Football
Raith Rovers v Ross County: Who to watch out for in play-off final
Ross Laidlaw (goalkeeper)
Like his opposite number, Laidlaw never quite made the grade at Hibs, but their loss has, by and large, been County’s gain.
The odd, erratic performance aside, like the one the 31-year-old turned in against Motherwell recently, he has proved to be a hugely dependable goalkeeper and displays such as the one in the recent win over Rangers are far closer to the norm.
Laidlaw, who was on Rovers’ bench the last time they beat County in 2012, pulled off a couple of penalty saves in last season’s shoot-out against Partick Thistle at the same stage.
Yan Dhanda (midfielder)
Dhanda is a talented player already assured of his own personal Premiership future because of a pre-contract contract signed with Heart of Midlothian.
But, with two goals in his past two games, the 25-year-old English midfielder has shown no signs of coasting to the end of the season.
His set-piece delivery will be a danger to Rovers and he also showed his composure from the penalty spot in last season’s play-off final – one in normal time and the other in the shoot-out.
Simon Murray (striker)
To have scored 21 goals (14 in the league) for a team battling relegation is massively impressive and seven of those goals have come in his past nine games, making Murray County’s main man.
It would be absolutely no surprise were the 32-year-old to prove the difference-maker in the play-off final, especially as, like Dhanda, he came off the bench to score in last season’s comeback before netting in the shoot-out.