Preview: Ross County vs. Livingston - prediction, team news, lineups

The home side are currently bottom of the division, four points from safety, while Livingston are seventh in the overall table but top of the second section, with the league being split into two for the final straight.

Match preview

There is no getting away from the fact that it has been a difficult campaign for Ross County, with only 27 points from their 33 matches leaving them bottom of the Scottish Premiership table, and they will enter this match off the back of a 6-1 defeat at Hearts.

The Staggies have only won seven times in the league this season, and they are facing the serious prospect of dropping down into the Scottish Championship for the 2023-24 campaign.

As it stands, Malky Mackay's side are being relegated, with the spot just above them meaning taking part in a Premiership playoff final against a team from the second tier.

It is not quite time to hit the panic button, though, as Ross County are only four points behind Dundee United, who are currently in fourth position in the bottom section of the table.

The Staggies, who finished sixth in the Scottish Premiership last season, have lost their last two matches against Livingston, including a 2-0 defeat when the two sides last met on March 18.

Livingston, meanwhile, have also been on a poor run of form, losing three of their last four in the Scottish Premiership, including a 2-0 defeat to Dundee United last time out.

The Lions, who finished seventh in the table last season, were seventh when the table was split, so they currently sit top of the bottom section at this stage of the campaign.

David Martindale's side are in a comfortable position, sitting 11 points ahead of Kilmarnock and 15 clear of Ross County, while there are also five clear of Motherwell just below them.

As a result, there is not too much pressure on the team entering the final stages of the season, but the majority of their problems this term have come away, winning just four of their 16 matches on their travels, suffering 10 defeats in the process.

Livingston now have back-to-back away matches against Ross County and Kilmarnock before returning to home soil against Dundee United on May 20.

Ross County Scottish Premiership form:

L

L

L

W

L

L

Livingston Scottish Premiership form:

D

W

L

L

W

L

Team News

Ross County head coach Mackay is expected to make changes to the side that started the 6-1 hammering to Hearts in Edinburgh last time out.

Jack Baldwin, Josh Stones, Jordan Tillson and Owura Edwards could all come into the XI, with the latter netting the team's late consolation from the penalty spot against Hearts.

However, the team at the bottom of the division will again be without the services of Gwion Edwards, Eamonn Brophy, Ross Callachan and Ben Paton due to injuries.

Livingston, meanwhile, only have one absentee at this stage of the season, with Ayo Obileye out for the remainder of the campaign due to a serious knee injury.

Head coach Martindale is expected to resist the temptation to make wholesale changes to the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Dundee United.

However, James Penrice is pushing to come into the side, while there could also be a starting role for Kurtis Guthrie, with Stephen Kelly possibly dropping to the bench.

Ross County possible starting lineup:

Laidlaw; Randall, Baldwin, Iacovitti; Stones, Tilsson, Loturi, Cancola, Harmon; White, Edwards

Livingston possible starting lineup:

George; Devlin, Fitzwater, Boyes, Montano; Shinnie, Holt; Nouble, Guthrie, Penrice; Anderson

We say: Ross County 1-1 Livingston

Ross County might be bottom of the division, but Livingston's away form this season has been disappointing, losing 10 of their 16 matches on their travels. As a result, it is difficult to back the visitors with any real confidence here, so we have had to settle on a low-scoring draw.

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