Relieved Malky Mackay insisted it was a huge achievement for his comeback kings to keep Ross County back in the Premiership.
The Staggies went 3-0 down on aggregate against Partick Thistle before they came back with three goals in the last 19 minutes to force extra time and penalties. County then won 5-4 on penalties to safeguard their top-flight, thanks to Josh Sims’ winning penalty. Mackay said: “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. When players come up they realise what a great place it is and how good the people are running it. My commitment to Roy is as much as his commitment is to me. 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. 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."
The experienced boss likened this mad game to the Carling Cup final he lost on penalties on Liverpool back in 2012. "I actually had the Carling Cup final with Cardiff against Liverpool that went to penalties, and that was a mental game,” he insisted. "This, being a two-legged play-off and having the responsibility of keeping this club in the Premiership, means a hell of a lot."
Mackay insisted he never lost faith even when others thought his team was down and out. He insisted: "Honestly, I never thought we wouldn't win.
"Even at half time I thought we could score three goals. Simon Murray had a chance in the last minute to score four and win the game.
"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."
Keeper Ross Laidlaw was also a hero and Mackay predicted he could be a hero. He explained: "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. I said to the lads to go and do those two things, and we would be fine."
Mackay admitted he as delighted for chairman Roy MacGregor who has seen his team make it 10 seasons out of 11 in the top-flight. "Roy is just so happy at the moment for the football club,” the County boss claimed.
"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."
