Ross County manager Jim McIntyre has warned his players to look at Hibernian’s fall from grace in 2014 as the consequence of a loss of form.
Hibs, who put Caley Thistle manager Terry Butcher in charge in November 2013, went on a dire run of one win from their last 18 games to slump from top-six hopefuls to failing in the relegation play-offs.
Hibs dropped to the Championship after being defeated on penalties by Hamilton Accies, with Butcher sacked after little more than six months in the job.
The Edinburgh club finally regained its top-flight status earlier this month, with Neil Lennon guiding Hibs to the Championship title at the third attempt.
County are only three points ahead of second-bottom Dundee and McIntyre says his players cannot afford to take their position for granted with five games remaining.
McIntyre said: “It’s not done for any team in that bottom six.
“We saw a few seasons ago Hibs needed one win to stay up and they couldn’t get it. They dropped into the play-off, got relegated and it took them three years to come back up.
“That’s all the warning any of us needs, we can’t have any complacency. We can’t let the hype or occasion force us into making bad decisions.
“We’ve got to concentrate on our job as footballers. We’re concerned about getting the points we need.
“We are where we are because of the points we’ve picked up. There’s times when we’ve been unlucky and times when we’ve been fortunate.”
County host rivals Caley Thistle on Friday night in what could be the final Highland derby for some time, with Inverness five points adrift at the foot of the table.
McIntyre expects it to be the first of five keenly contested fixtures during the run-in and he added: “Friday night under the lights adds to the atmosphere. It’s a massive game for both clubs. Inverness have got a bit of catching up to do and we’re in for a real struggle.
“It’s going to be like that in the last five games, not just the derby. Dundee have changed manager and are looking for a bounce factor, so every game is going to be nervous and it’s up to who handles that best.”
