Yogi: Spirited County have to be streetwise
John Hughes suffered a second successive defeat since taking the Ross County reins – but insists he has already seen the Staggies’ survival spirit.
The former Hibs and Caley Thistle boss knows it never rains but it pours for the Dingwall team right now.
Two red cards proved that.
But in a torrential downpour in Dingwall, the grit and fight pleased the n e w m a n a g e r, despite the nine- man Staggies succumbing to a 12th straight league match without victory.
Yogi was more than happy with what he saw but felt his red- card villains, both young and old, could have been more streetwise.
He said: “Until the first sending off, I felt we were the better team. We had the better chances.
“We were right out of the traps and they played with everything I asked of them.
“Then, for the sending off, there is no finger of blame for young Josh Reid.
“He’s been magnificent in the short time since I’ve come in.
“It’s a learning process for him.
“The whole game changes and we were under the cosh, but even with 10 men I thought the spirit and desire to keep that clean sheet was commendable.”
Hughes still has 18 matches to turn around County’s season and will try to harness that spirit without making sweeping changes in style of play.
He stressed: “I knew what I was getting with these guys. They play with their hearts and with spirit.
“It is just up to me to try and organise them.
“I’ve had a look back at the two sendings off and I just thought the first foul with Josh was a little bit soft. The ref put pressure on himself and, with the second, he has to go.
“With Drapes, I know why he is angry because he has hardly touched the guy, but in the aftermath he can’t raise his arms – that’s an easy red for the referee.
“A n d w e w e r e up against i t . We we n t kamikaze at the end.
“If we had just kept it at 1- 0 for a spell, I think we might have given them a wee bit of fright.
“I think we just need to be a little bit more streetwise.
“I ’v e had a great response from them. They are a right good bunch and, even when we were right down to the bare bones, they kept it up.
“It’s a case of not feeling sorry for ourselves.
“We come back and we go again.
But what I do need is more fit bodies on the training field because we are carrying a lot of injuries – and red cards don’t help us at all.”