Simon Murray scored a terrific double as Ross County secured Premiership survival with an emphatic 6-1 aggregate victory over Raith Rovers, winning 4-0 at the Global Energy Stadium.
The Staggies led 2-1 from the first leg at Stark’s Park on Thursday night and added to that advantage in the 19th minute when Murray headed home his 22nd goal of the season.
Raith were arguably superior in the first half but were stunned two minutes after break when the County forward Jordan White headed in a second from a corner. Murray then drove an unstoppable shot in from 25 yards, before the 19-year-old substitute Brandon Khela curled in a fourth.
County had retained top-flight status last season with a dramatic playoff win over Partick Thistle, coming from 3-0 down on aggregate to win on penalties. However, a large Rovers support travelled with hope and created a cracking atmosphere amid wet weather more in keeping with winter than late May.
A bright start gave the Fifers a foothold in the tie, but the home side then took the lead. Will Nightingale took a pass from James Brown wide on the right and curled in a cross which bypassed White before the ever-dangerous Murray stole in at the back post to head in from close range.
The home side conceded a corner early in the second half when Scott Brown’s sliced interception looped behind and when Yan Dhanda – who will join Hearts next season – delivered from the right, White rose in a packed penalty area to bullet in a header.
A difficult task for the Kirkcaldy side, who had finished second to the Championship winners, Dundee United, now looked unlikely. And they were sunk when Murray took a White pass and arrowed a drive past the helpless Kevin Dabrowski in Rovers’ goal.
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County’s Ross Laidlaw made saves from Aidan Connelly, his fellow Raith substitute Jack Hamilton and Dylan Easton before the Birmingham loanee Khela, on for Dhanda, scored his first Staggies goal from the edge of the box, to ensure County will be playing top-flight football next season.
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