Ross County manager Malky Mackay says Dundee United and Motherwell expected Hearts to help them in race for Europe
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MANAGER Malky Mackay says Dundee United and Motherwell will be disappointed Hearts did not do them a favour by beating Ross County.
The Staggies battled to a 0–0 draw at Tynecastle on Saturday while Dundee United defeated Motherwell 1–0 at Tannadice.
Dundee United are in fourth on 44 points with Ross County fifth on 41 and Motherwell on 40 points with three games remaining.
Fourth and fifth place will qualify for the Europa Conference next season with sixth place missing out.
Mackay said he expected Dundee United and Motherwell thought Ross County would lose at Tynecastle.
He says the fact the Staggies came out with a point from Edinburgh would have been met with surprise from their rivals.
“Celtic and Rangers are going for the league, Hearts are going for the Scottish Cup and Dundee United and Motherwell are both looking at our fixture asking for Hearts to do them a favour and will be disappointed that we came out with a point,” he said.
“As far as we are concerned the five games are down to three, two of those games are at home as we look to get that fifth position.”
Mackay says he was content with the point they picked up against Hearts.
He says only losing once to Hearts this season shows how far Ross County have come since the beginning of the season and proving why they were good enough to make the top six.
“We played the third best team in the country with good players coming off the bench.
“Three draws against that team we have to be happy with, we knew it would be a tough game but we gave as good as we got. The last pass was letting us down, the second half I thought we were really brave and pressed.
“It allowed the chance for them to make mistakes, but our last pass wasn’t there otherwise we would have tested Craig Gordon more.
“It shows the belief we have in ourselves at this point in the season.
“They were the fifth best team in the country on merit and that was the belief I asked them to show.”
