Ross County are now in the driving seat to secure Premiership safety after coming from behind to defeat Hibernian.
The Staggies’ victory, courtesy of Jordan White’s last-gasp winner, moves them out of the relegation play-off position which they have occupied since December 29.
It was a thrilling encounter which started in the worst possible fashion for Don Cowie’s men, who fell behind to Myziane Maolida’s early goal.
Simon Murray’s 19th goal of the season quickly cancelled it out, which led to an end-to-end encounter which the Staggies showed the courage to turn in their favour.
The Staggies are now undefeated in six matches in Dingwall since Cowie took interim charge in February.
With a two-point gap above St Johnstone, County’s fate will now be decided over an eight-day period which starts with next Saturday’s visit of Motherwell.
Although there is plenty work still to do to avoid the relegation play-offs, Cowie hopes the Staggies can build on the psychological boost of moving up the table.
Cowie said: “In the last three home games, we’ve taken nine points from Hearts, Rangers and Hibs.
“Credit to the players, it’s them who are going out and putting on performances, and I’ve never felt we have fluked a victory.
“We still have two tough home games that will be really important for us, and we want to go and win them.
“A lot has been made of the fact that we haven’t managed to turn games around when we’ve gone behind, but there are different ways to win.
“We have to work for everything we get in this league, and the players showed their character again.
“Against a really good team, our goalkeeper has produced some really good saves.
“I don’t think we had come from behind to win for a long time, so to do it two games in a row at home is great.
“We don’t want to be in the bottom two, so going into the last three games it’s nice to be into 10th. There’s still a long way to go.”
Will Nightingale was pitched straight back into the heart of defence after returning from a three-month hamstring injury absence, which facilitated Connor Randall’s return to central midfield.
There were also recalls for Eamonn Brophy and Josh Reid, with Victor Loturi, George Harmon and Josh Sims dropping out from the side which was defeated by Livingston the previous weekend.
Hibs began on the front foot and took the lead on the quarter-hour mark. A corner was forced goalwards by Rocky Bushiri, before coming off the post and falling for Maolida to tap home from point-blank range.
It took the Staggies just six minutes to restore parity. Bushiri had a major part to play as his attempted headed clearance from Efete’s cross landed straight at the feet of Murray, who clinically stroked a low effort into Jojo Wollacott’s bottom-right corner.
Hibs remained a threat, with Marcondes seeing an effort well saved by Laidlaw after cutting in from the left.
County should have taken the lead on 27 minutes when Murray capitalised on slack defending by Nathan Moriah-Welsh before going in on goal, with his effort saved by Wollacott before falling for Brophy, who could not steer his follow-up effort on target.
Laidlaw had to be alert again on 36 minutes when Maolida was presented with an opportunity from an acute angle, which the goalkeeper did well to tip over.
Murray came within inches of netting on the stroke of half-time when he cut inside before seeing his cutback deflect off Bushiri before hitting the post, and spinning across the goal-line before it was cleared to safety.
Murray was once again denied by the woodwork in the early stages of the second half after he latched on to a Dhanda delivery, when he angled his header into the ground before it clipped the crossbar on its way over.
The Staggies survived a let-off just moments later when Ryan Leak’s error allowed Martin Boyle in on goal, but the impressive Laidlaw was out quickly to thwart him.
Hibs came close again when Maolida’s strike from the edge of the box clipped the post, however it was the Staggies who launched the late push in pursuit of the winner.
White’s introduction proved pivotal, with the striker seeing an effort blocked behind by Hanlon, before he nodded Eli King’s corner wide at the far post.
The crucial moment arrived on 88 minutes. Harmon showed superb anticipation and unrelenting energy to intercept a short Wollacott goal-kick, before squaring for White who took one touch before rifling past the goalkeeper with his back to goal.
Player Ratings
ROSS COUNTY (3-4-1-2): Laidlaw 8; Nightingale 7, Baldwin 7, Leak 6; Efete 6, Randall 7, King 7, Reid 6 (Harmon 51); Dhanda 6 (Khela 69); Murray 8, Brophy 6 (White 76).
Subs not used: Wickens, Brown, Sims, Loturi, Henderson, White, Ayina.
HIBERNIAN (4-2-3-1): Wollacott 5; Cadden 6, Bushiri 5, Hanlon 7, Obita 6; Moriah-Welsh 6, Newell 6; Boyle 6 (Campbell 81), Marcondes 7, Maolida 7, Vente 5 (Le Fondre 46).
Subs not used: Johnson, Levitt, Mayenda, Stevenson, Triantis, Tavares, Owens.
Referee: Don Robertson
Attendance: 3,856
Man of the Match: Simon Murray
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