Staggies boss puts Tannadice bad blood on the back burner

ROSS County manager Malky Mackay is confident no ill feeling will transmit to the pitch when the Staggies host Dundee United today.

The sides’ last meeting at Tannadice in October was shrouded in controversy, following an allegation that a County supporter made a racial comment to United midfielder Jeando Fuchs.

County subsequently claimed they had been fully exonerated, after an investigation which took in evidence from nearby stewards concluded a swear word, rather than racist language, had been used.

Despite his criticism of Courts at the time, Mackay says the events will not come as any sideshow to this weekend’s encounter.

Mackay said: “There were events that I don’t think at times put certain people in a good light.

“At the end of the day I was very impressed with Steven Ferguson, our chief executive, in the way he and the club handled it.

“They were proven to be correct in terms of the process they had with the league, the Scottish FA and the police.

“More so for our supporters, because they are a fantastic group of people.

“You would hope lessons would be learned in certain quarters about how to handle things.

“As far as the football side of it is concerned, the pitch is the pitch.

“We will be concentrating on football and I’m absolutely sure Dundee United will as well.”

Mackay said he is impressed by the job Courts has done on the park.

“It’s a tough game against a team that are doing well,” he said.

“We have to make sure we are as committed to this game as we were in the Hibs game, which we will be.”

Malky Mackay