Mackay delighted with comeback

Malky Mackay was disappointed Ross County did not leave Easter Road with a victory after they fought back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Hibernian.

The Staggies looked to be staring at defeat when they trailed to goals from Elie Youan and Jair Tavares.

But they roared back strongly to claim a point courtesy of an Allan Delferriere own goal and a strike from substitute Jordan White.

Mackay was pleased with the spirit his team showed to get a third successive away draw but he felt they could have claimed all three points after Ryan Leak and Will Nightingale both missed late chances to win it.

“I’ve got mixed feelings,” said Mackay. “I’m delighted in the performance and comeback. I’m slightly disappointed we didn’t win the game.

“In the first half we were excellent and controlled a lot of the game. We didn’t quite pull the trigger and I was really disappointed to lose the deflection before half-time because it changed things when the crowd were starting to get restless.

“Second half we started well, lost a good goal from their point of view and at 2-0 you think ‘this could get away from us here’.

“But we were brave and continued to play and find openings and we eventually got the goals. I’m disappointed because we had another couple of great chances near the end to win it.”

Hibs boss Nick Montgomery rued his team’s performance and the way they squandered a position of command ahead of this weekend’s Viaplay Cup semi-final against Aberdeen.

“I’m disappointed and frustrated,” he said. “We failed to manage the game properly. I’m disappointed in the display and result.

“Jair scored his first goal for the club, which was a fantastic moment for him, but we have to be disappointed with the goals we gave away but credit to Ross County for keeping going and throwing bodies in the box. We didn’t deal with that as well as we should.

“We felt frustration from the fans. We were winning 2-0, not playing well but if you get three points you move forward. It feels like we’ve thrown two points away but we have to move on and get ready for a big game on Saturday.”

Hibs appeared to lose their way after Montgomery made three substitutions midway through the second half.

“I wanted to get fresh legs on,” said the manager. “Some changes were enforced, some I felt would give us energy after a tough game on the weekend.

“You don’t want to risk players carrying knocks but I take full responsibility for the team selection and subs. We’ll review the game tomorrow.

“Maybe we could have been more prepared when the subs came on but that’s something we can address. I take responsibility for the team, the subs and a disappointing result.”

It emerged before the match that billionaire Bournemouth owner Bill Foley has begun talks aimed at investing in Hibs.

“I’m not going to comment on speculation, that’s for the board and the CEO and the owners,” said Montgomery. “All I’m concentrating on is football.

“Of course any club getting investment is probably looked on as a positive but it’s not right for me to comment on any speculation.”