Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Staggies boss says draw at Hearts will disappoint Euro rivals
MALKY Mackay believes Ross County’s point against high-flying Hearts will have come as a blow to their European rivals Dundee United and Motherwell.
The three sides are battling it out for fourth and fifth place in the cinch Premiership, with both positions enough to earn a crack at the Conference League qualifying rounds next term.
Mackay feels both United and Motherwell would have expected the Staggies to lose away to Hearts, but instead they claimed a 0-0 draw.
“Celtic and Rangers are going for the league, while Hearts are looking at the cup final and they need to be ready for that,” said Mackay, reflecting on the current make-up of the top six.
“There’s then this little mini-league where we have got Motherwell, ourselves and Dundee United.
“I think they were both looking at that thinking, ‘Come on Hearts – do us a favour’. They probably would have been disappointed to see us come away with a point.
“As far as we are concerned, the five games is now down to three. Celtic and Hearts have gone and we have got three games to go, with two at home.”
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson was disappointed to be yellow-carded for dissent in the second half after he felt his midfielder Ben Woodburn was fouled from behind inside his own half when trying to start an attack.
He believes Scottish officials need to be stricter in such situations.
“I was disappointed with the referee because there is a responsibility on them as well to allow teams to play football,” he said.
“When you are asking a midfielder to receive the ball, if a player comes through the back of them and wins the ball, it is a free-kick.
“But for some reason in Scottish football we don’t give that.”