Josh Sims reckons Rangers upset will have Ross County relegation rivals on high alert

Josh Sims believes Ross County’s rattling of Rangers will have their relegation rivals looking worryingly over their shoulders.

The Staggies made history as they beat the Light Blues for the first time in their history, thanks to Sunday’s famous 3-2 win. Sims was the eventual match winner and he reckons it can inspire a Highland rising that can see them climb out of the relegation play-off spot and to Premiership safety. The goal hero reckons the unlikely victory over Rangers was a blow to those around them, as they moved to one point behind 10th-placed St Johnstone, going into the bottom six fixtures.

Sims proudly stated: “Yes, we are one point behind St Johnstone but it was the manner of the way we did it. We took the game to Rangers. They are a brilliant team but we took them by surprise. If we can do it against Rangers we can do it against anybody in this league. We have to take that belief into the remaining games.

“It should do us some good. St Johnstone and the teams above us will be looking at this result and will be thinking we are on the up. They wouldn’t have expected us to take anything from this game so it is really good for us.”

County went behind to a Jack Baldwin own goal but won it with a spirited start to the second period that saw them net through Simon Murray, George Harmon and Sims. The former Southampton player stated:“It is a massive win against a team like Rangers. To beat them here is really big but not only that it is a massive three points for us in the season.

“It was almost a free hit type of game. Nobody expected us to take anything from the game and to take three points was massive. Other teams will be looking at this result and they will be gutted that we took the three points. Us in the changing room, we believed we could do it, especially in that first half.

“We had some big chances and to go in 1-0 down at half-time we were gutted. It was a disappointing way to concede, losing the goal we did. We came out in the second half and took the game to them. It was brilliant.”

Sims knows County had Rangers on the ropes and were able to land the knockout blow. The County star claimed: “Yes, even in the first half we had the better chances. We gave them their goal but we had two or three big chances.

“We continued to do what we have been doing. The way we scored and the timing of our goals kind of took them by surprise. They were kind of rattled, it felt like. They got the penalty late on and it was always going to be a bombardment at the end. To hold on was brilliant.”

Sims believes the credit for this win must go to interim manager Don Cowie and his tactical masterplan. He explained: “It is and we just need to build from it. “The manager said before the game that we have been unbeaten here since he took over. He told us at half-time we need to continue that. We are 1-0 down and he said: ‘Let’s stay unbeaten.’ “That could have been a draw or a win but to get the three points was brilliant.

"Credit to the manager, all week long we have been working on how to defend against them and counter attack them. They have strengths all over the pitch, so it is difficult to have a game plan.

"Credit to the players, we put it out there. We stuck to the game plan and it clearly worked. I thought we were brilliant from the first minute and we deserved our win. We worked on it all week and it is a good feeling when you go out and implement the game plan.”