Don Cowie was quick to praise Ross County’s players after a long-awaited Premiership away victory was snatched away from them by a last-gasp Hearts equaliser at Tynecastle.
The Staggies came agonisingly close to their first league win on the road since last September, having led for much of the game through Ronan Hale’s sublime first-half effort.
County had to withstand waves of pressure from the hosts, with some excellent last-ditch defending keeping the Jambos out.
It looked increasingly like it would be the Staggies’ day, as frustration grew among the home crowd in the latter stages of what looked like being a ninth successive defeat.
The Dingwall men were unable to hold out however, with Lawrence Shankland tucking home from a corner in the 96th minute to level the match.
Cowie proud of Staggies display
Cowie insists his overriding emotion was one of pride at the way his players went about the task in Edinburgh.
He said: “I’m proud of the group. We battled against a really good team and put our bodies on the line.
“It was frustrating to get so close but it’s still a good point.
“Obviously when you concede as late as we did you’re deflated, but I have reminded them of the never say die attitude and the togetherness they showed.
“That will stand us in good stead.”
While much of the focus fell on the Staggies’ defensive display, the exquisite finish from Hale which put the Staggies ahead was also highly encouraging for Cowie.
He added: “It doesn’t surprise me, Ronan has been excellent since he came into the club.
“He’s really clinical, he strikes the ball well and it was a fantastic finish.
“He’s not exceeded our expectations, the only thing was the transition from part-time football.
“We knew we were getting a quality player.
“We lost a really influential player in Simon Murray so it was about being patient and getting the right person.
“He’s fitter, being in a full-time environment will make you fitter and stronger.
“I think you’re seeing that as each week goes by.”
Staggies’ defensive effort deserved better reward
Although County conceded three against St Johnstone the previous weekend, the thrilling draw did little to dispel the notion the Staggies’ defence has looked tighter so far this season. Two of the goals came directly from Nicky Clark free-kicks, which were preceded by a heavily deflected Drey Wright effort.
That defensive mettle was put to the test right from the start at Tynecastle, by a bullish Hearts side looking to put their difficult start behind them. Ryan Leak’s superb goal-saving block from Lawrence Shankland inside three minutes was the pick of the bunch, while Ross Laidlaw also made fine early saves to thwart Cammy Devlin and Alan Forrest.
Hale’s goal stemmed that flow but Hearts continued to push in the second half, with more last-ditch defending from Leak, while Shankland struck the bar.
It looked like being the Staggies’ day when Laidlaw made an excellent save with his feet to deny what looked like a certain goal. That made it all the more frustrating for County to concede from the resulting corner, with the Hearts skipper converting former Staggie Yan Dhanda’s corner.
Moment of magic from Hale
Northern Irishman Hale was back among the goals the previous week against Saints, and he carried on that momentum with a stunning goal at Tynecastle.
After an excellent start following his move from Cliftonville, Hale’s confidence could easily have been dented when he failed to convert a spot-kick against Aberdeen, albeit courtesy of an excellent save from Dimitar Mitov on that occasion.
It has been anything but the case however. After Connor Randall’s run had been halted by a good challenge by Hearts’ Beni Baningime, the ball broke kindly for Hale on the edge of the box.
Although he still had plenty to do, the assurance with which he took the strike on first time and plant it beyond the reach of Craig Gordon showed all the traits of the instinctive finisher Cowie brought him to Dingwall to be.
Hale’s afternoon was cut short by a head knock, and although his goal did not prove as meaningful as he hoped it would be, his return of six goals from 10 games shows the worth he has already brought to the Staggies side.
Staggies continue racking up points despite late blow
While the Staggies would have gladly accepted a point at Tynecastle before the start of the season – and even possibly before this match – coming so close to victory makes it a bitter pill to swallow.
Conversely, County remain well-positioned in seventh place, with seven points from as many games.
Having lost just two of those matches, County are showing signs of being a difficult team to beat both at home and on their travels, which will come as some consolation to Cowie.
Player ratings
HEARTS (4-2-3-1): Gordon 6; Forrester 6 (Oyegoke 90), Rowles 6, Kent 6, Kingsley 6; Baningime 6, Devlin 6 (Spittal 58); Vargas 5 (McKay 58), Grant 6 (Boyce 90), Forrest 5 (Dhanda 68); Shankland 6.
Subs not used: Clark, Halkett, Tait, Penrice.
ROSS COUNTY (3-4-1-2): Laidlaw 7; Wright 7, Lopata 7, Leak 8; Efete 6 (Brown 68), Randall 8 (Telfer 87), Nisbet 6, Campbell 6; Chilvers 6 (Loturi 58); White 7 (Grieves 87), Hale 7 (Samuel 68).
Subs not used: Hamilton, Grieves, Brophy, Smith, Nightingale.
Referee: Iain Snedden
Attendance: 18,399
Man of the match: Connor Randall
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