Dundee United manager Mixu Paatelainen has promised his team will not be getting too excited after getting a long-awaited win.
The Tangerines celebrated their first victory under Paatelainen at the third attempt, with Billy Mckay’s 81st-minute penalty enough to see off Jim McIntyre’s Ross County side at Tannadice.
United’s only previous success this term had come in a 2-0 triumph against Motherwell at Fir Park in early August.
Mckay’s late spot-kick moved Paatelainen’s men within two points of second-bottom Partick Thistle ahead of Wednesday’s League Cup quarter-final tie at Hibernian,
However, the Finn knows there is still plenty of work to be done to turn things around.
“We won’t get carried away by this,” said the former Hibs, Kilmarnock and Finland boss.
“There’s no chance of that.
“It’s a great three points and one we felt we deserved for our efforts and fighting spirit.
“I knew the boys could do it and they proved that with their reaction following the Celtic game (5-0 defeat at Parkhead the previous weekend) which was a disappointment.
“We’ll get a boost from this but the confidence was there anyway.
“We know it’s only one game so there’s a lot of work still to be done.
“It’s a start, though, and we would hope to build on it.
“We feel we can get better and play better football but we’ll keep our feet on the ground.”
Mckay’s decisive penalty came after Scott Fraser was fouled inside the box by Martin Woods, and the on-loan Wigan striker made no mistake from 12 yards.
County manager McIntyre could not understand why his players were so flat following their 2-1 League Cup win at Inverness on Tuesday.
“It was just one of those games,” he said.
“There was plenty of effort but I don’t think either side played all that well.
“It is disappointing to lose, of course, and it looked like it was heading for a 0-0 draw until United got the penalty late on.
“We have no argument about the penalty. It certainly looked like one.
“I don’t think there was a negative reaction to the League Cup game in midweek as we finished the game well, looking for an equaliser.
“But we just have to move on and focus on our next game. That’s the best way to look at it.”