Ross County chief executive Steven Ferguson condemned a late incident which saw assistant manager Carl Tremarco appear to be spat on by a Livingston supporter in the dying stages of their Premiership play-off final.
The Staggies struck late through Ronan Hale’s stoppage time penalty to secure a 1-1 draw against the Lions, who had led through Danny Wilson.
In the midst of the late drama, a fan in the home section was involved in an altercation with Tremarco, with Staggies boss Don Cowie reacting quickly to diffuse the situation.
Ferguson branded the alleged behaviour unacceptable – but praised the reaction of Livi staff in identifying the culprit.
Ferguson said: “We won the penalty and there has been a reaction in the dugout. It was pretty clear for everybody that a Livingston supporter spat in the face of one of our staff.
“I get emotions are high – two teams fighting it out on the pitch with a lot at stake.
“But we as a football club cannot accept somebody in the face of one of our staff. That does not belong in football – or anywhere.
“What I will say is that the team at Livingston were excellent and very quick to react.
“I believe the person has been identified – it’s outwith my hands now. But the people that need to know about it do.”
Staggies showed resolve to stay in game
The Staggies looked like they would have to overcome a solitary goal deficit after Wilson gave the home side the lead on the stroke of half-time.
Livi put up a strong defensive showing which looked like being enough to secure the first leg victory, however the Staggies were handed a lifeline in stoppage time when a VAR check ruled Jordan White had been pulled back by defender Wilson.
Hale’s penalty – his second in injury time in three games following his late strike against Dundee – ensures it is honours even going into Monday’s second leg in Dingwall.
Cowie was thrilled to restore parity ahead of the return match.
He said: “We knew the challenge coming here – against a really good, confident team in form.
“It’s always difficult coming here to play on astroturf, which we are not accustomed to every second week which Livingston are.
“To come away with the draw in the end, and the manner in which we did it by fighting until the end, was massive.
“It was a real frustrating moment to go behind – but it just shows the importance of set-plays in football. We have umpteen of them in the first half-an-hour, their goalkeeper made a really good save from one of them, but then we got punished.
“The timing of it was really disappointing because there wasn’t much in the game.
“It was a setback to the players, but as I stressed to them this is two legs – they had to make sure they didn’t get spooked by that and let the game get away from them.
“We stayed in the game – and we got that moment.”
County looking for third successive play-off triumph
The Staggies entered the play-offs for the third successive year but on this occasion on a run of nine Premiership matches without a victory – albeit finishing that sequence with two draws which they were hopeful of building on.
Livi began on the front foot by the Staggies posed the main early goal threat with a succession of corners, with goalkeeper Jerome Prior making a superb close-range save to thwart Will Nightingale’s header from a Hale corner.
Having been on the front foot for much of the first half, the Staggies ended the first half in bitterly disappointing fashion when they were unable to keep out a Stephen Kelly corner, with the loose ball falling to Wilson who lashed high into the net past Amissah.
As the game wore on it looked like the Staggies’ efforts were going to fizzle out, before referee John Beaton was called to the monitor after White’s jersey was ruled to have been tugged by Wilson, with Hale clinically dispatching the spot-kick past Prior.
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