Ross County manager Malky Mackay paid tribute to the commitment of islander Matthew Wright and his family after the 19-year-old netted a stoppage-time equaliser against Rangers.
The substitute scored his first County goal in the sixth minute of time added on to earn a 3-3 draw with the cinch Premiership leaders. Wright seized on some slack goalkeeping from Allan McGregor to net following a goalmouth scramble.
Wright comes from the Isle of Lewis and faced six boat journeys a week during his time in the County academy.
“I’m really happy for Matthew,” Mackay said. “It’s great credit to Steven Ferguson, who is our chief executive and has been our manager, but before that he was our academy director for 10 years.
“He brought through a lot of youngsters, and anyone who knows this part of the world knows the challenge of bringing through young players.
“Matty and Adam MacKinnon, who were on the bench, are both from Stornoway, so that’s 10 years of mum and dad getting on a ferry and then driving for another two hours to come here two nights a week and on Saturdays.
“I’m delighted for his family, and the boy will score goals. He spent the first half of the season at Brora Rangers and was the Highland League’s top scorer.
“Him and Adam are here on merit right now, and in the last 10 minutes balls were bouncing off them but I was delighted he managed to get the ball in the net.”
Amad Diallo tapped home his first Rangers goal in the fifth minute following good work by Joe Aribo but County capitalised on two huge blunders in four first-half minutes.
Jordan White pounced after McGregor dropped a routine cross and Regan Charles-Cook slotted his 10th league goal of the season through the goalkeeper’s legs following a fresh-air clearance by Calvin Bassey.
Goals from James Tavernier and Connor Goldson put Gers back in front as they dominated the second half but they could not see the game out.
Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst admitted his side had thrown away two points with their error-strewn defending.
“We made a good start and got our goal but we gifted two goals and made it really difficult for us,” he said.
“The reaction we had in the second half was good. We created more chances, we were more dynamic.
“But in injury-time you cannot give a goal away like this. We lost the ball, we gave a corner away and we should have defended much better than we did.”
The Dutchman, whose side travel to Celtic Park on Wednesday, added: “Overall it’s very disappointing because we lost two points here.
“In football you have to be sharp until the last whistle goes and with the goals we gave away we lost two points.
“It’s always hard to tell why mistakes are made. You have to be solid but especially in the first half we weren’t.”
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
‘England have the players to win the World Cup – it’ll be tough for Thomas Tuchel to do a bad job, with the squad he has at his disposal’ Former Three Lions winger backs new boss after gentle qualifying draw
