Keeping Ross County in the Scottish Premiership is a 'huge achievement', says manager Malky Mackay
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Ross County manager Malky Mackay hailed his players for the "huge achievement" of securing Premiership football for next season.
The Staggies avoided relegation in the most dramatic of circumstances via a penalty shoot-out – with Josh Sims converting the winning spot kick.
It was a game that will live long in the memory with County coming out on top, and only the English League Cup final between Cardiff City and Liverpool in 2012 compares from Mackay's previous experience as a manager.
Relief was palpable in the Global Energy Stadium after safety was secured.
Mackay then spoke of how much success in the play-offs meant to him, the supporters and everyone connected with the club.
"Being a two-legged play-off and having the responsibility of keeping this club in the Premiership, this means a hell of a lot," Mackay explained.
"As a manager it's a huge achievement, because we're a tiny club in the Premiership.
"I've read a lot of stuff, and there have been a lot of questions about how brilliant Partick have been – it's quite clear that it would have been lovely for them to go into the Premiership and teams not to have to travel on the A9. I get that, but this is a great place.
"We were unfortunate against Motherwell and St Johnstone, but that put us into this position against Thistle.
"Coming back up the road after Thursday night at 2-0 was a big thing, and if they scored up here like they did it would have killed us off had it been any more on Thursday.
"With 11 v 11, I thought we would control the ball, and we did. They scored, but we had control, which gave me hope and a calmness to stay at it.
"If we got a goal, I thought they would take a step back and creak, and we would get the momentum, and that's what happened.
"Honestly, I never thought we wouldn't win – even at half time I thought we could score three goals. Simon Murray has a chance in the last minute to score four and win the game too.
"I looked at it at full time and Partick were lying on the ground whereas we were standing, so I thought we could kick on again. I thought extra time would be tough, and it was, and then penalties are a lottery.
"I had a conversation with my goalkeepers yesterday about what they don't enjoy in a penalty shoot-out – and it's confidence, and power, so I just told the lads to go and do those two things, and we would be fine."
At various times throughout the season, Mackay has praised Staggies chief executive and Steven Ferguson and chairman Roy MacGregor for the work they do behind the scenes at Ross County.
For the latter in particular, Mackay was delighted to remain in the Premiership – especially given the predicament the club were in going into the post-split fixtures.
"My commitment to Roy is as much as his commitment is to me," Mackay added.
"He could quite easily have decided after the Hearts game that enough was enough, but we had a conversation about how I felt about the run in, and I told him I had the shoulders to carry it.
"I believed that this group of players could stay in the Premiership, and we've done well.
"Roy is just so happy at the moment for the football club.
"He has had 25 years at this football club, his heart and soul is here, so to stay in this division again really means something.
"He feels as if he's got a responsibility to the Highlands, and his football club is something that the Highlands get behind.
"I've got a lot to thank him and the chief executive Steven Ferguson for."
