Muddy marvellous! Staggies boss hails dramatic rescue act
Stuart Kettlewell hopes Ross County’s late salvage job could prove the moment that turns the tide in the Premiership survival fight.
The Staggies fought to the death in horrendous conditions in a bid to cancel out Stevie May’s first-half opener and, in injury time, Billy Mckay slid in to snatch a crucial equaliser.
It was sheer stubborn grit from County and a show of defiance Kettlewell feels augurs well for the Dingwall team’s survival chances.
The County co-manager said: “It shows massive character and it shows how much the players care, that they want to get something out of the game.
“We didn’t see that in the first half. We changed our shape and it was far better in the second half, without ever being pretty. It was never going to be, with the conditions.
“In the second half we were the dominant team and could have created one or two more chances. But fortunately we got our rewards in the final moments of the game. It gives us a lot of hope, that good feeling of a last minute goal.
“The big thing for us now is that we make this a big point. We need to make sure that’s something we look back on as a valuable point.”
Saints might have sewn it up in the first half, but the fightback was everything the Staggies deserved for scrapping all the way to the death, with Mckay netting his ninth goal of the season.
County made six changes from their 3-0 beating by Hibs, with Don Cowie restored to the line-up for a 37th birthday appearance. Saints made four changes, with May and Chris Kane back in to spearhead the attack, while Callum Hendry dropped to the bench.
Saints attacked first with Drey Wright powering a low ball across the home penalty area, hacked clear by Marcus Fraser. But County settled and, within 10 minutes, a Josh Mullin strike from the right startled keeper Zander Clark, who reacted late but did enough to palm it away.
Oli Shaw then controlled gracefully on the turn and rattled in a 20-yard attempt that Clark had to dive to push away.
Saints rallied again, with May and David Wotherspoon having attempts blocked before Drey Wright lofted the rebound over the bar. Wotherspoon’s threat as provider saw him cut back on to his left foot on the right flank and flight a fine cross to the back of the box after 21 minutes.
Scott Tanser outleapt Marcus Fraser, but keeper Ross Laidlaw caught the header comfortably.
May’s fine pass set up Wotherspoon for a chance after 28 minutes, but it slid just a whisker wide of the right-hand post.
The away team’s moment came five minutes later, however. May played a perfect one-two with Kane, with the latter weighting a fine ball behind the defence.
May simply strode on and cut a right-foot shot hard into the left corner of the County net.
With County in the ascendancy, Saints were far less of a threat in the second half, but stood strong in the ever-worsening underfoot conditions.
Billy Mckay fired an 18-yard attempt just wide, but slackness from County gave sub Jason Holt a sight of goal inside the penalty area before he was swiftly shut down.
The home side earned a spate of corners. At one, Jason Kerr rattled the ball against his keeper before the ball was cleared.
Inside five added minutes, Wright fired over the bar amid desperate defending in the County box, with the same Saints man striking wide soon after.
Then Mullin’s cross from the far right skidded right across the Saints box for Mckay to slide in through the mud and level.