ROSS County manager Malky Mackay tonight questioned why referee Alan Muir added on so much injury-time at the end of the cinch Premiership match against Celtic in Dingwall.

Mackay’s team, who had cancelled out a Liel Abada goal with a second-half Jack Baldwin strike, were just seconds away from recording a draw against Ange Postecoglou’s side in the Global Energy Stadium.

However, Anthony Ralston headed home a Tom Rogic cross in the final attack of the game to snatch a last-gasp victory and keep the visitors four points behind leaders Rangers in the league table.  

Mackay, the former Celtic and Scotland centre half, was unhappy that the match official allowed play to continue for so long at the end of the encounter.

“They scored in the seventh minute of added on time,” he said. “I don’t know how that happened.

“I’m proud that our players enacted the game plan and ran Celtic as close as they did. You could hear with the celebrations they were lucky to get away with the three points.

“I look at the progression we’ve had since day one of the season, where we are taking on the Old Firm toe-toe-toe.

“The two defeats we have had recently have been against both of them, but we are scoring against them. We knew we could hurt Celtic.”

Mackay added: “I don’t want to ask the referee anything, otherwise that’s going to cause me problems and put me into trouble if I say one more word to him.

“Where they got seven minutes from is an interesting one. At one point it felt as if we were playing until they scored.

“But for the ball coming off Dom Samuel’s head, the shot in the last second of the game was going into the top of that stand. It’s fine lines, but I think you saw how relieved Celtic were leaving here.

“It’s a measure of where Ross County have come this season that we are running the Old Firm as close as that.”