Ross County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell feels the Staggies have given themselves a strong platform to build from after securing survival in their first season back in the Premiership.
The SPFL’s decision to end the Premiership season means the Staggies end the campaign in 10th place, with league standings decided on a points per game basis.
The outcome assures the Staggies of their safety in their first season back in the top flight since winning the Championship title at the first time of asking last year. County’s relegation in 2018 followed a six-year spell among Scotland’s elite and Kettlewell is intent on consolidating the Dingwall side’s place in the top-tier next season.
Kettlewell said: “There have been plenty highs and plenty lows as well.
“We learned loads of lessons – be it our players, playing certain opposition, playing at home and away.
“We have taken a couple of blows along the way, but there has been a lot of good stuff in there from our point of view, too.
“I think it’s something to build on for us. We hope to try and cement our place. We had a good run in the Premiership prior to our relegation and we want to see if we can do that again.”
Despite cruising to the Championship title in the previous season, Kettlewell insists the Staggies never looked any higher than survival as their aim for this term.
He added: “I don’t think it was anything really different from what we expected.
“We got off to a really good start and then had a sticky spell in between, but we managed to pick up some results prior to the season stopping.
“I think we are probably somewhere in a position where we all expected us to be. I don’t think we have done any better or worse than that.
“From our point of view, our task was to try and stay in the Premiership this season and try to establish ourselves as a Premiership club.”
County still had eight matches remaining when Scottish football was suspended on March 13 due to coronavirus, with all fixtures against sides in the bottom half of the table.
Kettlewell believes County would have been well placed to complete the job of avoiding relegation had the season been played to a finish, adding: “Of course, we would have liked to have and strive to leapfrog one or two of the clubs that currently sit above us.
“I think our record against the bottom six teams was the best.
“We don’t know for certain that would be the case for eight games, but we would certainly back ourselves.”
