Don Cowie urges Ross County to take advantage of congested relegation battle

Don Cowie warned Ross County against the threat of becoming too comfortable within a congested relegation battle as he challenged his side to start reeling in teams above them.

The 10th-place Staggies are one of four teams separated by just two points at the bottom of the Premiership, while there are just eight points between sixth-placed St Mirren and last-placed Hearts.

Cowie sees an opportunity to close the gap on the Buddies when the two sides meet in Dingwall on Saturday but the Staggies boss is also mindful of the danger of sliding to the foot of the table if his team allow their three-game losing streak to get longer.

“You’ve got to take advantage of that (tightness), you’ve got to win games of football, because if you don’t then you’re the one that starts to really drop down to the bottom of the league,” he said.

“This is an opportunity, it’s a tough game, but winning, getting three points has a massive impact.

“St Mirren are six points clear of us but you beat them, you go within three points and you drag them closer to you, so that’s what’s available to us but we have to go and do it.”

Asked if he was concerned about County’s predicament, Cowie said: “I wouldn’t say concerned, I’m a pretty honest person, I understand the competitiveness and the challenges of this league.

“We’re in a position in the league right now where it’s very tight. The last three results have been disappointing but at the same time, we know that with one victory it can change where it puts you in the league table.”