Sport nationRoss County Manager Don Cowie Slams Referee’s Decision in Celtic Loss
Don Cowie, the manager of Ross County, expressed his disappointment and frustration over the free-kick awarded to Celtic before their late winning goal in their William Hill Premiership match against his team. Cowie felt that Jordan White’s challenge on Luke McCowan didn’t merit a foul, and he made his feelings known after the match.
The controversy surrounding the free-kick decision came after Celtic’s 2-1 victory at the Global Energy Stadium, secured by Nicolas Kuhn’s 88th-minute goal. The winner came after Alistair Johnston’s free-kick led to Kuhn’s decisive strike. Cowie was unhappy with referee Kevin Clancy’s decision, which he believed changed the course of the game.
“The result was disappointing for the players with the effort they have put in again,” Cowie said. “They kept a top-quality side relatively quiet in terms of scoring opportunities. We said beforehand it was about being compact and our concentration levels, and I saw that in abundance in the group.”
Cowie’s Ross County side took the lead in the match through Ronan Hale’s penalty, only for Celtic to equalize later on. However, the penalty itself was also shrouded in controversy, as Hale was forced to retake his initial spot-kick due to Kasper Schmeichel coming off his line.
Despite the disappointment, Cowie praised Hale’s contribution to the team, citing his seven goals this season. “I’ve said it time and time again, he’s a real threat,” Cowie said. “He’s a goalscorer who has made a great start to his career with us. He showed great character to step up and score another important goal for us.”
Hale’s goal gave Ross County belief and energy going into halftime, and something to hang on to. However, Celtic’s late winner denied them any points. Cowie acknowledged that his team should have reacted better to the free-kick decision but felt that the initial call was incorrect.
“I don’t think they can check it, because once the free kick is given, it’s a new phase of play,” Cowie explained. “It’s up to us to react to that situation. We were slightly stretched, and two passes later, they score.”
Cowie’s team now travels to Perth to take on St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park in their first Premiership game after the international break. Despite the loss to Celtic, Cowie believes his team will take to the field with confidence.
“It was a good performance, and it’s my job to remind the group that,” Cowie said. “Naturally, they’re really disappointed to get nothing from the game, but when we reflect and speak about it, they will realize how good they were as a group.”
“They defended for each other, which you have to do against a top-quality team. That will give us great belief going into this next group of games that we’ve got. For us, it was about creating a game plan to be tight and try and frustrate them, and I thought we did that really well.”
Cowie’s Ross County side has shown resilience and determination in their matches so far this season, and the manager is hopeful that this will continue in their upcoming games.
Cowie’s post-match comments highlighted the fine margins between success and defeat in football. Despite the controversy surrounding the free-kick decision, Ross County’s performance against Celtic demonstrated their capabilities, and they will look to build on this display in their next match.
As the Premiership continues, Ross County will aim to replicate their strong defensive display against Celtic and capitalize on their scoring opportunities. With Hale’s goalscoring form and the team’s overall resilience, Cowie’s side can take confidence into their next match against St Johnstone.
The international break provides an opportunity for Ross County to regroup and refocus before their next match. Cowie will likely emphasize the importance of maintaining their compact defensive shape and exploiting scoring opportunities.
In the highly competitive Premiership, every decision can have significant consequences. Cowie’s frustration with the referee’s decision is understandable, but his team’s performance against Celtic demonstrates their potential.
With the right mindset and approach, Ross County can achieve positive results in their upcoming matches. As Cowie noted, his team’s display against Celtic showed that they can compete against top-quality opposition.
The challenge now is to translate this performance into points. With their next match against St Johnstone looming, Cowie’s Ross County side will seek to build on their strong display against Celtic and secure a valuable victory.
Sport nation
Amina Umar
Sport Nation 2