Joseph Hungbo insists he doesn’t care who netted Ross County’s late leveller against Dundee United.
All that mattered to the Watford loanee was that 10 men from the team at the bottom of the table had the guts to grasp a point they deserved.
County’s sheer refusal to give up, even after Harry Clarke’s controversial red card, amounted to a statement of intent from Malky Mackay’s side.
Dominant for lengthy spells, they certainly don’t look like relegation fodder.
The draw may have helped restore Dundee’s three-point advantage on the Staggies but the Dens Park side – beaten 5-0 by County late last month – will know they are in a battle.
County, fresh from victory over Hibs, looked more like a side capable of rising into comfortable mid-table territory before Louis Appere’s cool finish set them behind.
🚨LAST MINUTE LEVELLER ALERT🚨 pic.twitter.com/iN563KGvYu
— Ross County FC (@RossCounty) November 28, 2021
It would have been easy for the hosts to put it all down to a bad day at the office after chances went a-begging in the latter second half, particularly after Clarke took a second booking for bumping into Florent Hoti.
Instead Hungbo – who produced a sensational free-kick finish in that Dens Park clash – mustered some more dead ball magic.
Appere’s foul on Harry Paton to the left outside the away penalty area created the chance and Hungbo fired in an unusual, bouncing delivery through the crowded area that deceived the keeper and found the net.
There was uncertainty over whether Jordan White got a touch on it and whether a definite touch from defender Jack Baldwin, sliding in at the far post, was over the line.
Hungbo celebrated like it was his, but cared little either way.
The talented 21-year-old, from Lambeth, wore a broad grin after the game and admitted: “I definitely did celebrate as if the goal was mine, but I’ve heard from the boys that it maybe wasn’t.
“But I don’t mind, as long as someone tucks it away and the ball ends up in the back of the net.
“I can honestly say that I don’t practice free-kicks. It’s a spur of the moment thing and, as long as it’s for the team and earns us a point or three points, we’ll take it.
“When I stepped up to take it I was just thinking about putting the ball into a good area and making it count, as it was coming up to the final whistle.
“That’s what football is about, keeping going with a never say die attitude and last minute equalisers.
“I thought we dominated the game throughout and that we deserved to win, but we’ll take a point.”
Hungbo can see the improvement coming at County
Hungbo, full of running and trickery, is a driven individual in a like-minded squad assembled by Mackay since the summer.
He feels County, collectively, are now adding a harder-nosed edge to their game.
The Englishman added: “After the Rangers game three weeks ago we spoke about things we needed to do better.
“We had to have a different mentality, be ruthless and go forward and not concede easy goals.
“That’s what we were about today and now we’ve got to take that to St Mirren on Wednesday.
“Our confidence is high. It starts off with the gaffer giving us all that level of confidence to go out there and do what we have to do.
“Credit to all the boys for never giving up and that’s what happens when you don’t give up – you get what you deserve in the end.”
