It didn’t look like a red to me – know what I mean, Harry?
ROSS COUNTY 1 Hungbo (90+3) DUNDEE UNITED 1 Appere (50)
Malky Mackay admits he was shocked by Harry Clarke’s red card – but proud as punch of Ross County’s performance.
The bottom-of-the-table Dingwall side grasped a last-gasp point deep in stoppage time through a dramatic Joseph Hungbo free-kick after falling behind to a Louis Appere goal.
In between, Clarke walked after a clash with Ian Harkes earned him a second booking.
But Mackay said: “It was more than harsh. It was a second yellow and I couldn’t believe it.
“The referee was only going to give a foul. Harry was slightly late but there was no connection – it was nothing.
“I was amazed he gave it and it spoiled it, it really did.
“Young Clarke was playing really well. There was no malice in it – it was a foul, no more.
“Five minutes before it, their leftback emptied Jo Hungbo when he nicked the ball through his legs and didn’t get a booking for that.
“You just look for parity. We’re disappointed with it, but I was delighted by our attitude and application.
“I felt a point was the least we deserved.”
There was confusion as to whether defender Jack Baldwin got a final touch on the delivery from Hungbo in the dying seconds, but it was the Watford loanee’s dead ball prowess that made the difference from 25 yards out to the left.
There was a distinct lack of goalmouth action in the first 20 minutes, but plenty of fire in exchanges.
Florent Hoti finally mustered the afternoon’s first attempt with a powerful 25-yard drive parried and then gathered by home keeper Ash Maynard-Brewer.
The home side had recalled Blair Spittal and David Cancola after Wednesday night’s valuable 1-0 home win over Hibs. Out stepped Ross Callachan and Hungbo.
For United, Jeando Fuchs and suspended Calum Butcher dropped out to be replaced by Florent Hoti and Louis Appere.
Approaching the half-hour mark, County’s Harry Paton won a free-kick after a challenge from Peter Pawlett on the left outside the area.
Spittal curled in a teasing ball and Jack Baldwin’s header smacked off the inside post.
The rebound fell into Paton’s
path square on goal but, remarkably, the Canadian’s rightfoot blast was headed over the bar by Ryan Edwards.
Moments later, a Regan CharlesCook cross flashed across goal from the right. Charlie Mulgrew turned it for a corner, but it was a close call.
United took the lead just after 49 minutes.
County had a couple of attempts at clearing their penalty area, but Baldwin’s dig clear found Ilmari Niskanen prodding the ball to the feet of Louis Appere.
With back to goal, the 22-yearold swivelled sharply and gleefully stuck away only the eighth goal of his United career.
County worked hard to respond and Spittal’s powerful left foot crack at goal from the left side of the box was blocked by Benjamin Siegrist and then cleared by his defence.
Then, after 74 minutes, Baldwin’s header crashed off the top of the
bar from Spittal’s corner with the Dingwall side all out of luck again.
County were in trouble soon after when Arsenal loanee Clarke, already booked, was sent off for a clash with Ian Harkes.
The 10 men kept battling and Spittal’s deflected shot almost crossed the goal-line before the keeper salvaged it.
Then, three minutes into stoppage time, Hungbo mustered the unlikely equaliser.