Anthony Ralston believes his last-gasp winner for Celtic against Ross County demonstrated the absolute belief that runs through Ange Postecoglou’s squad.
Makeshift striker Liel Abada put the injury-ravaged visitors ahead on Wednesday night with a close-range finish but County defender Jack Baldwin levelled as the home side rallied after the break.
Celtic defender Carl Starfelt was sent off by referee Alan Muir in the 80th minute for picking up two yellow cards but the Parkhead side kept pushing through the six minutes Muir added on for the winner and, right at the death, substitute Tom Rogic lifted a cross for right-back Ralston to head in a dramatic winner.
Postecoglou’s side remain four points behind leaders Rangers as they turn their attention to Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup final against Hibernian at Hampden Park.
Ralston said: “It is just belief. We always believed through the game. It is instilled in us all that no matter what happens in the game, what circumstances and challenges that we are faced with, that we can overcome it.
“As a team and a collective we always believed that we could win the game and so I felt that we deserved to get the three points.
“We believe in our football. We have a style of football that we play.
“It might not always be pretty, we might have to fight and we have that side to us as well but at the same time we are still playing the style of football that we want to play, even when we go down to 10 men.
“It is credit to the team that under those circumstances that we were still able to come away with the three points.
“It is not easy to go up there and also down to 10 men as well we were forced to change the team around.
“But we won’t make excuses, we still kept on top of the game and dominated and we got the opportunity and took it.
“I have never been involved myself in a last-minute winner.
“Right place, right time, it was a great cross from Tom and I found myself in the right area and I was able to convert it.
“I am delighted on a personal note but more importantly from a team point of view I helped the team get three points and we continue on a good run and keep going in the right direction.”
Ralston and his team-mates will take that belief and will-to-win to Hampden Park for the first cup final of the season, where they are favourites to beat the Easter Road side.
He said: “It is important that we rest and recover and put our focus on the cup final.
“Everyone involved will want to win and have the belief that we can win so we will be going there confident.
“It is a special occasion for the club. It is the first chance of the season to win something so we will be going there ready to go.
“It is important that we go into every game with the same mentality and try to win.”
