FIGHT CLUB
Mckay says County have the right steely qualities required to beat the drop
WHEN Billy Mckay suffered relegation with Dundee United two years ago, he had long recognised the hopelessness of the plight at a broken club. After netting the equaliser in a battling 1-1 draw at Firhill on Friday night, Mckay is convinced there is an alternative attitude at play that can spare Ross County that fate.
There was no fight at United when they dropped with three games still to play, passing up a lead in a Dundee derby.
For all that Mckay endured a second successive relegation while on a four- month loan with Inverness last term, it is the timid nature of Tayside failure that doesn’t rest easily with this striker.
Mckay, on a two-year deal in Dingwall, has two more regular-season games in which to make the impact that could lift County out of the relegation place.
The best County may have to hope for is a play-off berth but if that pressure situation is the outcome, then Mckay believes the challenge is one this squad is now built to embrace.
‘At Dundee United, we went down with a few games to go but County are fighting to the wire to stay in this division,’ he said. ‘A lot of boys at United were on loan or out of contract. But the boys here are playing for their futures.
‘Results didn’t go our way at United and it spiralled out of control. At United, if we had went down like we did on Friday, we wouldn’t have come back. That’s the difference. County kept fighting right to the end.
‘Hopefully our team spirit can get us over the line. We have an honest bunch in this dressing room.
‘Defensively we have been brilliant in the last few games. We’ve made the odd error and, when you are bottom of the league, that error turns into a goal like it did against Partick.
‘But the boys have been superb. I think Marcus Fraser throws himself at something towards the end to keep us in it. Hopefully that continues in the last two games.
‘Last week at Hamilton, we went a goal down against the run of play and we went a bit gung-ho to try and get back into it.
‘This time we kept our heads and composure, playing our way back into it and getting a deserved point.’
Stuart Kettlewell and Steven Ferguson’s men host Dundee on Tuesday before a trip to St Johnstone, where Ladbrokes Premiership lives could be at stake.
‘We have two games to go and we have to make sure we put pressure on Partick and hope other teams help us out,’ stated Mckay.
‘The results have been positive recently, outwith the Hamilton defeat. Things have picked up since the new managers have come in.
‘It might be a realisation of the position we find ourselves in right now. We are working hard in training every day and we are fighting for each other.
‘I don’t want to get relegated again and you can see that in the way I am fighting to keep us out.
‘I hope my goal against Partick can be important for us. It came at a crucial time in a real bottom-of-the-table clash. They were looking for the offside but I knew I’d just sneak in behind Kris Doolan.
‘I just had to focus on scoring. It felt like ages before it dropped down to me but I’m glad it hit the back of the net and managed to get us a point.
‘In the second half, we had a few good chances and, at the end, it looked like we would test the keeper but it hits one of our own men. That is the luck we seem to be having at the minute.
‘We can put it right against Dundee and, hopefully, get the three points we’re looking for to put pressure on Partick.’