Keeper Demes Dibusz thwarted the midfielder in the 62nd minute but the 28-year-old and his team-mates conjured up the perfect response by taking the encounter by the scruff of the neck to turn a 1-0 lead into a resounding victory. McGregor was instrumental in the clinching goal by winning possession in the move that led to it and won’t be fazed by stepping up from the penalty spot again for Ange Postecoglou’s men.
“It’s one of those things, everyone misses penalties at some point in their career,” he said. “I just need to try and put it behind me and try to score the next one.
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Hide Ad“It’s good to get that first win in the group. It was an excellent performance and I thought we dominated throughout. We had loads of chances, so it is a great night for us. It’s brilliant for the supporters as well, they turned out in their numbers for a difficult time. We have to thank them for their effort.”
And McGregor maintained the relationship within the squad as well as between squad and supporters was shown with the scintillating contributions that Jota and scorer Kyogo Furuhashi provided for the 57th minute opener - a 50-yard pass from the winger seized on by the Japanese striker whose exquisite ball control set him up for a pristine finish.
“The manager keeps saying we are a new bunch of players but we have a real bond in the dressing room,” said McGregor. “I have spoken about it before, if you get success then it brings everyone closer together. I think the boys recognise how good the pass was from Jota to Kyogo and then he does what he does by putting it away.
“It’s great to get another clean sheet [too]. We have spoken about it and we want to have more control of games. In the moments when we had to defend I think we did it excellently tonight. Young Tony Ralston made a brilliant block at a vital time. It is a step in the right direction but we have to keep working hard.”