Cowie: Late goal shows County are up for a fight

IT WAS his 37th birthday and long-awaited first home start for his boyhood club in the Premiership – and it wasn’t going too well.

Entering up to five minutes of stoppage time, Ross County were facing a defeat that would have set alarm bells ringing in and around Dingwall.

Don Cowie, back where it all started as a schoolboy, had always dreamt of walking out with them at Victoria Park at kick-off in the top-flight.

As it happened, five added stoppage-time minutes and a classic bit of Billy Mckay finishing were all it took to salvage the situation and make it an occasion to remember.

Cowie, inset, said: “It was massive not to lose.

“Going into stoppagetime 1-0 down then getting an equaliser, the emotion is huge.

“Two teams below us, Hearts and Hamilton, were playing and you come off the park to hear they’ve drawn … it could be massive come the end of the season.

“We didn’t play great. The conditions were horrendous, but sometimes it comes down to pure character. “We were down to 10 men and Coll Donaldson takes a horrendous one to the eye, but we keep going and somehow manage to get a draw. “Today, we kept pushing and, luckily, Billy was in the position he’s made a career out of to get us a great point.

“The emotions in the dressing room were enjoyment, relief – the whole lot put together.”

Saints striker Chris Kane admits his side were left frustrated: “We feel hard done to after controlling the first half massively.

“Then, in the second half, they switched on to what we were doing and gave us fewer chances.

“But they didn’t create anything themselves and all the boys are massively disappointed.”