Ross County manager Malky Mackay feels the Staggies’ 5-0 victory over Dundee was a long-awaited reward for his players recent efforts.
County had not won a league match in their opening 10 fixtures prior to the thumping win at Dens Park, which is the Staggies’ record top-flight triumph.
Although the Staggies remain bottom, they now trail Dundee by only a point ahead of Saturday’s home match against Hibernian.
Mackay felt the result had been coming, with his side having fallen to a number of narrow defeats despite performing well in recent weeks.
He said: “I genuinely think in the last four games, I’m not saying we could have won 5-0, but could have turned a performance into goals. I was delighted because Dundee have had a couple of results recently.
“James McPake has done well this season taking his team into this division and settling and we knew it was going to be tough. We had to start well, we had to start like we did against Livingston at the weekend. We did.
“Special credit to my goalkeeper because he makes a hell of a save at 0-0. That can change things sometimes in terms of confidence and momentum. I think after that we got it down, got it to our wingers and caused havoc in the first half.
“I’m delighted with the whole team’s performance, but especially my back four and my goalkeeper. They deserved the clean sheet and we knew at half-time that they had to change things.
“They brought on Sheridan, they had Cummings and Griffiths on. We stood firm to that. We had to win second balls. I’m really delighted with the performance, but I genuinely think in the last four or five weeks that we’ve been the equal of any team we’ve faced. It’s just been a matter of time.”
Mackay is now determined to build on his first league triumph since taking charge of the Staggies in the summer, as he aims to repay the faith of chairman Roy MacGregor.
He added: “I’m really proud to be here and the manager of this club. It’s a fabulous little club. It is a small club with a small number of staff who put in many hours a day to keep it going.
“We’ve got a fabulous man as chairman in Roy MacGregor and Steven Ferguson as chief executive. I’m working for people who see the plan and the journey. They’ve allowed me to join in and had confidence in me to put in place the various strategies that I want to put in place to help the performances.
“These things take time. We had 16 players leave the club in the summer. We had to rebuild, but the two people I’ve been dealing with above me have been there with me every day.
“They see the work that we’re putting in. To see the players keep going toe to toe and keep putting in performances like that, that’s for everyone at the club. “
