Ross County manager Jim McIntyre believes this season’s Scottish Premiership has the potential to be the tightest ever.
The Staggies moved from bottom of the table to eighth with a 4-2 victory at St Johnstone at the weekend.
But with only three points separating the division’s bottom seven teams, McIntyre knows his side will need to embark on a winning run before they can move away from the relegation zone.
He said: “If we lose this weekend we could be back on the bottom of the table.
“It has been a crazy season and everyone has recognised the league is as tight as it has been in a long time.
“Normally there is a team a little bit detached by now but I think there were only three points separating the bottom from sixth position before Saturday’s fixtures.
“That just shows how well matched the squads are.
“If you are not on top of your game then you won’t win.
“We need to be more consistent as that is the only thing that is going to see us move up the league.”
McIntyre, meanwhile, believes Staggies forward Liam Boyce is more than capable of establishing himself as a regular of the Northern Ireland national team.
The 25-year-old, who netted his seventh goal of the season against St Johnstone on Saturday, won his eighth cap in last week’s 3-0 defeat by Croatia.
McIntyre added: “I believe Liam can play at international level on a regular basis.
“Liam knows he has to move the ball quickly because he is not blessed with great pace.
“He has got every other attribute going to compete and play at that level.
“The reports from Northern Ireland were that he did very well.
“We saw the confidence that gave him when we played St Johnstone.”
