Mackay hails his fight club after taking valuable Tynecastle point

PLAYERS rowing with each other on the park in the closing weeks of a tight, tense campaign isn’t often viewed as a positive. For Ross County manager Malky Mackay, though, it comes as music to the ears.

The Staggies players involved in a bit of handbags near the end of this hard-fought stalemate at Hearts — which could have delivered more had Jordan White not had a goal disallowed for the tightest of offsides on 35 minutes — were Ross Callachan and Blair Spittal.

Callachan was particularly vocal in having a go at his team-mate and still seemed irate when replaced by Dominic Samuel late on

Mackay lapped it up, though. He doesn’t see it as a sign of issues within the camp as his side, a point clear of Motherwell in fifth with the Fir Park men going to Dingwall next, close in on a most unlikely spot in Europe.

Rather, his view is that it’s a raw desire to spur each other on and make sure this season ends with a historic achievement that has adrenaline running high. And he wouldn’t change that for the world.

‘Listen, I want that,’ said Mackay. ‘I want my team to be scrapping and fighting for everything. I want personalities and I want them to be vocal.

‘If you want to play in the rarefied air of the top level of anything, you’ve got to realise you have to work hard. The two of them were going off at each other to push each other to work hard and that’s why we are reaping the rewards.

‘I am delighted with the result because a point at Tynecastle is a terrific point against clearly the third-best team in the country.

‘We are in a mini-league with Motherwell and Dundee United and I think they would probably be disappointed to see us come out with a point.’

In the wake of a cagey opening, County offered their first signal of intent just before the quarter-hour mark when Connor Randall took a pass from Regan Charles-Cook and released a powerful low effort that home goalkeeper Craig Gordon did well to save to his right.

Spittal then had another drive blocked by Toby Sibbick before Hearts finally mustered their first effort on target on 20 minutes with a weak Ben Woodburn easily saved by keeper Ross Laidlaw.

White’s chalked-off goal was definitely contentious. His protests at the time were loud, long and heartfelt. After some decent build-up play on the right, Spittal put a low ball into the area and White ghosted in with an instinctive run to convert it first time from 12 yards or so.

Just as the big striker wheeled away to celebrate, though, he saw linesman Stuart Stevenson with his flag raised high.

The decision was borderline in the extreme, but Mackay refused to make any kind of issue of it.

‘I have seen it,’ he said. ‘I think he might just be a smidgeon offside, but there isn’t much in it. I don’t have any beef about it. We’ll know next year when VAR comes in.’

Hearts were much better after the restart and missed a great chance when Josh Ginnelly blazed over after being set up by Nathaniel Atkinson.

However, County quickly made it clear they were going to carry on making a game of things with Callachan forcing Gordon to block with his legs after being played through by Spittal.

Laidlaw had to save sharply from a Taylor Moore header at the near post as the game really opened up and Liam Boyce missed a golden opportunity to hand Hearts the lead with 15 minutes to go.

A lightning break forward saw Barrie McKay play the Northern Irishman clean through. Laidlaw did well to advance from his line and narrow the angle, but Boyce’s effort lacked composure and he hit it too close to the keeper.

With the home side finishing strongest, Boyce then missed another great chance in the last minute of the 90. Substitute Andy Halliday picked the striker out on the left of the area with a clever ball, but his toepoked effort went the wrong side of the far post.

‘Liam is a top goalscorer and a top player and you get days like that,’ said manager Robbie Neilson, whose players formed a guard of honour at full-time in a fine gesture towards stadium announcer Scott Wilson as he steps down after almost 20 years behind the mic.

‘It was 200 miles per hour at the start — they kick it, we kick it — but we had opportunities after we got control and it just wasn’t there today.

‘County defended really well and had loads of blocks around the box, but it is up to us to score. I am sure Malky will be delighted with the point.’