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Ross County’s opportunity to reduce Alloa’s eleven point advantage over the Dingwall side went on hold yesterday due to a water-logged pitch.
County were due to tackle Alloa in a crunch game but heavy rain on melting snow left match referee Kevin Bisset with little choice.
Jim Kelly, Ross County’s assistant manager, commented, The pitch is in a bad way and will need the rest of this week to recover.
With County having two games in hand over Alloa, Kelly added, Promotion is still in our own hands. Obviously we’d rather be in Alloa’s position - with games played and points on the board - but no-one at Victoria Park is pushing panic buttons.
All we have to do is make sure that we are prepared and in the right frame of mind. A two-game backlog is no cause for concern when most of the division has nine games left to play. There is a lot of football left in this season.
DRM 3 March 1998
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Ross County contacted the Scottish Football Association to put forward their point of view about the pitch invasion by Dundee fans during the recent cup tie in Dingwall.
About 25 visiting supporters invaded the pitch to celebrate their side’s equalising goal. This prompted the SFA to ask both clubs for their version of events. It is likely that Dundee will be punished for their fans’ behaviour.
County explained that they believed that they had taken adequate measures to ensure that there were enough police and stewards at the away end which housed around 1,300 Dundee fans. The police have told County that they were happy with the arrangements.
DRM 4 March 1998
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Ross County will press the Scottish League management committee hard in Glasgow today for a say in the future of a post-breakaway, two-division league - SFL.
Along with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, County are still probationary members of SFL and must wait another 12 months before being granted statutory voting rights under the SFL constitution.
County Chief executive Roy McGregor fears his club, left without a voice in the discussion or a vote on the issue, could lose out if the SFL opts for a 16-14 set-up.
The groundswell of opinion favours the dropping of the ten-team divisions in favour of the 16-14 option and that will put both Highland clubs under pressure for the rest of the season.
The 16-14 option, if adopted, will see the current First Division joined by the top five from this season’s Second Division and the Third Division champions in a new 16-team top division playing each other twice.
The bottom five in Division Two plus the remaining nine teams in Division Three would form a 14-team lower division playing each other three times.
County are currently lying in fourth position but have games in hand. They would need to win the Third Division to get into next season’s proposed top SFL division. Second spot would earn them nothing.
Roy McGregor said, "We would be very disappointed if we missed out on the title but finished second in the Third Division only to have promotion whipped away from us because of re-structuring."
Well, Lorsports believes that there is a clear message for Neale Cooper and the County players in that statement.
DRM 5 March 1998
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Neale Cooper has asked his team to create a fear factor in his preparations to face Arbroath at Gayfield in a crucial league match today.
Cooper is looking to strengthen his squad but will rely on the players that he has used so far this season for today’s match.
"Although we have games in hand we have slipped a little off the pace," Cooper said. " We have to get the fear factor back so that teams are worried about playing us again in the league. We must give everything now to play for the title, even if it means taking risks.
"It’s all right having the ability but without the right attitude it means nothing. You need the will to win."
Stuart Golabek and Gerry Farrell have suffered from flu in the past few days but could be available for selection. Mark Haro has also had the virus and is considered very doubtful. Ex-Don Nicky Walker will be back in goal, while teenager Connor Campbell is recalled to the squad.
Cooper explained County’s lack of goals had prompted him to look for another striker.
He said, "I have been looking for someone up front to give us an option because I feel that we have not been scoring enough goals. We have been defending okay but not scoring nor creating pressure for ourselves."
DRM 7 March 1998
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Ross County are too inconsistent and their inability to win matches on a regular basis is putting pressure on boss Neale Cooper. County are now thirteen points behind leaders Alloa Athletic (with two games in hand), but the dream of (automatic)promotion is beginning to fade.
Cooper has had to live in the shadow of the more successful Inverness Caledonian Thistle - great local rivals - who are now competing in a higher division. Cooper admits that he is beginning to feel the strain.
He said, "I understand there is a lot of pressure on me and everyone at the club to do well because the club has got big ideas. It has got a plan that hopefully will bring First Division football to Dingwall in the next five years.
"It is the same with all managers. One week things run for you, the next they go against you and things start to pile up.
Alloa have got the points on the board just now, but we will be trying very hard in the coming weeks. There is 100% commitment from everyone in the club so we’ll have to wait to see how we get on."
At the start of the season, County were red-hot favourites to gain promotion by winning the title. But in recent weeks, too many drawn matches have meant the dropping of valuable points.
DRM 9 March 1998
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Ross County’s promotion aspirations are on the line tonight in a re-arranged fixture with Montrose at Glebe Park. This is the first match in a double-header against the Angus side this week.
County assistant manager Jim Kelly has warned the players that every game between now and the end of the season is vital if County are to reel back Alloa’s impressive lead.
Kelly said, "The players have to stand up and be counted. It is time for them to battle, because at the end of the day it is all about results and not performances."
Striker Garry Wood was dropped for the match against Arbroath while leading scorer Derek Adams could only find a spot on the bench for that game.
Kelly added, "Some players have to have a long hard look at themselves and get their own house in order. It is up to the players to work away and if they do that then we cannot fault them."
County add Steve Ferguson to the squad.
DRM 10 March 1998
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Ross County will be chasing a quick double over Montrose in Dingwall today. County beat Montrose 2-0 away last Tuesday and a victory today would keep them on course for their promotion challenge.
Manager Neale Cooper is still laid low with a viral infection so Jim Kelly will be in charge again for the match. He admits that the first thing he will do after today's match is to check on the Arbroath versus Alloa match.
Kelly said, "The ideal result for us would be a draw but that would count for nothing if we can’t beat Montrose again."
The last time Montrose visited Dingwall, they were beaten 8-1 but Kelly added, "Everything went right for us and wrong for Montrose that day but it won’t happen again. A 1-0 win will do us this time."
Midfielder Alex Taylor is still out with a rib injury and striker Gary Wood is on second team duty. However, defender Billy Herd, who took a knock against Montrose on Tuesday, is expected to be fit and Frank Escalon will also come back into the reckoning.
DRM 14 March 1998
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Ross County boss Neale Cooper has recovered from a viral infection and looks set to return to the dug-out for tonight’s vital match against Albion Rovers in Dingwall.
Neale has been laid low for the past week and missed his team’s two wins against Montrose last week.
On another matter, winger Billy Ferries played his first competitive match since he injured a ham string in the pre-season friendly against Dunfermline. He played a full 90 minutes in a reserve match.
Assistant manager Jim Kelly who has been looking after things in Cooper’s absence, will demand the same effort and commitment from the players for tonight’s match.
Kelly said, "We have to keep winning and our performances don’t really matter. The players have shown the right attitude and I want that to continue.
"We must get a result against Albion Rovers and we have to keep winning if we want to win the league."
One absentee from the County line-up will be striker Gary Wood. The youngster has been dropped for recent matches but Kelly believes that he will return with a vengeance.
"Gary is not a problem. He is a young boy and he will bounce back. I spoke to him last week and he understands what’s going on. He is not a bad player and is still learning."
DRM 17 March 1998
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Ross County boss Neale Cooper is happy with the nine points that County have earned in their last three outings which have got their promotion bid back on track.
Home and away wins against Montrose followed by a superb 6-2 win over Albion Rovers have hauled County back to second place in the table four points behind leaders Alloa Athletic.
Cooper said, "Only a week ago we were thirteen points adrift and people had written us off. But all of a sudden we are back up there.
"At times the football might not be all that pretty, but at this point in the season results are all that matter."
DRM 18 March 1998
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Ross County are looking at freed Forfar striker Paul Roberts in a bid to boost County’s promotion bid in the run in to the Third Division Championship.
Roberts is attracting the attention of East Fife who played him as a triallist against Livingston last Saturday.
Roberts said, "I am waiting for Ross County to get back to me as Neale Cooper said he would speak to his chairman first. They are a great prospect and are pushing for promotion."
DRM 19 March 1998
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Ross County travel to Berwick today and Neale Cooper will be looking to put one over his old friend Paul Smith. Both played at Dunfermline but sentiment will not figure strongly as Cooper urges his side to build on their mid-week victory and maintain their challenge for the top spot.
County have injury worries over Willie Furphy (calf), Stuart Golabek (toe) and Roy McBain (back) but Cooper hopes that all three will pass late fitness tests. Billy Herd is suspended but Gary Wood is added to the squad.
Cooper commented, "I played with Paul Smith at Dunfermline and he is an old friend of mine. But it’s the nature of football that I can’t worry about that against his team.
"Berwick is a difficult place to collect points but the players know that if they continue to show the same commitment as last Tuesday then I will not fault them."
Cooper confirmed that he had spoken to freed Forfar striker Paul Roberts. He has no immediate plans to land the player but if goals become scarce he may be persuaded to change his mind.
DRM 21 March 1998
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