistle.
In 2014, no ICT fan will forget how Inverness reached their first major national trophy, the League Cup final.
They faced Hearts at Hibs’ Easter Road ground in an all-Premiership clash and it was a semi-final with everything.
Classy Caley Jags midfielder Greg Tansey swept the side from the north with a terrific strike, but a red card for defender Gary Warren was swiftly followed by two swift goals from Jamie Hamill.
It looked game over in the capital when a rash Josh Meekings challenge resulted in him also seeing red in stoppage-time.
However, John Hughes’ team never gave up the ghost and energetic midfielder Nick Ross, who replaced full-back David Raven late on, swept home a 95th-minute equaliser.
Heroically, ICT’s nine men got through extra-time, throwing bodies on the line as the Hearts fans grew increasingly impatient.
A year after losing to Hearts at the same stage, the glory was for Inverness this time as Ross Draper, who was recently installed as Elgin City’s new manager, netted the decisive spot-kick.
Tansey and Ross added to their goals during the game itself and Billy Mckay scored the other in a 4-2 shoot-out success.
There was to be no silver lining for Caley Thistle, however, as they lost the final at Parkhead, against Aberdeen on penalties after a drab 0-0 draw over 120 minutes.
Broadfoot spot-kick sinks Arbroath
And in 2022, Caley Thistle were also seemingly down and out, before they summoned up enough energy and quality to beat Arbroath on penalties – again after two sendings off – to reach the Premiership play-off final.
The Angus club, who finished close runners-up to Kilmarnock, awaited ICT, who beat Partick to reach the semis.
After a 0-0 draw at the Caledonian Stadium, it finished goalless at Gayfield too.
However, that result was achieved despite Danny Devine seeing red on 66 minutes for a last-man infringement and Wallace Duffy getting his marching orders in extra-time for a second bookable offence.
The penalty shoot-outs came to a pulsating ending when Arbroath hero Bobby Linn’s effort was stopped by Mark Ridgers before Kirk Broadfoot buried his to spark wild celebrations.
So, although this wasn’t a comeback in terms of the scoreline, the power of recovery to respond to live setbacks puts this north triumph right up there.
Inverness, perhaps shattered by these energy-sapping encounters, fell short in the second half of the second leg of the final at St Johnstone won 4-0 after a thrilling 2-2 draw in the Highlands.
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