"You have to play the team in front of you," said Mackay "It's not always going to go the way you want it to be, everyone is fighting for everything in this league.
"If there were nerves surely we don't come back at the end, score the goal and nearly get the winner.
"It's about trying to be the most consistent team in the league. We came back and got another point and it's one game less to play."
And the Scot is confident his side will be promoted if they can grind out a handful more wins from their remaining 11 fixtures.
He said: "The high 80s, or low 90s invariably gets teams promoted automatically. We know where that area is, we just have to focus on our own job, our own points and eventually the games run down."
A point was an excellent result for the injury-hit Rams, who only had five players on the bench, but first-team coach Andy Garner admitted County were disappointed, particularly after seeing a Chris Martin strike ruled out for offside and being denied a penalty appeal for handball against Ben Turner.
Garner said: "With the disallowed goal I had a word with the assistant referee at half-time, which is not the best of times, but I asked him if he was 100 per cent happy with his decision and he said he was. I have seen the replay and Chris is half a yard onside.
"Chris walked in at half-time and said there was no way he was offside, and he was right. As a striker you know if you are onside or offside."
But Mackay claimed the offside had been given against Sammon.
He said: "I spoke to the fourth official about it and watched it three or four times and he's spot on. Conor Sammon is right in line with David Marshall. He's standing a yard offside when the ball gets fired into the net. It's not against Chris Martin."
Of the penalty decision, which occurred when Turner flung himself at Jeff Hendrick's shot, Garner added: "How many times do you see them given? When you are watching Match of the Day or the Football League show on TV every weekend you see them given week in, week out.
"The referee told the players it hit his hand so I don't understand why he didn't give it."