Anthony Ralston has been on cloud nine since his 97th minute winner bagged Celtic all three points against Ross County and stated he was as delighted for the travelling fans who made the journey to Dingwall as he was for himself. The Celtic match-winner said to Celtic TV, as reported by Daily Record.
“Of course, I’ve never been involved in a last minute winner. I’m delighted for the supporters who travelled despite their work commitments. It’s midweek and they went all the way up to Dingwall. And it’s nothing less than they deserve.
“It (the pitch celebration) was a heat of the moment thing and it’s nothing less than what they deserved travelling up here. We all got a bit excited, but it’s part and parcel of the game and it was a great moment. All the boys were delighted, the coaching staff, the fans. It was a great moment for everyone.”
Incidentally worth noting this from a 2-1 win by theRangers up in Dingwall courtesy of a late winner of their own…
Discussing heading in that late goal that sent the away fans into euphoria in what was his fifth goal of the season, the Celtic right back maintained he knows exactly the importance of it and is just glad he could have a helping hand in keeping Celtic’s recent run of good form going.
“Right place, right time and it’s a great cross from Tom. I found myself in the right area and I was able to convert it. So I’m delighted on a personal note, but more importantly it’s from a team point of view and I’ve helped us get three points. It keeps us on a good run and we continue in the right direction.”
Ralston went on to talk about the belief within this current Celtic squad, something he attributes to manager Ange Postecoglou, and claims that even with the ever expanding injury list at Lennoxtown they refuse to make excuses and will continue to play their football and go out on the pitch and look to dominate the opposition.
“For sure it is. We had challenges put in our way and it’s not easy to come up here while we also went down to 10 men. We were forced to change the team around. But, we won’t make excuses. We were still in the game, still kept on top and dominated.
“We got the opportunity and took it, which I was delighted to do. It’s just belief. It’s instilled in us all and it’s something that the gaffer is also big on. That we believe in ourselves no matter what’s put in front of us, that no matter what team plays we’re all important members of the squad.
“So, the main thing is it’s for the team that we scored that goal. But, of course, I’m also personally delighted that I was able to get in the right position and convert the chance.”
With all three vital points wrapped up midweek in the league to maintain their title charge, thoughts within the Celtic camp have now moved on to the League Cup Final on Sunday against a managerless Hibs side who also got a crucial league win on Tuesday. This will be a huge moment for this group of Celtic players, handing them their first opportunity to claim silverware under new manager Ange Postecoglou.
Discussing Sunday’s League Cup final Ralston said:
“We all know the magnitude of the game. It’s right up there with anything else. But it’s important we go into every game with the same mentality. We’ll be trying our best to win. It’s important now that we rest and recover. We now put our focus on the cup final.
“Everyone involved will want to win and we’ve got the belief that we can win. So we’ll be going there confident. It will be a special occasion for the club, the first chance this season to get a trophy. So we’ll be going there focused on what we need to do.”
Regarding his recent ankle injury that many Celtic fans believed would see the influential right back be sidelined for the upcoming final and maybe even the Glasgow Derby on 2 January, Ralston admits he was worried but with the help of the physio staff, who are certainly earning their wages at the moment, he was ready to bounce back much quicker than expected.
“I had a tear in my ankle. But now I’m feeling good and feeling fit. We’ve got a great physio staff and I’ve done the right things. Now I’m ready to play.
“Yeah, it’s one of those things, when you get an injury at that moment in time you’re not sure what it is. But, I was glad when I came away that it wasn’t as severe as first thought. I was able to do the right rehab over the course of a week or so and got myself fit and ready to play again.”
Conall McGinty
