Ross County interim boss Don Cowie believes his team sensed they could hit back from a goal down to defeat Rangers.
A Jack Baldwin own goal had the Ibrox side 1-0 ahead at half-time, but swift replies from Simon Murray, George Harmon and Josh Sims stunned the Gers, who remain four points behind Premiership leaders Celtic with a game in hand.
James Tavernier’s late spot-kick didn’t damage the outcome in a 3-2 triumph for 11th-placed County, who are now just one point adrift of St Johnstone with five games left.
‘Excellent team performance’ – Cowie
Cowie felt their first-half display signalled a big upset was possible – and they scored a first-ever win over Rangers in 25 attempts.
He said: “It is a big win. I said before we had six games remaining and every game is just as important as any other.
“We were playing against a very good team but we had real belief going into the game.
“Our home form has been really good and it was about trying to build upon that. Collectively, it was an excellent team performance.
“The team took real belief from what was happening within the pitch. Even though we conceded a goal, we had created a couple of good chances. We were not clinical enough and didn’t take them, but you sense it as a player, you realise what’s happening, and they built from that.
“Our message at half-time was we’d done really well and we were disappointed to be behind, but it was about coming out fast and being positive and they certainly did that.
“At the end, it gets a bit nervy, which is natural, and Rangers scored the penalty, but I saw a group of players throwing their bodies on the line to try and ensure we got three points. That was really pleasing.”
Cowie urged County to show bite
Cowie, who has won three and drawn two home games since replacing Derek Adams, explained that he was always sending his men out to be a threat to Rangers as much as they also tried to keep them out.
He said: “Rangers are a good team and it was about creating the right balance as a game-plan.
“We defended really well when we needed to but you also need to be a real threat at times. You cannot just sit in there and see it out. Very rarely do you get a positive result from that.
“I wanted to be a threat going forward and I thought our front three showed that throughout the game.
“You just try to find a game plan that makes us feel comfortable as a team.
“Looking at the personnel we’ve got, I had two very good strikers sitting on the bench in Jordan White and Eamonn Brophy, but I felt that Yan Dhanda and Josh Sims could help us out defensively while still giving us an attacking threat on the transition.
“It’s up to them to execute the gameplan after that, and they did so very well.”
Confidence high ahead of final games
County now have five post-split fixtures against the five other bottom half teams to try and reach at least 10th position.
The Dingwall club pulled off a remarkable late three-goal recovery and penalty shoot-out triumph in last year’s play-off final against Partick Thistle.
Cowie and his squad don’t want to be involved in that sort of battle this season.
Cowie, who praised goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw in his first game since January, is hopeful his victorious side will kick on from this for their survival fight.
He added: “I spoke to the players after the game and said what we get here is three points.
“Beyond that, we have to take real belief and confidence going into five crucial games. We have to try and build on that.”
Rangers’ pursuit of leaders Celtic takes them on to their rearranged fixture at Dundee on Wednesday followed by their Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts on Sunday.
