Boss Don Cowie says now is the time for Ross County to try to kick clear of trouble in the Premiership – with a run of matches against survival rivals.
The Dingwall side are 11th in the table ahead of Saturday’s trip to managerless Motherwell.
They sit just five points in front of an improving St Johnstone team who have surprisingly won two successive league matches in the middle of two Scottish Cup tie v victories.
Looking above, a tightly-packed division has County are also just five points behind Well up in sixth position.
In their last match, earlier this month, County lost 4-0 against Rangers at Ibrox, but now getting set for a series of clashes with teams within sight of them.
After tackling the Steelmen, their next opponents are Dundee (10th), St Johnstone and Kilmarnock (ninth).
There are just eight matches before the Premiership split as County seek to avoid contesting the relegation play-off final for the third successive season.
In 2022, County – then managed by Malky Mackay – secured a top six-finish, and Cowie would love to repeat that feat to put paid to any survival fears.
Next run of games to ‘shape season’
Ross County, who banished their 15-month wait for an away win by beating Dundee, Aberdeen and Killie on their travels this winter, can still make a push for the top half if they rediscover a winning touch.
When asked about this run of fixtures, Cowie said: “It will have a big effect and shape where we want to go this season – and where we end up.
“We’ve had a tough spell lately, playing Celtic and Rangers and Hibs, who are one of the form teams in the country.
“We now go into a spell where, while these are still really challenging games, they are fixtures we’ve been really competitive in this season, and picked up the majority of our points in.
“We’ve not taken anything from the Old Firm. Where we are is down to what we’ve taken against the rest of the sides in the league.
“That has to give us real belief going into this period – but that’s not us taking it lightly, or thinking we just need to turn up.
“We must be ready and try to accumulate as many points as we can over the next six to eight games to see where we are going into the split.”
‘Destiny in our own hands’ – Cowie
Cowie has chatted to his squad about how vital victories in the coming weeks would likely prove.
He said: “We’ve spoken about the importance of this run of games that we’re going into.
“We have our own destiny in our hands – and it’s up to us to go and grab the opportunity that we’ve got now.
“This is where it really counts, and you’ve got to stand up to it and really try to be as consistent as possible to collect as many points as you can.
“We’ve got a run of games where winning games can have a huge impact, but if we don’t it can have a really negative effect.
“I’m looking at the positive side.
“But it’s easy saying it – you have to go and act on it. That starts this week against a really good side in Motherwell.
“They are going through a challenging period with their managerial situation, but they still rightfully sit sixth in the league this year.”
County seven points better than this point last season…
And Cowie, in his first full season as the County manager, explained clubs outwith Celtic and Rangers have had to improve in an ultra-competitive bottom half – where the difference between seventh and 12th is only nine points.
At this stage in 2024, County were also 11th – but were on 19 points, compared to their tally today of 26 points.
He added: “Points-wise, we’re in a much better place than we were this time last year, but we need to be because of how competitive the league is.
“Last year, the Old Firm teams and Hearts took the majority of points off the rest of the league, but that hasn’t been the case this year.
“That means everyone else is cramped together beneath the top two, so we have needed to be better.
“But we’ve got a real opportunity to build on the points total we have right now to get to where we want to be at the end of the season.
“The games are running out and you know how important each one is.
“It’s scary that there are only 13 games to go – it is important we don’t let each game drift by.
“We have to make an impression in each game.”
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