Match ends, Ross County 1, Aberdeen 1.
Ross CountyRoss County1AberdeenAberdeen1
Adam Rooney rescued a point for 10-man Aberdeen in a frenetic encounter against Ross County in Dingwall.
Melvin De Leeuw headed the hosts in front, and Yoann Arquin spurned a great chance to make it 2-0 minutes later.
The Dons hit the woodwork three times before Rooney finally drew them level, finishing from close range.
Both sides missed good chances to find a winner in a pulsating last 10 minutes which saw Andrew Considine sent off for a professional foul.
County boss Derek Adams will be frustrated his side did not take all three points with a number of opportunities passed up when a win would have moved them five points clear of second-bottom St Mirren.
Aberdeen's dropped points mean Celtic have the opportunity to wrap up the Scottish Premiership title when they visit Partick Thistle on Wednesday night.
It was the Dons who started the brightest in a bid to improve on a poor record in Dingwall that had seen them fail to pick up any points on previous visits.
Goalkeeper Mark Brown did well to deny Barry Robson when the veteran midfielder bulleted a header straight at him from Shaleum Logan's cross.
Aberdeen continued to set the early pace but, out of nothing, Ross County had the ball in the net and thought they had taken the lead.
Arquin latched on to a long ball and knocked over Alan Tate before finishing but the assistant referee spotted the infringement and the goal was ruled out.
Mark Reynolds saw a goal-bound shot cleared by Yann Songo'o but, after withstanding Aberdeen's early threat, it was County who were now the team on top.
And an impressive clearance by Logan served only to prevent a County opener as the unchallenged De Leeuw headed Graham Carey's free-kick beyond Jamie Langfield.
The home side should have had a second before half-time. Evangelos Ikonomou stole the ball off the toes of Carey but blasted his shot over.
Then, a breakaway saw Aberdeen outnumbered at the back, and when De Leeuw picked out Arquin it looked certain to be 2-0, but Langfield raced from his goal-line to deny the striker.
With the Dons struggling to get Rooney or McGinn into the game, Robson continued to be their main goal threat.
And, five minutes into the second-half, the midfielder unleashed a thunderous shot that cracked off the bar.
The visitors hit the woodwork again when Cammy Smith's looping header bounced off the post to Joe Shaughnessy and the latter could not get enough on the rebound to trouble Brown.
A poor clearance by Langfield almost gifted County their second. Under pressure from Arquin, the goalkeeper kicked the ball straight to De Leeuw who who rattled a shot straight back at him which was then spilled into the path of Arquin, but Langfield managed to recover and save.
Langfield was busy again a minute later, this time pulling off a fantastic one-handed save to tip Filip Kiss's shot wide.
At the other end, Robson's shot was deflected off Brittain and Brown had to tip it over.
But from the resulting corner, the Dons grabbed their equaliser.
Ryan Jack sent in a looping shot from the edge of the box which the goalkeeper managed to push wide at full stretch. Reynolds hit the post with the rebound, but the second time it fell to him he was able to square for Rooney to knock it in.
It was end-to-end as the game entered its closing stages and the game took another twist when Considine was red-carded for bundling over Carey when the winger was one-on-one with Langfield.
Scott Boyd headed wide for the home side, then Calvin Zola should have buried Rooney's low cross instead of putting it in the stand.
Songo'o and Jack both had chances right at the death. The County man failed to finish when Steven Saunders headed into his path, then Jack shot over the bar.
Line-ups
Ross County
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Brown
- 2Cikos
- 26Oikonomou
- 7Kiss
- 28Songo'o
- 5Boyd
- 8Brittain
- 12Tidser
- 27ArquinSubstituted forSaundersat 83'minutes
- 23Carey
- 11De LeeuwSubstituted forSlewat 73'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Gordon
- 10Quinn
- 15Glen
- 21McLean
- 22Saunders
- 25Slew
- 42McCarthy
Aberdeen
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Langfield
- 29Logan
- 5ConsidineBooked at 88mins
- 8Flood
- 28TateSubstituted forShaughnessyat 45'minutes
- 6Reynolds
- 10McGinnSubstituted forZola-Makongoat 86'minutes
- 22Jack
- 17RooneyBooked at 71mins
- 14SmithSubstituted forVernonat 73'minutes
- 15Robson
Substitutes
- 2Shaughnessy
- 3Robertson
- 7Zola-Makongo
- 9Vernon
- 18Low
- 20Weaver
- 24McManus
- Referee:
- Brian Colvin
- Attendance:
- 3,775
Match Stats
Home TeamRoss CountyAway TeamAberdeen
- Possession
- Home49%
- Away51%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away17
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away8
- Corners
- Home8
- Away10
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Ross County 1, Aberdeen 1.
Post update
Attempt missed. Ryan Jack (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Post update
Hand ball by Erik Cikos (Ross County).
Post update
Attempt missed. Yann Songo'o (Ross County) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Post update
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Jamie Langfield.
Post update
Attempt saved. Jordan Slew (Ross County) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Foul by Joe Shaughnessy (Aberdeen).
Post update
Richard Brittain (Ross County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Attempt missed. Calvin Zola (Aberdeen) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Post update
Attempt missed. Scott Boyd (Ross County) header from very close range misses to the right.
Post update
Corner, Ross County. Conceded by Ryan Jack.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Richard Brittain (Ross County) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Dismissal
Andrew Considine (Aberdeen) is shown the red card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Andrew Considine (Aberdeen).
Post update
Graham Carey (Ross County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Aberdeen. Calvin Zola replaces Niall McGinn.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jordan Slew (Ross County) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Substitution
Substitution, Ross County. Steven Saunders replaces Yoann Arquin.
Post update
Corner, Aberdeen. Conceded by Evangelos Oikonomou.
