Don Cowie felt three was company for Ross County’s reshaped strikeforce after Josh Sims sealed victory in a five-goal relegation thriller.
The ex-Southampton winger – who hit the Premiership play-off clincher from the spot last June against Partick – was again the Highland hero in stoppage time.
After Eamonn Brophy’s brilliant first half double, Bruce Anderson’s second half brace for the bottom of the table visitors stunned the Dingwall crowd.
But Sims emerged as the late hero to re-open a six-point advantage for the Staggies on the team below and hoist them to within two points of 10th-place St Johnstone on a day when the deficit could have stretched to eight.
Cowie, celebrating his first win as interim manager, credited County’s group spirit and collective character, but also their three-pronged attack.
Jordan White was added to the pairing of Simon Murray and Brophy to good effect.
Cowie said: “We’re looking up and that’s always been the message, trying to draw other teams towards us.
“Getting three points certainly helps that.
“I’m delighted. We made it difficult for ourselves. We were very good in the first half and were worthy at 2-0 up.
“I was really disappointed to lose a goal so early in the second half. It gave Livingston a massive boost and it became a difficult half of football.
“But we hung in there and came up with a bit of magic to win the game. I’m delighted for the group.
“The fact they kept going like that was pleasing. Most people would have assumed it would be Livingston who would go on and get the winning goal at that stage, but we came again.
“It’s the character that I know is in that dressing room.
“They don’t surprise me because I see them every day.
“We worked on having the three up front as a narrow attack, rather than them being too wide. I’m not saying I will necessarily do it every week, but it worked well for us today.”
First win since early December
County had been starved of that winning feeling through 12 league games stretching back to a December 5 triumph over Motherwell.
Livingston, unchanged, had just broken a run of 16 winless matches with a long-awaited home victory over St Mirren.
The bottom of the table side started positively enough, but County always looked more dangerous.
Early on, Brophy was wasteful in the extreme after being set up for a free strike by Michee Efete, only to fire wildly over.
Victor Loturi showed far more composure for County when a corner broke to him 25 yards out.
The Canadian’s brilliantly-controlled strike was flashing under the bar before Livingston keeper Shamal George leapt to tip it over.
The weight of pressure told after 21 minutes, with Mo Sangare guilty of a costly mistake for the Lions.
Simon Murray dropped deep to fire a long through ball forward and Sangare missed it completely.
Brophy raced onto it and showed supreme composure in slotting a finish calmly past George for the opener, his first goal since late October.
Just six minutes later, Brophy’s second doubled County’s lead and his own season’s tally to four goals.
Again, it was Murray who showed vision deep in midfield to cut a high ball forward to Brophy to the left side of the box.
The former Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Scotland man this time smashed an unstoppable strike under the bar with George helpless.
Bruce Anderson’s entry after the break turned the tide.
🥊 Ross County earned a 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 win over relegation rivals Livingston & now sit six points clear of last-place ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6tynL1fygV
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) February 24, 2024
Just over a minute after the restart, the ex-Aberdeen striker fired home low from 15 yards after a free-kick delivery broke perfectly for him.
The Lions were getting more and more joy in and around the home box and threw on Kurtis Guthrie as the tension and desperation heightened for both sides.
And it was the West Lothian side who reaped the reward a minute later with Guthrie teeing up Anderson for his second low-swept finish of the day.
There was exhaustion, but opportunity beckoned for both sides with seven minutes stoppage time announced.
County grabbed it with both hands.
Sheaf thundered forward past several challenges and then White teed up substitute Josh Sims for a 12-yard finish that sent the home crowd delirious with joy.
ROSS COUNTY (4-3-3) – Wickens 7; Efete 6, Ayina 7, Leak 6, Reid 7; Sheaf 6, Loturi 8 (Brown 87, 2), Jenks 6 (King 67, 4); Brophy 8 (Sims 76, 4), White 7, Murray 7. Subs not used: Ross, Borthick-Jackson, Harmon, Henderson, Khela.
LIVINGSTON (4-3-3) – George 7; Brandon 6 (Guthrie 83, 3), Nottingham 6, Obileye 7, Sangare 6 (Sean Kelly 59, 6); Shinnie 5 (MacKay 46, 6), Carson 6, Holt 6; Nouble 6, Yengi 7, Stephen Kelly 5 (Anderson 46, 7). Subs: Hamilton, Montano, Devlin.
Referee: David Dickinson 7
Attendance: 3,346
Man of the match: Eammon Brophy (Ross County)
