DOMINIC SAMUEL says that Ross County were frustrated not to take anything from Celtic Park at the weekend, as he rued the missed opportunity that could have dragged his side back into the game.

The striker had a golden chance to bring his side level at 1-1 as he stooped to meet a cross from Regan Charles-Cooke, but Joe Hart managed to keep his effort out from point-blank range.

It would prove a costly miss, with Celtic scoring immediately to double their advantage and make sure of the three points, but Samuel says County can’t afford to dwell on what might have been.

“As a striker, you always want to be putting those situations into the back of the net,” Samuel said.

“I thought I would just get a connection on it and use the wet surface to let the ball skid into the goal.

“He’s a very good, experienced goalkeeper and he got down early. There was not much more I could have done other than just let it hit the target.

“It was one of those frustrating games where you have to put away chances like that.

“Throughout the whole game we had chances, and if we were a bit more clinical we could have done something.

“It’s football, I can’t dwell on the past, I just need to keep going and look ahead to Saturday.”

Samuel believes that County can start climbing the table with a win over Hearts at the weekend, and says that Malky MacKay has the players believing they will soon turn their creditable performances into points.

“It’s all down to the manager,” he said. “He has made us work well together, bearing in mind some of the boys have only known each other a few weeks.

“With football you have to start picking up the points sooner rather than later, but I feel like we will.

“We are still gelling, we are getting better and I feel like there will be a game when all our hard work will come into play and we will start winning games.”