Ross County co-manager Steven Ferguson insists the Staggies face an attacking dilemma for today’s Championship match against Alloa Athletic.
Ferguson and fellow co-manager Stuart Kettlewell elected to leave out leading scorer Billy Mckay for last weekend’s Scottish Cup trip to Motherwell, with his replacement Brian Graham netting both goals in the Dingwall side’s 2-1 victory.
The impact of Graham has left Ferguson with a tough call over whether to restore 15-goal forward Mckay for today’s Victoria Park encounter, and he said: “Billy Mckay dropped off the starting line-up last week, but big Brian Graham came in and scored goals. We have a decision to make there, because Billy has been fantastic for us.
“We brought in a couple of players this week, and Don Cowie is back fit again, so we have options.
“We have options, and ultimately that’s what Stuart and I want. We are in a good position to deal with that.”
County could hand debuts to new signings Daniel Armstrong and Callum Semple who joined this week, with Ferguson pleased with the balance of County’s squad.
He added: “With the injuries we’ve had, we have brought in players who now give us an option in areas where we were short before.
“The two new additions this week, along with Kenny van der Weg and Lewis Spence, do that. Where we were short, we’ve strengthened and brought in cover – but they are all capable of doing well for the club in the future as well. All four are hungry and know what it’s about.”
County have struck late to defeat Alloa on both occasions they have faced Jim Goodwin’s men in the league this season, and Ferguson is wary of a Wasps side that are undefeated in their last six Championship matches.
Ferguson added: “Against Alloa, we all know what the game is going to be like, but we need to make sure we’re on it and up for it.
“Jim Goodwin has done a fantastic job. They’re having a wonderful season for a club of their resources. They keep picking up points and churning out results.
“We’ve taken 89 minutes, twice, to beat them and we had a tough game in the cup as well.
“We’ve always managed to break that door down and get the result – and this game will be no different. They’ll make it as difficult as can be up here. If we underestimate them in any way, we could get our fingers burnt.
“We need to make sure we play with the same intensity and aggression we showed against Motherwell.”
