Boyd - Avoid drop - then party begins
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Scott Boyd lifts the Alba Challenge Cup.
TONED-DOWN celebrations in Perth can soon be replaced with party time in Dingwall – according to County defender Scott Boyd.
The towering stopper was one of the Staggies heroes on Sunday, as County clinched the Alba Challenge Cup with a stirring final performance against Queen of the South at McDiarmid Park.
The joy of winning a senior honour, however, was tinged with the reality of a battle to the finish to avoid a relegation play-off.
Cowdenbeath are in that dreaded ninth spot, with County ahead just on goal difference and Dundee just above them by four points.
Boyd finished as a runner-up for County in the Challenge Cup against Airdrie United in 2008 and in last year’s Scottish Cup final, he walked away with another runners-up medal after the Hampden showdown with Dundee United.
This prize can sit alongside his Second Division medal won at County a few years ago
He told the North Star: “It was an amazing feeling to get my hands on this trophy after my previous two finals. It was great to come away as a winner. It was an amazing day. The sun was shining, the atmosphere was brilliant and I hope everyone enjoyed it.
“While it was a great feeling, given our league situation, we didn’t get much time to enjoy it. We have a tough run-in, hopefully we can enjoy the cup win at the end of the season.”
Andy Barrowman and Iain Vigurs grabbed the goals which sunk Queens on Sunday and Boyd said: “We started very well and I felt that was the big difference in the game. It was such a high tempo and we never let them into the it.
“They put us under pressure for about 10 minutes before half-time, but we weathered the storm. We then scored another great goal and that gave us something to build on for the second half.”
County have five games left to save their skins and avoid a play-off.
Partick Thistle at Firhill on Saturday then Queen of the South in Dumfries on Tuesday are the formidable first two tests.
Boyd is sure that the Alba Cup triumph can lead to their survival in Division One.
He explained: “Sunday was a great performance, we deserved to win and we have to take that form into the next five games. The boys can take confidence from how well we played. We are on a high now and we’ll be like that going into these last few games.
“We have to take each game as it comes and try and get as many points on the board as possible. Partick are a good team. They are strong at home, very well organised. We’ll have to be at our best – every game is like a cup final for us.
“Although it looks as if it could go to the last game of the season (against Cowdenbeath), we are hoping to do enough to avoid that.”
Meanwhile, director of football George Adams rubbished claims in a Monday national tabloid that he banned the County heroes from celebrating their win.
He said the report suggesting he stopped the players enjoying their dressing room bubbly was “nonsense” and pointed out there was no alcohol for the players on the way back North because it is against the club rules to drink on the team bus.
