Ross County have been meting out beatings left, right and centre but manager Jim McIntyre remains wary of the retaliatory blow.
None more so than in today’s match when Partick Thistle travel north to kick off the post-split series of matches.
The Maryhill Jags have been sucked into the relegation dogfight just a point ahead of the resurgent Staggies, who are on a run of eight wins and a draw but have been in feisty form of their own.
Taking 13 points from the last 21, Alan Archibald’s men have beaten the top six trio of Dundee United, St Johnstone and Inverness in that sequence, while drawing away to Aberdeen.
McIntyre knows it will not be easy to stretch his team’s proud unbeaten run to 10 games.
The County manager said: “For the last three months we’ve been very consistent but you are always wary of that slap in the face just around the corner.
“You’ve got to concentrate and realise what has taken you to where you are and what has got you those results. We’ve got to continue to do that.”
The split has magnified the high stakes in the final five matches, with four teams still at peril of finishing in the dreaded play-off spot.
McIntyre, while no supporter of the split, fully endorses the value of the play-offs and the excitement generated.
He said: “When it comes down to the split, every team realises it’s now or never, so everything is heightened.
“We’ve got to make sure we get results because there’s no recovery time.
“It refocuses everyone as well. What we’ve got to try and do is continue what we’ve been doing and just concentrate on the next match in front of us.
“We’ve got a really difficult game this weekend. Thistle have been on excellent form themselves and the last game here was very close.
“There was just the odd goal in it but both teams were equal on the day. We just managed to get the all-important first goal.
“It is exciting, there’s no doubt about that. I’m not a supporter of the split, and have never been, but the introduction of the play-offs is a fabulous idea that was long overdue.
“I agree with Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara, who says the league should be bigger. I’ve always thought that but you can’t deny there are exciting games to look forward to at the end of the season for the supporters.”