MALKY | Manager Calls for 'Better Quality'

Staggies manager Malky Mackay has called for ‘better quality’ from his side following a 1-0 defeat to St Mirren this weekend.

Richard Tait’s superb strike was the difference at the SMiSA Stadium leaving County the last side in the cinch Premiership yet to record a point. However, Mackay still maintains an optimistic viewpoint moving forward.

“[It was] a tight game, a real moment of quality I suppose told at the end with the St Mirren goal" said Mackay.

“We were unlucky, the second half saw Owura's header hit the post, and then our day that goes in and it's a pretty tight tense affair.

“But, we've got to look to have a little bit of better quality in and around their box. I think on another day , then we do that, then things get better for us during the game”.

Tait scored five minutes into the second half with momentum shifting between the two sides after the Buddies’ initial dominance in the opening half hour. The baking heat in Paisley certainly didn’t help proceedings as Mackay admitted it felt like more of a pre-season fixture in the early exchanges.

“I think it [the affect of the heat] was for both teams let's be clear about that, at times the game, it looked like a pre-season game because of the heat for both teams.

“That's certainly no excuse as far as we are concerned , the referee did well to get water breaks on both halves, but it was very warm out there, and at times both teams looked as if they were, you know, in a go slow.

Mackay had made two changes at the break bringing on George Harmon and Jordan White with a fresh message in his side’s ears as they looked to get on the front foot come the second period, and came close to finding the net on several occasions.

“Hitting the post, getting crosses into the box and creating opportunities. I talked to the boys about the Hearts game the first half, we were so dominant in that game, can we flip that and can we change that in a second half here?

“I thought we did that. I thought we did have a go in the second half and it was a moment of quality that won the game and maybe it was a moment that we just were lacking today”.

Now attention turns to Kilmarnock next weekend as the Staggies search for those elusive first points of the campaign and take on a side who have chalked up a point thus far with a meeting with Celtic tomorrow (Sunday).

It’s the visit of Killie to Dingwall that the manager’s attention turns to as County return up the A9.

“We just reflect on it on Tuesday [St Mirren], we'll look at the game again, and we'll analyse it.

“We'll look where we can be better and then we'll park it and then we go into to next weekend but it's about making sure that you learn from mistakes, you learn from errors, you learn from situations that you've been involved in”.