Billy Mckay knows the goalscoring form of his fellow Ross County forwards is keeping the pressure on his own shoulders.
Ross Stewart leads the Staggies’ scoring charts with eight goals in all competitions, while Brian Graham also found the net after coming on as a substitute in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Motherwell.
Although Mckay has five strikes to his name, his last goal came in County’s opening day Premiership victory over Hamilton Accies on August 3.
Northern Irishman Mckay feels he can still make a strong contribution even if others are finding the scoresheet, and he said: “My place is always under pressure. When you start thinking it is not under pressure is the moment you let things slip. Of course it is under pressure.
“I felt Saturday was probably my best game this season. If Brian Graham comes on and get the goals, honestly I’m delighted.
“When these players score I think you’ll see I’m the first to celebrate with them.
“It is a team game at the end of the day. When it becomes about individuals, that’s when the troubles start.
“We’ve never had that since the day I walked in the door here and I don’t think it is going to start now.”
Despite competing with Stewart and Graham for starting berths, Mckay insists all three enjoy a tight bond off the field, with the 30-year-old adding: “We back each other. We’re actually quite close, all three of us, and I think it’s good for us.
“We do extra shooting together and we’re always talking, talking about the games.
“It is good to have competition like this in teams and it is going to help us as a squad.
“I’ve been at clubs before where there have been little groups and I don’t think it helps at all.
“It helped us last year having such a close changing room and we have similar this year.
“There’s no animosity about anyone, which is great. When you’re all pulling the same way, it is only going to help as a team.”
County make the trip to Kilmarnock today fresh from back-to-back victories over St Mirren and Motherwell, which have moved the Staggies to fifth in the Premiership.
It marks a strong response from Steven Ferguson and Stuart Kettlewell’s men, who suffered three defeats on the trot prior to the recent international break.
Mckay, who previously played for Caley Thistle and Dundee United, insists the Staggies never lost belief they could compete in the top flight following their promotion from the Championship last year.
Mckay added: “Most of us have been in this division before and know what it’s about.
“No-one got too down when we lost those two games. We knew the right result was around the corner if we kept doing what we were doing.
“Hopefully we can continue to kick on.
“Saturday against Kilmarnock is another tough one. They have got a new manager but I think they’ve gone back to the principles they had last year.
“We are very confident and if we can go down there and get a result, we then have St Johnstone at home before the break.
“It would be great to get two positive results before the break and see where we are in the league after that.”
