Ross County manager Don Cowie backs Jack Hamilton to step up after baptism of fire against Celtic and Rangers in wake of Ross Laidlaw injury
Don Cowie is backing forgotten man Jack Hamilton to ease Ross County’s goalkeeping concerns.
The former Hearts and Scotland youth international made his first Premiership appearance since last January as a second half substitute.
The 30-year-old substitute had been ill in the lead-up to the match and faced a Celtic side on fire, five goals to the good – but managed to record a clean sheet after the break.
Cowie reckons the way Hamilton acquitted himself in his first top-flight bow since facing Hearts with Livingston last New Year proves he still has the ability that made him a Tynecastle prospect during his own playing spell with Hearts.
Cowie said: “It just shows the character Jack has got to come on and perform as well as he did.
“I knew Jack really well from my time at Hearts. He has been a great addition to the football club. I knew the character we were getting.
“Ross has been really consistent, so at no point have I even thought about having to change it.
“But what I do see is a really good goalkeeper who trains extremely well every day and that was proven in terms of the way he seamlessly came in against Celtic on Saturday.
“It has been quite a baptism, against Celtic and now Rangers on Sunday, but Jack is someone who played a lot of football at a young age, at a big football club where there is a lot of demand and pressure.
“He then went away to Dundee and Livingston, and did well. When I heard he was available, I knew he would be a great player to bring into our squad, knowing that if anything ever happened to Ross we had a really good option.
“The way he stepped in on Saturday only underlines that. It was a daunting time to come on with the scoreline and the manner in which Celtic were playing, but he pulled off three or four first class saves. It is credit to him we didn’t concede in the second half.”
Cowie was keen to put County’s hellish first half at Celtic Park in perspective, adding: “It is my job to recognise, and put a bit of context on the circumstances of the game.
“We didn’t enjoy Saturday, but at the same time we’re playing against a top quality team, a Champions League team, who were able to bring on people they paid £11 million for during the game.
“That was the challenge. We could have done better, and stood up to it better, but at the same time I recognise they are playing at a top level.
“Maybe the one frustration was we didn’t give the best version of ourselves because you have to do that, to give yourself an opportunity to take something from those kind of games.
“We’re not the first team to be on the receiving end of Celtic like that this year, and I don’t believe we’ll be the last.
“So yes, we’re disappointed by the result and performance, but we quickly move on and will look to create that real belief again in terms of us being at home this weekend in Dingwall, where we’ve been really strong.”
