Malky Mackay admits play-off first leg at Partick Thistle was always going to be a struggle after Dylan Smith's red card
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Malky Mackay says after going down to 10 men, Ross County just had to ensure they did not concede more than two goals against Partick Thistle in the Scottish Premiership relegation play-off first leg.
The Staggies did not have a shot on target all match, but they were hampered by a red card to Dylan Smith just 16 minutes into the game for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
By that point, County were already 1-0 down thanks to an impressive solo goal from Aiden Fitzpatrick, and they would go two behind courtesy of Brian Graham just before the interval.
At half time, then, Mackay's message to his players was to keep the deficit to two at most to give them a fighting chance of turning the game around in the second leg in Dingwall – much like they did in their last home game against St Johnstone.
"Obviously if we look at the game, I thought we started really well on the front foot," he told Sky Sports after the match.
"We had a few half-chances, then we lost a poor goal as far as we're concerned and the sending off gives us a mountain to climb.
"It probably was a red card, but he's a great young kid who just mistimed it. It was always going to be a struggle after that, and the conversation at half time was making it sure it was at most two.
"I still felt we could score on the break, and on another day Owura Edwards and Jordan White both score.
"I asked the boys to put bodies on the line, and we had to do that to make sure we got back up to Dingwall only two goals down.
"We still had to be some sort of threat rather than camping on our own box, because that wouldn't have done us any good.
"The boys were brave to break and try and create chances, and that means boys had to put bodies on the line.
"We were two goals down last Wednesday against St Johnstone and we turned that around to 3-2 up. We scored three goals as well as Dundee United.
"Hopefully we just keep 11 players on the pitch."
