Don Cowie, Ross County’s manager, is furious following his team’s late 2-1 loss to Celtic on Sunday afternoon.

The Staggies took the lead with a penalty from Ronan Hale after Liam Scales handled the ball in Celtic’s box during the first half.

Alistair Johnston’s close-range goal and Nicolas Kuhn’s spectacular 87th-minute effort secured another crucial three points for the Bhoys.

In the aftermath, Cowie was plainly dissatisfied, bemoaning that they had managed to stay level or ahead for the entirety of the game until falling short.

He also criticized referee Kevin Clancy for giving the free kick that resulted in Kuhn’s winner.

Kevin Clancy dismisses Don Cowie’s Celtic protest

The Ross County manager stated [Press & Journal]: “It was disappointing for the players with the effort they put in again.” They kept a top-tier team pretty quiet in terms of genuine scoring opportunities.

“We said beforehand that it was important to be compact and have high concentration levels, which I noticed in plenty among the group. The equalizer was quite lucky, considering it was a ricochet.

“For me, they scored a goal off a free kick that was never a foul in the center of the pitch. Jordan pushed his foot out but did not make contact with Luke McCowan. He subsequently lost the ball, resulting in a free kick.

“At that point, we were a touch out of shape, and a good squad would punish you, which is exactly what occurred.

“With my eyesight at the time, I didn’t believe it was a free kick, then I saw it again, and it isn’t. We can still respond and prevent the goal, but it is frustrating that the decision was made against us. I asked the referee about it, but received no response. “He has his opinion, and I have mine.”

Luke McCowan was obviously clipped.

I have to disagree with Cowie here. He’s in pain, which is natural, so maybe this is all just pouring out in the heat of the moment, but replays show contact on Luke McCowan.

He may believe it was an easy free kick, which is his prerogative, but it is false that there was ‘no contact’ as he claims.

Ross County eventually switched off, which allowed Celtic to score, rather than a normal free kick well past the halfway line.

It’s a bit churlish to bring it up as a topic of disagreement, but managers frequently use these concerns to divert focus away from players and unhappiness with performance.