Watch Livingston secure promotion with incredible comeback victory against Ross County

Andy Campbell
BBC Scotland

David Martindale "knew" his Livingston would recover from two down as they secured an immediate return to the Scottish Premiership with victory over Ross County in the play-off final.

With the tie level at 1-1 from Thursday's first leg, County looked set to retain their top-flight status as Josh Nisbet and Ronan Hale netted in Dingwall.

However, an astonishing fightback started when Lewis Smith evaded three defenders to score.

Danny Wilson nodded Livi level and Robbie Muirhead curled in superbly from wide right to give Martindale's side the aggregate lead before Tete Yengi lashed in to make it 5-3 deep in added time.

"The players showed personality, they showed character," said Martindale.

"At 2-0 I knew we'd come back, I just had a feeling we'd win the game. At half-time I said to the players, 'go and get the next goal and you will win this game'. Robbie Muirhead comes up with a massive finish, and Tete with the fourth.

"That was my players out on the park tonight and I'm so proud of them."

Livi return to the Premiership a year after relegation and Martindale and the club recently announced Calvin Ford as their new majority shareholder, with Ford vowing to get the club "back to where they belong".

And Martindale said: "I owe Calvin Ford, he re-energised me. He gave me new impetus, new energy. He said they're going to put a new park down even if we don't go back to the Premiership."

Don Cowie's County, meanwhile, will be back in the Championship after six years in the top flight.

County can't make it three in a row

Having survived the play-off final in the previous two seasons, the question was whether County could make it a hat-trick.

Hale's late penalty on Thursday had levelled the tie before he notched goal 18 of an impressive campaign by sliding in after Stephen Kelly's error, having set up Josh Nisbet's close-range opener. Hale continued to threaten to no avail as Livi turned the final around.

But overall goals were hard to come by for County. With 37, they were the Premiership's lowest scorers.

And now they and St Johnstone face the prospect of trying to bounce back at the first time of asking via next season's Championship.

Livi make second-tier stay short lived

With Falkirk taking the Championship title, runners-up Livi knew they would have to overcome two opponents to go up.

Partick Thistle were comfortably beaten 4-0 on aggregate in the semi-final but Hale's spot-kick on Thursday and the poor start in Dingwall looked as though it would be Livingston's undoing.

But the courage they showed in committing players forward put paid to that theory, exemplified in particular by their second goal on the night as both Muirhead with a free-kick and Wilson from close range had shots blocked before the latter forced the ball in. It was a bit of redemption for Wilson too, after he conceded the penalty that cancelled out his own opener in the first leg.

Promotion via the play-offs is doing it the hard way - Dundee the last team to do so in 2021 - and Livi emulate their 2018 play-off final defeat of Thistle and become only the fourth second-tier winner of the Premiership play-off final since its introduction in season 2013-14.

What they said

Ross County manager Don Cowie: "Devastated because I think when you're 2-0 up in the tie in the first half, we should never lose the game of football. It's sore. The boys are devastated, as they should be because we should never have been in this position.

"That's where we've got to take ownership of it and accountability because from where we are to where we've ended up is nowhere near good enough. I can only apologise. I'm someone from the area so it hurts probably more so than most because I recognise the impact this will have to the community.

"I would love to have that opportunity [to lead the side next season] because I've got a lot of belief in myself. I accept the last three months has not been good enough. There's many conversations that need to happen over the next few days, especially now that we're a Championship club but what I do know is that I've got a hunger and a belief that I want to be part of this football club moving forward."

Livingston manager David Martindale: "I'm really proud of the players, really proud of the staff. I get the credit but this isn't about me.

"It was a tough year last year, I'm delighted for everyone at the club. They deserve huge credit. The club is in a great place on and off the park."