Little more than a month after what was billed as the biggest Highland derby of all-time, here we are again.
This one undoubtedly carries even more meaning however, not least because it could be the last meeting between the sides for some time.
Games are fast running out and damage that has already been done is on the verge of becoming irreversible, particularly for Caley Thistle.
County were in a far more precarious position ahead of their trip to Caledonian Stadium on March 18, and although the 1-1 draw shared between the teams did little to change things, their form since then has improved and they go into this weekend’s game on the back of three matches without defeat.
What Richie Foran wouldn’t give to turn back time, on the other hand. If the need for victory was great back then, the current situation provides an all new meaning for the word. Three straight defeats have left Caley Jags five points adrift at the bottom of the table and staring the Championship in the face.
Many Caley Jags supporters are already resigned to relegation and given their team’s form it is little wonder, having registered only one win in 22 league matches. A timely derby victory against Ross County, allied, in an ideal world, with a Dundee defeat against Motherwell on Saturday, would change the mood significantly.
Caley Thistle are running out of ifs, buts and maybes though. Even with that sequence of events, they would still have a power of work on their hands to muster enough points from four games to finish in the relegation play-off position. Rest assured, it is not going to be pretty.
Although relegation is the same eventuality County are trying to avoid, the implications of defeat are different for Jim McIntyre’s men. They are virtually safe from bottom spot, but are one of a cluster of teams trying to drift further away from the relegation play-off position. They may have momentum on their side just now, but any of the teams in the bottom-six who get into a losing habit will be under intense pressure to avert the slide, and that includes Kilmarnock who many consider to be safe on 35 points. Just ask Hibernian’s class of 2014.
Some County supporters will be further motivated by the prospect of hammering another nail in Caley Thistle’s coffin on its road to relegation with a Dingwall victory, although in other parts there is a mutual respect in this rivalry and an acknowledgement that having two top-flight clubs is great for the Highlands.
The two sides have played out some memorable encounters in the five years they have shared Premiership status, and there is no question most supporters would sorely miss the derby, putting aside the strong initial temptation to gloat at a rival’s demotion.
Neither club will look back at this season with fond memories, irrespective of how they finish. But a victory for either in this potentially momentous fixture would not be forgotten for a long time.