Former Irish League stars set to clash in Scottish Premiership play-off in fight for top-flight status
Ronan Hale scored yet again on Sunday afternoon – his 12th Scottish Premiership strike of the season – but it wasn’t enough to avoid Ross County finishing in the relegation play-off spot and there’ll be some familiar faces on the other side.
The 26-year-old has enjoyed a superb maiden campaign in Scotland and put the Staggies ahead in a must-win clash at home to Motherwell, but the visitors struck back in the closing stages to seal a 1-1 draw.
That result, combined with rivals Dundee defeating relegated St Johnstone 2-0, means County will now face a two-legged contest against Livingston to preserve their top-flight status.
Former Cliftonville striker Hale will play a key role in the crucial tie next week while former Linfield duo Matthew Clarke and Daniel Finlayson will be hoping to seal promotion for Livingston.
Clarke and Finlayson both departed Windsor Park for Scotland last summer and have already helped David Martindale’s side seal Challenge Cup success by beating Queen’s Park in a showpiece decider.
Ex-Rangers full-back Clarke has made 20 Scottish Championship appearances this term but hasn’t featured since February while Finlayson has played 34 times and came off the bench in both legs of their recent play-off win over Partick Thistle.
It marks the second consecutive season in which Hale will come up against Clarke and Finlayson at the business end – he scored an Irish Cup final brace against the Blues for Cliftonville to end the club’s 45-year wait for competition glory at Windsor Park in May 2024.
The contest could mark Hale’s last for Ross County with the former Larne striker linked with interest from English sides Wigan Athletic, Luton Town and Reading.
His form this term has also earned international recognition with the former Larne striker called into Michael O’Neill’s senior Northern Ireland squad for the first time in March – he was an unused substitute against both Switzerland and Sweden.
Wigan, Luton and Reading will all be plying their trade in League One next season and the addition of Hale could bolster promotion hopes.
Hale has been a proven goalscorer throughout his career, netting 37 times across 86 appearances for Larne before firing in another 51 in 82 outings at Cliftonville.
He was linked with moves to Derby County, Portsmouth, Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool, Peterborough United and Wrexham in January 2024 before joining Ross County later that year.
Hale received high praise from Cliftonville legend Joe Gormley after his Irish Cup final heroics with the Reds’ record goalscorer predicting he’d be a hit across the water.
"I said to Ronan it's a pleasure playing with you...if I'm playing with Ronan Hale next season there's something wrong,” said Gormley. “If someone doesn't take a punt on Ronan Hale they must be blind.
"See that first goal he scored, he does that week in, week out in training. You want to see this guy in training...he's incredible.
"He deserves all the plaudits and I told him for as long as he lives and he's in my company, he won't be buying a drink!"
Hale scored a late penalty on Wednesday night against Dundee to keep County’s automatic safety hopes alive, but they’ll now enter their third consecutive play-off.
"It's one of them where someone's got to step up and do it, and I know that I can do it, so I wanted to be that man for the team," Hale told BBC Scotland after the game. "I had a good chance in the first half and in the second a massive chance, so I wanted to be that man for the redemption, and thankfully I put it away.
"It's massive for the club. It gives us that fighting chance. We've been on that seven-game losing run, and it hasn't been great, but we've stuck in it.”